The McCormick Group Recruits New Leader for the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation
December 13, 2022 – The McCormick Group, an Arlington, VA-based executive recruitment firm, has assisted in the recruitment of Brad Wong as the new chief executive officer and executive director of the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation (AAMDSIF). He succeeds outgoing interim CEO, Janice Frey-Angel, who led the foundation for the past two years and has fulfilled her interim term. Vice president Elizabeth Humphrey led the search along with principal Susy Howard.
“After a nationwide search, the board selected Brad as the new CEO because we believe his combination of strategic nonprofit leadership experience, success in expanding and diversifying revenue, and his commitment to our mission, are what we need as AAMDSIF moves into its 40th year,” said Debby Ziff Cook, board chairperson. “We are excited to have Brad at the helm of the foundation as we continue to serve the patients and families impacted by these rare bone marrow failure diseases.”
“His compassion for those dealing with a rare disease, his knowledge of the pharmaceutical arena, his experience with medical professionals as well as his skill working with federal policymakers will all be great assets to the foundation and those we support,” Ms. Ziff Cook said.
“The AAMDSIF board was impressed with Brad’s commitment to furthering the foundation’s mission and successful record of helping patients and caregivers by promoting personal support, education, research funding, advocacy, and public visibility of rare bone-marrow disorders” said Harsha Murthy, AAMDSIF board member and member of the search committee.
Mr. Wong brings 20 years of experience leading health-related non-profit organizations to AAMDSIF. His most recent leadership role was at the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) where he served as president and CEO. Prior to that, he spent 16 years as executive director at the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and more than 10 years in development leadership roles for academic medicine and higher education institutions.
“I deeply admire AAMDSIF’s strength and long history of serving as the heart of the bone marrow failure diseases community,” Mr. Wong said. “With great appreciation for AAMDSIF’s many achievements over the past 39 years, I am honored to have the opportunity to join the cause and lead efforts that further the mission to provide education, support, and hope to patients and families affected by bone marrow failure diseases around the world.”
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The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation is a non-profit health organization dedicated to supporting patients and families living with aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and related bone marrow failure diseases. The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation’s mission is to provide education, support, and hope to thousands of patients and their families around the world. Founded in 1983 by the parents of an aplastic anemia patient, the foundation is now an established and well-respected entity in the rare disease and bone marrow failure disease spaces.
Proven Recruiters
Founded in 1974 by Bill McCormick, The McCormick Group provides executive search services to associations, corporate government affairs offices, and law firms, among others. The firm offers clients a full range of human capital services, including recruitment, human resources strategic planning and consulting, compensation studies and surveys, management succession consulting and restructuring, and outplacement consulting.
Ms. Humphrey specializes in searches for not-for-profits, associations, law firms, and professional services firms. With expertise in multiple areas, he conducts searches for a wide variety of executives and senior level managers for not-for-profit organizations and associations as well as searches for human resource professionals for law firms and professional services firms. Representative placements include: president and chief executive officers for not-for-profits and associations, executive directors for not-for-profits and associations, and vice presidents of human resources for a variety of firms. In addition, Ms. Humphrey has placed chief human resource officers of global law firms, a regional human resource director for a Big Four accounting and consulting firm, and an executive director for a national scholarship association.
Ms. Howard specializes in searches for executives for companies, associations, foundations, and not-for-profit organizations. In addition to an emphasis on not-for-profit executive positions, she serves as the leader of The McCormick Group’s communications and public relations group. Ms. Howard is responsible for conducting searches for senior communications positions for a diverse range of Fortune 500 companies, associations, and public relations firms. Representative placements include: numerous president and chief executive officers for local and national not-for-profits and foundations, vice presidents of media/public relations for Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries, and communication directors and specialists for many associations.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
