Dear Cochrane community colleagues,
I am writing to inform you that after three years as Cochrane’s Head of Communications and External Affairs (CEAD), Julie Wood is leaving us to take up the position of Director of External Affairs with Vivli.
Julie has led CEAD since September 2014, developing a team that now oversees Central Executive leadership and support in the areas of communications, media and dissemination, translations, strategic partnerships, branding and events, and fundraising. More recently, she has been project lead on the launch of Cochrane’s Membership scheme and heavily involved in the development of Cochrane’s Knowledge Translation framework and new implementation plan. During her time at Cochrane, Julie was instrumental in the delivery of many critical Strategy to 2020 organizational objectives, including leading Cochrane’s re-brand, the formidable success in increasing web traffic to Cochrane.org, helping to co-ordinate and launch the first-ever Global Evidence Summit, and playing an important role in securing Cochrane’s grant of US$1.15 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2016. She is a hugely respected member of the Senior Management Team and Head of Department, and we will miss her wide-ranging expertise, passionate commitment to Cochrane’s mission and influential contributions to many Central Executive activities.
Julie leaves us on September 8th, just before the Global Evidence Summit in Cape Town, and we have decided to take this opportunity to review the current structure and the work priorities of CEAD before beginning any new recruitment processes. In the interim I’m pleased to say that Jo Anthony and Sylvia de Haan will jointly lead the CEAD team’s activities; and a detailed plan of Jo and Sylvia’s respective responsibilities will be shared with you in the next week.
I would like to thank Julie for her tireless, imaginative and inspiring work for Cochrane over the last three years. Over the next few weeks I’m sure she will speak to many of you personally to bid a fond farewell; and I know you will join me in thanking Julie for her great contribution to Cochrane and to wish her, and her family, every happiness and success for the future.
Yours sincerely,
Mark
Mark G. Wilson
Chief Executive Officer