SEATTLE — June 22, 2023 — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center announced one new member of its board of directors and its newly elected chair and vice chair.
Pete Shimer, chief operating officer at Deloitte, will join the board effective July 1. He has prior board experience with the organization, having served from 2020 to 2022 on what was at the time Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s board of trustees.
“Fred Hutch’s work has long been important to me, and I’m excited to continue my engagement with the community,” said Shimer. “I’m looking forward to contributing my expertise in finance and business to the new Fred Hutch.”
As the COO for Deloitte, and through various other roles at the company for the past 39 years, including a recent time as interim chief executive officer, Shimer has helped expand the company’s U.S. and global operations. He’s also played a critical role in global client relationships for several Fortune 500 companies.
“Pete brings breadth of experience to the board both within and outside our organization, and I look forward to his engagement with our community, which he already has a great passion for,” said Dr. Thomas J. Lynch, president and director of Fred Hutch and holder of the Raisbeck Endowed Chair.
Leigh Morgan, chief strategy and operating officer at the Nia Tero Foundation, has been appointed the new chair of the board of directors, following Kathy Surace-Smith as most recent board chair.
“I’m excited to welcome Pete Shimer to the board and to have Sean Boyle as vice chair as we continue our collaborative efforts,” said Morgan. “With the merger of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center into one unified organization under the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center banner, we’re entering an exciting time where clinical care and research have come together to advance our efforts against cancer.”
Sean Boyle, who will move into the vice chair position, is the chief operating officer of Omniva, an AI startup.
"Over the past four years I've had the honor of serving Fred Hutch through the COVID-19 pandemic, and I've seen what we can accomplish when we come together," said Boyle. "I'm excited to continue my work on the board and to see the continued breakthroughs made by Fred Hutch scientists."
Surace-Smith, who is the senior vice president, human resources and legal affairs of NanoString Technologies, will become past chair and serve on the executive committee.
“Thank you to Kathy Surace-Smith for her service to the board and her steadfast leadership during a uniquely challenging and complex time that included both the COVID-19 pandemic and the restructuring of our organization to become the new Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center,” said Lynch.
Lynch added, “Congratulations to our newly appointed leaders, Leigh and Sean, who not only bring tremendous expertise to our board, but share a passion for our mission. I look forward to the clinical and scientific progress that this board will help us achieve in the year ahead.”
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Media Contact:
Kat Wynn
kwynn@fredhutch.org
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options while accelerating discoveries that prevent, treat and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.
Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services and has network affiliations with hospitals in four states. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.