McDermott + Bull has successfully placed Isobel Coleman as Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). In this role, Isobel will lead the organization into its next phase of scientific innovation and global impact, advancing the ADDF’s mission to accelerate breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research and drive progress toward precision medicine and combination therapies. She will partner closely with the organization’s network of philanthropic, industry, academic, venture capital, and government partners to help bring new solutions to patients and families worldwide.
Isobel brings over three decades of leadership experience spanning government, nonprofit, and private sector organizations. Most recently, she served as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she oversaw a workforce of 15,000 employees and managed an annual portfolio exceeding $35 billion. Prior to that, she was a partner at McKinsey & Company and served as a Senate-confirmed diplomat with the rank of Ambassador. Isobel holds a D.Phil. and M.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford University, where she was a Marshall Scholar, and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.
Founded in 1998, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is a vibrant, growing venture philanthropy foundation, which funds academic institutions and biotechnology companies conducting breakthrough drug discovery and clinical research. To date, the organization has awarded nearly $400 million to fund hundreds of drug development, biomarker, and prevention programs across more than 20 countries.
This executive search was completed by McDermott + Bull Partner Sue Waterbury, Director Mary Plum, and Executive Recruiter Bryan Carter.