Elizabeth A. Malkerson has been named president and chief executive officer by the board of trustees of the Minnesota Medical Foundation (MMF). Malkerson will work with the board to implement the foundation’s strategic goals, including increasing sustained philanthropy from $55 million in fiscal year 2006 to $100 million annually within five years.
“Becky Malkerson is the right person at the right time in the foundation’s history,” says MMF board chair Beth Erickson. “She will help us build on our current momentum while advancing us toward the realization of our long-term strategic goals.”
Medical School Dean Deborah Powell, who served on the CEO search committee, has called Malkerson “a visionary leader who understands the pivotal role medical research and education will play in advancing the University of Minnesota and in serving the state and region.”
Malkerson most recently served as senior vice president for corporate marketing and communications at Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, a primary company of Munich-based Allianz AG, one of the largest global insurance and financial services organizations in the world. In her four years there, she doubled the size of the Allianz corporate giving and community programs.
Before joining Allianz Life, Malkerson was vice president for worldwide corporate communications at the world’s largest biotechnology company, Amgen, Inc. She has also held leadership positions at UnitedHealth Group and U.S. Bancorp.
A native Minnesotan, Malkerson serves on three University boards: University of Minnesota Physicians Clinical Practice, University of Minnesota Physicians Assurance Company, Ltd., and University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. She is also vice chair of the board of directors of the Public Affairs Council in Washington, D.C., and will become its president in 2007.
“Becky Malkerson clearly understands the importance of community involvement and private support,” says Frank Cerra, senior vice president for health sciences at the University of Minnesota. “She has provided outstanding service to the University community. I look forward to working with her over the next several years to increase private support for the University’s health-related research, education, and service.”
