NEW YORK (January 17, 2020) – The Board of Directors of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) today announced that Dr. Leonard A. Valentino will be the foundation’s next Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Valentino will take the helm on February 17, 2020, and work to advance the foundation’s mission of education, advocacy, and research. Dr. Valentino was a standout candidate who was identified through a national process.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Valentino as the next CEO at the National Hemophilia Foundation,” said Brian Andrew, NHF’s Chair of the Board of Directors. “Dr. Valentino is a dynamic leader with experience managing people, research projects, and fundraising efforts, with an extensive and impressive clinical background. He has been an active member of this community and is an ideal fit as the foundation begins a new era of success.”
Dr. Valentino brings more than 35 years of clinical and research experience related to bleeding disorders to the role, aligning with the board’s strategy of a more research-focused agenda. Prior to his most recent work with Spark Therapeutics, a biotech startup, he founded and led the Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where he successfully balanced a $10 million budget to support research grants, research and clinical teams – keeping the patient and their families as his core focus. Additionally, he has held leadership roles with key industry groups. In these roles, Dr. Valentino was responsible for managing the global medical teams who successfully led strategic planning for multiple worldwide hemophilia product launches.
He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Creighton University and Creighton University School of Medicine. He then completed the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Pediatric Medicine Residency before completing a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Valentino remains an active member of multiple professional organizations, including The American Society of Hematology; International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis; Medical Affairs Professional Society; and The Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society.
“I am truly humbled to be chosen to lead the National Hemophilia Foundation,” said Dr. Valentino. “Joining an organization with such a strong, established leadership team and track record of success is a career highlight. Over the course of my career, I’ve always been passionate about putting the patient at the center of my work in the clinic and in the lab, striving for better outcomes for patients with bleeding disorders. I look forward to joining this community in my new role, in the hopes of finding the best treatments and cures for inheritable bleeding disorders.” [Read: Greetings from our new CEO]
Under the leadership of Dr. Valentino, the National Hemophilia Foundation will continue to be at the forefront of education, advocacy and research. Dr. Valentino aims to hone NHF’s strategy to better achieve the foundation’s mission.
Dr. Valentino succeeds Val Bias, who, late in 2019, announced his plans to retire after a little over a decade of leadership. NHF appointed Dawn Rotellini as interim Chief Executive Officer of NHF effective December 5, 2019. Rotellini has been with NHF for eleven years, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, a role she will resume after Dr. Valentino assumes the role of CEO.
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About the National Hemophilia Foundation
The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) is dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for inheritable bleeding disorders and to preventing the complications of these disorders through education, advocacy and research. Established in 1948, the National Hemophilia Foundation has chapters throughout the country. Its programs and initiatives are made possible through the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations as well as through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information about National Hemophilia Foundation and its partners, please visit www.hemophilia.org.
