Mark Roithmayr Appointed As Our First CEO

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announces that its Board of Governors has appointed Mark Roithmayr as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Roithmayr is the first person to hold the CEO position at the ADDF, which is the leading nonprofit funder of drugs to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Ronald S. Lauder, Co-Chairman of the Board of Governors, stated, “After several years of exponential growth and exciting advances in our drug discovery efforts, the ADDF is ready for a seasoned executive to direct our next chapter. Following a careful search process, the Board unanimously chose Mark. I was particularly impressed by his extraordinary record of success at disease-focused foundations and his nuanced understanding of venture philanthropy. I am confident that his guidance will help the ADDF realize its vision of a world in which no one suffers from Alzheimer’s.”

Co-Chairman Leonard A. Lauder added, “Mark is a great and thoughtful leader. He truly cares about curing diseases, and the Board members and I know he is the right person for this job.”

“It is an honor to lead this organization and its dedicated staff,” said Mr. Roithmayr. “The respect that the ADDF has earned in the scientific community is second to none. I look forward to working with Ronald Lauder, Leonard Lauder, and the entire Board and staff to bring effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease to the patients who urgently need them.”

Mr. Roithmayr was most recently Chief Relationship Officer at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There, he helped launch its venture philanthropy initiative, directed its 56 national chapters, and led annual fundraising of over $200 million. Prior to joining the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in 2013, he served for seven years as president of Autism Speaks. As that organization’s first president, he shepherded its growth from a start-up into the world’s largest autism research and advocacy organization. During his tenure, Autism Speaks invested more than $170 million in research, resulting in discoveries about the genetic and environmental factors that lead to autism as well as effective treatments for it. Earlier in his career, Mr. Roithmayr held several executive positions with the March of Dimes.

Mr. Roithmayr has officially begun as CEO. His primary focus is to secure the resources needed to find effective drugs for Alzheimer’s disease as quickly as possible. He will work alongside the ADDF’s Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer, Howard Fillit, MD, who continues in that role. Dr. Fillit remarked, “We are truly excited to work with Mark. I’ve gotten to know him during the search process and believe in his commitment to the ADDF’s critical mission. His expertise will be invaluable as we increase our investments in Alzheimer’s treatments and close in on approved drugs.”