Wellcome appoints Natasha Sunderji as Chief Strategy Officer
Wellcome has appointed Natasha Sunderji as its new Chief Strategy Officer, a key Executive Committee role responsible for shaping and evolving Wellcome’s long‑term strategy.
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Reporting directly to CEO John-Arne Røttingen, Sunderji will lead the development and delivery of Wellcome’s strategic direction as a global philanthropy. Her remit includes setting clear organisational objectives grounded in strategic analysis and external insight, ensuring Wellcome’s £1.5bn+ annual charitable spending is coherent, aligned, and positioned to maximise impact across science and health.
Sunderji joins Wellcome after two decades at Accenture, where she led the firm’s global health and nutrition practice. She brings extensive experience advising foundations, governments, multilaterals, nonprofits and private‑sector organisations on multi‑year strategies, impact measurement, and organisational alignment.
Wellcome is a global charitable foundation established in 1936, working towards a healthier future for everyone. Today, Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone through four programmes of work: one for discovery research, and three to find solutions for the challenges of mental health, climate and health, and infectious diseases.
John-Arne Røttingen, Chief Executive of Wellcome, said:
“Global health is at a pivotal moment, with significant challenges but also real opportunities for science to improve lives. Between 2022 and 2032, we’re investing £16 billion to advance scientific knowledge and tackle urgent health challenges that affect billions of people. At the same time, advances in data science and AI are unlocking possibilities that didn’t exist before, increasing the potential for impact.”
“Natasha brings outstanding global health experience, sharp strategic insight and a strong foundation in science, having started her career as a biomedical engineer. She also brings extensive experience in applying data and digital technologies to global health challenges. With two decades of experience working across sectors, she is exceptionally well placed to help shape how we deliver on our ambitions. I’m delighted she is joining our Executive Committee at Wellcome.”
Natasha Sunderji said:
“I’m delighted to be joining Wellcome, which I have long admired. Throughout my career, I have been motivated by a deep commitment to improving health outcomes globally and by a belief that strategic clarity, collaborative leadership, and evidence-based decision making can enable institutions to create meaningful, measurable change. I’m incredibly excited about working in partnership with the leadership team and John-Arne to ensure Wellcome’s work has impact that brings healthier futures for everyone.”
Sunderji succeeds Steven Hoffman who served as Chief Strategy Officer for the past two years while on secondment from his academic post at York University in Canada. Sunderji will take up the post in May 2026.
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