Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health Board of Trustees Announces Selection of Executive Search Firm to Find Next CEO
Egon Zehnder to lead national search for one of the country’s most innovative universities and one of the fastest growing health systems
PHILADELPHIA — Today, the Board of Trustees of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health announced the selection of Egon Zehnder, a global management consulting and executive search firm, to lead the national search to find the next CEO of Jefferson. The search comes after Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, announced his retirement last year.
Egon Zehnder is the world's largest privately held leadership advisory firm. The firm has a distinguished history of successful health system and higher education executive searches
Jefferson’s Board of Trustees’ Chair Patricia D. Wellenbach said, “After a thorough review process of professional search firms, I’m thrilled that Egon Zehnder is taking on this critical charge. We are seeking a visionary who will build on Jefferson’s extensive work to reimagine health care, higher education, and research, and I believe Egon Zehnder is well-positioned to recruit this type of leader. It’s also important that the next leader of Jefferson shares the Board’s commitment to advancing health equity and making key innovations in health care delivery and higher education.”
The search – which is expected to take eight to ten months to complete – will be led by Leslie McNamara, Co-Vice Chair of the Jefferson Board of Trustees. Joining Ms. McNamara on the CEO Search Committee are Robert Adelson, Drew Morrisroe, John Silvestri, Michael Sneed and Ramona Rogers-Windsor.
Retired partner of Ernst & Young and Emeritus Board Trustee H. Richard Haverstick, Jr. was appointed as interim President and CEO on January 1, 2022. Mr. Haverstick was appointed to the Thomas Jefferson University Board of Trustees in 2013, and was integral to the unification of the Thomas Jefferson University and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital the following year. He served with distinction as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health for two years.
About Jefferson
Jefferson, located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 42,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st century careers, and research and discovery. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and four schools offering 160 undergraduate and graduate programs across a variety of academic programs to more than 8,200 students. Jefferson Health serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 18 hospitals (10 are Magnet® designated by the ANCC for nursing excellence) and over 50 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region.
About Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. Our 525 consultants across 63 offices and 37 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly to deliver the full power of the Firm to every client, every time. We believe that together we can transform people, organizations and the world through leadership.