PATH hires chief of staff for the Office of the President

Erica Sessle has joined PATH in the newly created position of chief of staff for the Office of the President, based in Seattle. Sessle is responsible for coordinating, managing, and supporting strategic initiatives for PATH President and CEO Steve Davis and his executive team.

"Erica has dedicated her career to building collaborations and leading teams that are solving complex scientific and public health problems around the world," said Davis. "She brings an impressive set of skills—honed in industry, academia, nonprofits, and government—that will help us move PATH's mission forward more swiftly and efficiently."

Sessle, who began her career as a clinical trials manager, has been a leader in health sciences and global health for nearly two decades. She lived in Kampala, Uganda, for over four years and worked extensively in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Before coming to PATH, Sessle was chief of staff to the president and chief scientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. Prior to that, she worked for the US State Department, leading a team that developed and monitored strategic implementation plans for countries and regions served by PEPFAR, the US government's international HIV/AIDS program.

"When you work in global health, it's hard not to notice all the things PATH does well," said Sessle. "The model of innovation and partnership PATH pioneered 40 years ago has become the standard for the field—because it's effective and efficient. I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining this unique and impactful organization."

Earlier in her career, Sessle was managing director for the Program in Global Oncology at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and vice president and chief operating officer for the Hutchinson Centre Research Institute of Uganda.

Sessle holds a master of public health degree from the Bloomberg School at Johns Hopkins University, where she concentrated in epidemiology; and a master of philosophy degree at the University of Cambridge, where her thesis focused on feminist theory and Irish literature. She also completed the Program in Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.

Posted October 2, 2017.