Ike Anand was appointed president and chief executive officer of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Anand has been interim CEO since March and worked as chief operating officer since 2020. Anand is the seventh CEO in ALSAC’s 68-year history. He takes over the role immediately from Richard C. Shadyac, Jr. following 15 years in the position.
“We are delighted Ike has officially accepted the role of CEO,” Frederick M. Azar, MD, chair of the ALSAC board of directors, said via a statement. “Throughout his tenure, Ike has demonstrated visionary leadership and an unwavering commitment to the St. Jude mission. His passion and dedication have been instrumental in redefining our strategic direction. We are confident that under Ike’s leadership, ALSAC will continue to grow and advance the mission of St. Jude.”
Marlo Thomas is the national outreach director for St. Jude and daughter of the late entertainer and philanthropist Danny Thomas who founded ALSAC and St. Jude. “When my father founded St. Jude with a dream that no child should die in the dawn of life, he meant no child anywhere,” Thomas said via a statement. “Ike Anand is the perfect person to carry that dream forward and help continue to expand our mission globally. Ike’s heart, his vision, and his deep understanding of our mission make him uniquely suited to lead ALSAC into the future. I know my father would be proud of our choice.”
Anand is taking the helm midway through a six-year, $12.9 billion strategic plan launched by St. Jude in 2022 aimed at advancing cures and treatments globally – the largest such initiative in the organization’s history.
“Over the past few months, Ike’s leadership has made a profound impact on our shared mission,” James R. Downing, M.D., president and chief executive officer of St. Jude said via a statement. “His strategic vision and collaborative spirit have strengthened the relationship between ALSAC and St. Jude.”
Anand has a career spanning both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Before joining ALSAC, Anand was global vice president of strategy for Expedia Group, where he spearheaded some of the company’s most critical cross-functional initiatives during his nearly 15-year tenure.
