In her three decades of work as a global executive, board director and change agent, Leigh has played pivotal roles building, leading and scaling mission-driven organizations to unparalleled and sustained impact. Renowned for her ability to drive transformation in complex international and domestic landscapes, her private & public sector experience spans healthcare, life science, philanthropy, climate, academia, and social enterprise. Her leadership is grounded in the values of humility, empathy, and a belief in the ability of individuals, organizations, and communities to create just, prosperous, and sustainable futures for all.

When she isn’t hosting the podcast, Leigh is the CEO of Imaginal Leadership Strategies (ILS), a boutique advisory firm that partners with some of the world’s most innovative organizations and leaders on strategy development, governance, public/private partnerships, and scaling transformational change in global and domestic settings. Previous roles include serving as COO at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Associate Chancellor at the University of California San Francisco, and Chief Strategy & Operating Officer at Nia Tero.

She has also held executive roles in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, including Vice President & Global Head of HR (Product Development) at Hoffman LaRoche/Genentech. She also served in North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt’s administration, where she helped launch the AmeriCorps National Service program in that state.

Governance roles include serving as immediate past board chair at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, one of the world’s leading comprehensive cancer centers.  She served as independent director at Kymera (Nasdaq: KYMR) and currently at Curemark, a clinical stage biotech company. She is on the advisory boards of the University of Washington Medicine and Duke’s Fuqua Business School Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship. 

Leigh has a passion for geopolitics and international travel and has worked globally for 25 years.  She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), and in 2017 was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the Asian University for Women (Bangladesh).

Leigh loves athletic adventures of all kinds and can often be found golfing, cycling and rooting for her alma mater, Duke University, where she was the starting point guard for the womens basketball team. She loves yummy food, wine, being outdoors, and connecting with family, friends and the diverse communities she is a part of.