STUDIO CITY, Calif., Oct. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) announced today that Heather Cooper Ortner — President & CEO of Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, and former CEO of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation — has been named as the IMF’s new President and Chief Executive Officer.
Ms. Cooper Ortner has longstanding ties with the IMF, having spent seven years with the organization, including serving as Executive Vice President of Development. She is excited to return and honored to lead the IMF into a new era as its President & CEO.
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
“I am honored to return to the International Myeloma Foundation as President & CEO — a full-circle moment with an organization that was formative in my career. It is a privilege to bring my experience leading healthcare nonprofits back to a mission that inspires me deeply. Together with our Board of Directors, dedicated staff, and the extraordinary community of professionals and volunteers around the world, we will continue to advance research, education, support, and advocacy — always with urgency and determination to accelerate the search for a cure. I am humbled to serve alongside so many who are making a difference every day for patients and families affected by myeloma, and I look forward to building on the IMF’s legacy of impact,” said Ms. Cooper Ortner.
As President & CEO of Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, Ms. Cooper Ortner was responsible for “overseeing all organizational and administrative duties, providing direct oversight of all programs and staff, and initiating and implementing strategic planning.”
As the former CEO of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, she was responsible for overseeing all activities of the organization, including management of annual and long-term strategic positioning.
She also served as Director of Development for The Brandeis-Bardin Institute, and as Director of the Western Area Development Center for Hadassah. Ms. Cooper Ortner graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
After thoroughly screening a multitude of highly competent candidates and subsequently, choosing Ms. Cooper Ortner to fill the role, IMF Board Member and chair of the search committee Andy Kuzneski III had this to say: "As chair of the search committee, I can attest to the rigor of our comprehensive and global search, and our exhaustive review of a roster of truly exceptional candidates. Our primary goal was to identify a visionary leader with a proven track record of innovation — someone who could build on the IMF's incredible 35-year legacy by pioneering new ways to serve our community. Heather stood out as that leader — affirming that the ideal candidate was one with deep roots in our mission. Having served on the IMF Board for over a decade and worked alongside Heather during her first tenure with the IMF, it is my personal and professional privilege to welcome her back as our new President and CEO. Heather has built an impressive record of innovative CEO leadership, developing novel platforms for research engagement and community-based patient education. She returns to us as a proven leader, ready to apply her unique expertise and unwavering commitment to the global myeloma community. Her appointment feels like a strategic and welcome homecoming."
"As a member of the IMF Board of Directors and search committee, I am delighted to welcome back Heather to the IMF, as our new President & CEO. Her proven leadership and expertise make her the ideal choice to guide the IMF into its next phase — elevating education, advocacy, and support for patients and families, and advancing research toward prevention and a cure," said IMF Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board Member Sagar Lonial, MD, FACP.
IMF Chairperson of the Board Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar expressed: “I am thrilled that Heather Cooper Ortner will assume the role of President and CEO of the IMF. She is a visionary leader who has a wealth of experience and knows our organization well. She has also dedicated her career to non-profit organizations. I look forward to working with her to grow and fulfill our mission.”
"I am overjoyed to welcome Heather as the new President and CEO of the International Myeloma Foundation. Having worked with Heather in the past, when she was IMF Executive VP of Development, we are assured of her remarkable leadership and deep commitment to the IMF's mission and vision. As we celebrate our 35th year and welcome a new chapter under Heather's prudent and thoughtful direction, we remain confident in accomplishing our mission: improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure," said IMF Interim CEO and Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning Diane Moran, RN, MA, EdM.
Ms. Cooper Ortner’s appointment as IMF President & CEO comes at an opportune and historic moment — the IMF is celebrating 35 years of serving the myeloma community through its concerted efforts in myeloma research, education, support, and advocacy.
Under Ms. Cooper Ortner’s leadership as the IMF’s incoming President & CEO, the organization looks forward to a new chapter, as we continue to fulfill our mission and aim to achieve our vision: A world where every myeloma patient can live life to the fullest, unburdened by the disease.
Learn more about multiple myeloma and what the IMF is doing in the fight against this lesser-known blood cancer by visiting myeloma.org.
ABOUT MULTIPLE MYELOMA
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells — white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called “multiple” because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation’s reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.
Media Contacts:
Peter Anton
Panton@myeloma.org
Jason London
Jlondon@myeloma.org
