Richard Shadyac Jr. will step down as CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in March. The charity, founded by Danny Thomas and fueled by the entertainment industry in its early years, is among the most successful private philanthropic endeavors in the nation’s history.
St. Jude’s mission is to find cures and advance research into pediatric cancer and other diseases. The proud ethos of the St. Jude center in Memphis is that no child is ever turned away for lack of the ability to pay.
American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) was formed at the same time as St. Jude in the early 1960s to be the year-round fundraising organization as well as to raise awareness of St. Jude and its mission. During Shadyac’s 15-year tenure at ALSAC, philanthropic giving and sponsorships have nearly quadrupled. ALSAC has reported 59 consecutive quarters of growth in fundraising. He has also steered the start of a capital campaign to support a $12.9 billion expansion of the St. Jude campus.
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“An important part of leadership is knowing when to pass the torch, and I believe this is the moment for ALSAC,” Shadyac said. “It has been the joy of my professional life to serve our patients and families, St. Jude, and my colleagues at ALSAC. I am deeply proud of all that ALSAC has achieved – and what it will achieve in the years to come. I have confidence in ALSAC’s ability to continue delivering on the St. Jude mission, thanks to the employees, volunteers, donors and partners who are the lifeblood of this organization.”
ALSAC chief operating officer Ike Anand will serve as interim CEO as of March 1 while the organization searches for a permanant successor.
“We are grateful to Rick Shadyac for his selfless and tireless service to ALSAC and St. Jude. His direction has made it possible for St. Jude to deliver care and conduct vital research at a scale that was unimaginable 15 years ago and positions us well for the future,” said Frederick M. Azar, chairman of ALSAC’s board of directors. “ALSAC’s work ensures that we continue to seek advancements in medicine to find new ways to support children and families through some of the most challenging times of their lives.”
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Shadyac’s family was involved in the creation of ALSAC. He began collecting coins for St. Jude as a child. He joined the board and was named president and CEO in September 2009. Anand joined ALSAC in 2020 after 15 years with Expedia Group.