The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) Welcomes New Leadership With The Appointment Of A New Board Member And The Hiring Of A Chief Medical Officer

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), a leading nonprofit in the fight against pancreatic cancer, has appointed Rodney Williams as the newest member of its board of directors (BOD) and hired Anne-Marie Duliege, M.D. as the organization's new chief medical officer (CMO). These leadership updates bring new energy and expertise to the national organization whose bold action is leading the way to accelerate progress for pancreatic cancer patients and create a world in which all pancreatic cancer patients will thrive.

Rodney Williams joins PanCAN's board comprised of dedicated individuals who are leaders professionally and in their communities with a broad range of expertise, including business, revenue generation, corporate operations, finance, legal and board governance. Each member has been personally touched by pancreatic cancer, including Williams, who lost his brother-in-law to the disease just three months after diagnosis.

Williams currently serves as executive chairman of PaceMate, a digital healthcare company for remote cardiac monitoring. He is well-versed in corporate operations, having previously served in senior executive positions with Align Technology, Inc., St. Jude Medical, GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson and Bausch & Lomb. He also currently serves on the board of Zomedica Corporation. Williams earned both his B.S. and MBA from the University of Southern California.

"Rodney's expertise in the medical technology and healthcare fields is a welcome addition to PanCAN's board," said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, the president and CEO of PanCAN. "We have an extremely talented and dedicated group of board members and we are thrilled to add Rodney's name to that list of advisors."

When thinking about his new role on PanCAN's board, Williams shared he is ready to use his voice for PanCAN and raise awareness about the increased risk of pancreatic cancer among people of color.   

"PanCAN is in a great position to make an even bigger impact on diverse communites like African Americans who are at a higher risk for this terrible disease and I'm eager to help in that way," said Williams.

In addition, Dr. Anne-Marie Duliege joins PanCAN as its chief medical officer. Dr. Duliege has extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, most recently as the executive vice president and CMO of Rigel Pharmaceuticals, where she lead the development of new drugs for auto-immune diseases. She also sits on the board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine as well as on boards of other nonprofit organizations focused on causes such as the prevention of HIV and improving access to health care in developing countries. Dr. Duliege continues to practice pediatrics as an adjunct clinical assistant professor at Stanford Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She received her M.D. degree, her certification in Pediatrics and an M.S. in Biostatistics from Paris Medical School. She also holds an M.S. in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.

"PanCAN has bold goals, so it was imperative we find a chief medical officer that will be able to drive our clinical programs forward," said Fleshman. "Anne-Marie has three decades of institutional biopharmaceutical knowledge and her past leadership in the drug development space will be instrumental to PanCAN's continued success."

As PanCAN's CMO, Dr. Duliege will be responsible for strategic direction and operational oversight for the organization's clinical initiatives, including PanCAN's Precision Promise clinical trial, which began enrolling patients earlier this year.

"After losing several friends to pancreatic cancer, I look forward to making a positive impact on the lives of patients with this tragic disease," said Dr. Duliege. "I am thrilled by the breadth and innovation of the scientific research at PanCAN. I am equally inspired by the dedication and team spirit of all my colleagues."

To learn more about PanCAN's executive and board leadership, visit pancan.org.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) leads the way in accelerating critical progress for pancreatic cancer patients. PanCAN takes bold action by funding life-saving research, providing personalized patient services and creating a community of supporters and volunteers who will stop at nothing to create a world in which all pancreatic cancer patients will thrive. 

Media Contact:
Jillian Scholten | Senior Manager, Public Relations
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Direct: 310-706-3360 | E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

Related Links

www.pancan.org