The Board of Directors of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, proudly announces the appointment of Ike Anand
as its president and chief executive officer. Anand, who has served as interim CEO
since March and as chief operating officer since 2020, steps into his new role
immediately, becoming the seventh CEO in ALSAC’s 68-year history.
"We are delighted Ike has officially accepted the role of CEO," said Frederick M. Azar,
MD, chair of the ALSAC Board of Directors. "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 to impact more of the 400,000 children
around the world who develop cancer each year."
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,” Marlo Thomas said. “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’s appointment follows an extensive global search initiated in December, after
Richard C. Shadyac Jr. announced his decision to step down following 15 years of
transformative leadership.
Anand is taking the helm midway through a monumental 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,” said James R. Downing, MD, president and chief executive officer of St.
Jude. “His strategic vision and collaborative spirit have strengthened the relationship
between ALSAC and St. Jude. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with him, and I couldn’t
ask for a better partner to help us accelerate progress toward curing the most
aggressive forms of childhood cancer and other life-threatening pediatric diseases.”
“ALSAC plays a vital role in enabling the bold ambitions of the St. Jude strategic plan,
and Ike’s appointment as CEO marks an important new chapter in that journey,”
said Judy Habib, chair of the St. Jude Board of Governors. “His innovative mindset and
deep commitment to our mission will help ensure the continued global expansion of our
reach, enabling St. Jude to accelerate research and advance scientific breakthroughs
for pediatric cancer and other deadly diseases. We look forward to working alongside
Ike as we strive to impact the lives of even more children around the world.”
With a distinguished career spanning both non-profit and for-profit sectors, Anand
brings a wealth of experience in building and leading highly effective global teams. His
visionary leadership has been pivotal in ALSAC’s digital transformation, significantly
enhancing data and technology capabilities. Anand’s strategic acumen has helped drive
industry-leading revenue growth while maintaining low operational costs, ensuring
steadfast stewardship of donor contributions for maximum impact. As interim CEO,
Anand led a revision of ALSAC’s strategic plan.
“I am deeply honored to be chosen to lead such a remarkable organization,” Anand
said. “The mission of St. Jude holds a special place in my heart, and I am committed to
working tirelessly to ensure ALSAC continues to provide the vital resources needed
for St. Jude to confront the immense global challenge of childhood cancer. Together as
one team with one mission, the dedicated board and the talented, purpose-driven teams
at ALSAC and St. Jude will build on our strong foundation and drive forward with new
initiatives that will enhance our impact globally.”
Before joining ALSAC, Anand served as global vice president of strategy for Expedia
Group, where he spearheaded some of the company’s most critical cross-functional
initiatives over his nearly 15-year tenure. His expertise in investment opportunities,
marketing strategy, analytics, and global strategy positions him uniquely to lead ALSAC
into its next chapter of innovation and success.
Visit stjude.org to learn more.
About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats
and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is
clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-
designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St.
Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered largely incurable. Since
then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%,
and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it
makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the
world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of
generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel,
housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to
discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St.
Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St.
Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.
