June 27, 2024

On behalf of the International Anesthesia Research Society’s Board of Trustees (IARS), I am delighted to announce the appointment of Andre Williams as IARS’s new Executive Director. Andre will formally take his position on August 26, 2024.

As the Board Chair, I am thrilled to welcome Andre as our new Executive Director. His visionary leadership will undoubtedly propel our organization toward even greater success. I eagerly anticipate working closely with Andre to achieve the strategic goals necessary to continue guiding our global anesthesiology community in advancing the science and practice of medicine.

Andre has a strong background in all aspects of society leadership, and we are confident in his ability to drive membership and fiscal growth as we expand our mission to better support the global anesthesia community through innovation in research programs and funding, education, and outreach.

With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, Andre has successfully implemented innovative initiatives to drive growth and expand the reach of organizations he has led. In his previous role as Executive Director for the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Andre worked collaboratively with his board, staff team and stakeholders to advance the organization. The organization was able to more than double membership, revenue, and net assets during his leadership.

Andre shared his enthusiasm for the new role, “I am excited to join IARS. I am eager to work collaboratively with the Board of Trustees, volunteer leaders, staff team and stakeholders to advance science, education, and the next generation of talent for the field.”

Past Board Chair and Chair of the Search Committee Beverley Orser, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FRSC, commented, “After a rigorous search process, the IARS Board is delighted that Andre has decided to join the IARS. We are excited about Andre’s wealth of experience and his shared enthusiasm for using research to advance patient care. His international collaborations will strengthen our efforts to deepen IARS’s value for physicians, clinicians, and researchers around the world.”

Andre will succeed Tom Cooper, who is retiring after a highly successful 17-year career with IARS. Tom will remain in his current role as Executive Director until the end of August and will continue to provide support for Andre to ensure a successful transition. On behalf of the entire IARS Board, Dr. Orser and I offer our grateful thanks to Tom for his passion and dedication to the IARS mission and his tireless efforts to ensure its success. His wise counsel throughout these many years has guided new and established Board members and has been invaluable in ensuring the IARS remains true to its mission and that we recognize our strengths, leverage opportunities when they arise, and highlight the appeal of our organization to our field. We are in a stronger place today thanks to the many contributions of Tom Cooper.

Please join me in congratulating Andre as we welcome him to IARS and wishing Tom well in his next endeavors.

– IARS Board Chair Y.S. Prakash, MD, PhD

The selection of Andre Williams concludes a competitive national search supported by Staffing Advisors, a Washington, DC-based executive search firm.