Newswise — ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees elected Nancy Peretsman as public trustee at its quarterly meeting on Friday, May 10.

Peretsman is managing director of Allen & Company LLC, a private investment bank based in New York City. She has served as an advisor to many of the world's leading consumer, media and technology companies.

"Nancy brings a wonderful perspective to our Board of Trustees," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "She has deep experience in investment banking and business, a genuine interest in developing female leaders, and is committed to service."

Since joining Allen & Company in 1995, Peretsman has provided advice and capital to more than one hundred businesses. She was an original investor in Priceline and continues to serve on the company’s board. Previously, she was a managing director at Salomon Brothers, heading the worldwide media investment banking practice. She currently serves as a trustee and vice chair of the Board of The Institute for Advanced Study and also serves on Teach For America’s National Board. In 2017, she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Recently, Peretsman retired from Princeton University’s Board of Trustees after 24 years of service. Earning an undergraduate degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School in 1976, she then received an MBA from the Yale School of Management in 1979.

The board also named Heidi Nelson, M.D., an emeritus trustee. Dr. Nelson, who has served as a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees since 2017, will retire in June after serving as chair of Mayo Clinic's Department of Surgery. Dr. Nelson came to Mayo Clinic for a one-year fellowship in 1987 and recalls that, within hours of arrival, she knew she wanted to be part of the staff.

Dr. Nelson has blazed many trails during her distinguished career. She was the first female surgeon in the Department of Surgery and the first female chair of the Department of Surgery.

"Through her talent and tenacity, she has exhibited what diversity brings to our practice and our patients," says Dr. Farrugia. "She has served as a mentor for other women pursuing careers in surgery. And she has shown us how committed thoughtful leaders can help an organization like Mayo successfully navigate uncharted territory."

The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees, a 31-member group of public representatives, and Mayo Clinic physicians and administrators, is responsible for patient care, medical education and research at Mayo Clinic's Arizona, Florida and Minnesota campuses, as well as Mayo Clinic Health System, a network of clinics and hospitals serving more than 60 communities in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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