COPD Foundation Appoints Jean Wright, MD, MBA, New CEO
Miami, Dec. 5, 2022 - The COPD Foundation announced today that Jean Wright, MD, MBA, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. Dr. Wright succeeds Ruth Tal-Singer, PhD, and assumed leadership duties on Dec. 1, 2022. Dr. Tal-Singer will continue leading innovative research, education, and scientific projects she brought to the Foundation in her new role as President, 360Net.
According to James Crapo, MD, COPD Foundation Board Chairman, the board unanimously chose Dr. Wright as the Foundation’s next CEO. “Jean’s outstanding business acumen, leadership, and transformative approaches to health care delivery, coupled with her love for the Foundation, set her up for success and provide us with a tenured leader eager and ready to continue the legacy and great work of the Foundation,” Dr. Crapo said.
Dr. Wright is a long-time health care industry executive and advocate for improving the health and delivery of care for millions of Americans. She is experienced in using predictive analytics and artificial intelligence to reach people with chronic diseases. She has served the COPD Foundation for the past eight years and has been a member of the Board of Directors for the past four years, including serving as the Board’s Vice Chair, Chair of the Governance Committee, and Chair of the Finance Committee.
“We also want to express our gratitude to Ruth for her leadership at the Foundation in establishing us as the foremost COPD, bronchiectasis, and NTM lung disease research-enabled patient advocacy Foundation in the U.S.,” said Dr. Crapo. “Ruth came to the Foundation after a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry and led us through the difficult COVID-19 pandemic, supported our patient communities, and increased the depth and breadth of patient-centered research, education, medical, and operational expertise at the Foundation.”
“She also built COPD360Net, our therapeutics, device, and digital health accelerator, while amplifying the voice of patients at the Foundation with the development of the Community Engagement Committee (CEnCO) and the launch of Patient-Inspired Validation of Outcome Tools (PIVOT). We are pleased that Ruth will continue her work at the Foundation as leader of the Foundation’s research, education, and medical initiatives,” he added.
Dr. Wright added, “Ruth has really strengthened our partnerships with global health care professional societies, patient advocacy groups, and industry collaborators and will continue to be critical to those relationships. Together, we are committed to delivering the organization’s mission, ensuring a brighter future for millions of people living with chronic lung diseases.”
About the Foundation
The COPD Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established to improve the lives of people with COPD, bronchiectasis, and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease through initiatives that expand services and speed innovations to make treatment more effective and affordable. The Foundation does this through scientific research, education, advocacy, and awareness to prevent disease, slow progression, and find a cure. For more information, visit copdfoundation.org, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Carol Johnson,
Sr. Director of Communications & Marketing,
COPD Foundation
(786) 749-7104
mediarelations@copdfoundation.org