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David Russell named chief strategy officer for Emory Healthcare
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Janet Christenbury
Emory Healthcare Media Relations
David Russell

David Russell

Photo: contributed

ATLANTA – David Russell, a seasoned health care executive, has been named chief strategy officer for Emory Healthcare and Woodruff Health Sciences, effective Oct. 1, 2025.
 
Russell brings more than 25 years of experience driving strategic growth, business development and operational excellence at large academic medical centers. At Emory, he will lead enterprise strategy, business development and strategic partnerships for the organization.
 
“Working in academic medicine and with integrated delivery systems, David brings deep expertise in advancing health system transformation and strategic growth,” says Joon S. Lee, MD, executive vice president for Woodruff Health Sciences of Emory University and CEO of Emory Healthcare. “With a proven ability to align vision, resources and execution across complex organizations, David will play a key role in positioning us for long-term success.”
 
Russell comes to Emory from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville where he most recently served as chief business development officer and executive vice president of organizational transformation. There, he facilitated the system’s growth, transformation and innovation initiatives. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he held the roles of director then vice president of strategic planning, and before that, as administrative director at University of California, San Francisco Children’s Hospital.
 
“I am honored to join Emory and its rich history of caring for patients, discovering research breakthroughs and educating the next generation of health care providers,” says Russell. “I look forward to collaborating with team members to advance the goals and missions of the enterprise.”
 
Russell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.
 
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