Annette M. Walker is a visionary healthcare leader, who was tapped to build a 21st century comprehensive cancer campus in Orange County for City of Hope, serving the 3.2 million people of Orange County, Calif., her home for more than 40 years. Twice recognized as one of the most influential leaders in U.S. healthcare by Modern Healthcare, Ms. Walker has helmed many top healthcare organizations.

Before coming to City of Hope, Ms. Walker was president of strategy for Providence St. Joseph Health in Renton, Wash., one of the nation’s largest health systems. While there, she was instrumental in bringing two prominent health organizations together and, within the first year, succeeded in convening key stakeholders to develop a transformational strategic plan.

Ms. Walker is both an innovator and implementer known for getting tough initiatives done. She is a leader in acute care, as well as wellness and disease prevention. Her vision has led to the development of groundbreaking partnerships with large organizations that provide wellness and health management programs for their employees.

Ms. Walker is the author of numerous articles on wellness, healthcare marketing, quality, planning and management. She has received healthcare leadership and innovation honors for her work from major institutions, organizations and publications, including Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women in Health Care, Orange County Business Journal’s Top Woman in Business and Businessperson of the Year, and one of the Top 100 Orange County Influencers by the Orange County Register.

Committed to giving back, Ms. Walker has served on a wide range of boards for more than 20 years. She presently serves on the Board of Trustees for Chapman University, the Executive Committee for CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County and Loyola Marymount’s Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering Executive Advisory Board.

Ms. Walker holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.