Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI) announced a planned leadership transition Monday, naming Dr. Andy Rhinehart as the Santa Barbara–based nonprofit’s new chief executive officer, effective immediately.
Rhinehart will also continue in his role as chief scientific and medical officer, a dual appointment the board unanimously approved. He succeeds Elizabeth Thompson, who will relocate to the East Coast to accept a new leadership role in the cancer research space.
“This is on time and on track,” Thompson said in an interview. “We have a highly qualified, dynamic new CEO who started his new role today.”
Thompson, who has led SDRI for the past two years, described the CEO role as “the most senior person responsible for the vision and strategy of the diabetes research organization,” overseeing clinical, research, and patient education efforts. She said Rhinehart was hired last year with this transition in mind.
“He was an outstanding, absolutely amazing candidate,” Thompson said. “When we hired him, we hired him with the idea that he would move into the CEO role over the course of this next year.”
According to Jim Sloan, president of SDRI’s board of trustees, Rhinehart’s promotion comes at “a transformative period for SDRI.” The decision was described as “unanimously enthusiastic.”
Founded in 1944, SDRI conducts more than 25 clinical research studies annually, working with about 750 participants each year. Its partners include Abbott, Dexcom, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk, and Tandem Diabetes Care, among others. The institute is known nationally for its work in diabetes research and early-phase clinical trials.
Thompson will remain involved during the transition, working closely with Rhinehart over the next six weeks and continuing as a strategic advisor.
Rhinehart began as Chief Scientific and Medical Officer in September of this year. In a previous statement, Thompson said his experience in the diabetes field and deep ties to U.S. biopharma and medical device ecosystems would be “instrumental” to SDRI’s future.
Rhinehart and his wife, Deana, recently relocated to Santa Barbara.
“This is a big moment for the organization,” Thompson said, “but it’s one we’ve been preparing for.”
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