Zubeen Shroff Named Chair of Dean’s Advisory Board.
Zubeen Shroff (CAS’86) was appointed as the new chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board (DAB) at the School of Public Health. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry to his new role.
Shroff is a managing director at Galen Partners, a healthcare growth equity investment firm based in Stamford, Conn. He is keenly aware of the progress the healthcare field has made—as well as the challenges that remain—and he joined DAB in 2016 with an appreciation for public health values.
“People used to say that professionals such as engineers, doctors, and scientists would benefit from an MBA mindset,” says Shroff. “Today, I think the world would benefit if the next generation of leaders had a public health mindset.”
DAB members advise Dean Sandro Galea and SPH senior leadership on the school’s strategic vision, and garner community support for that vision. On BU Giving Day, the annual, university-wide online fundraising drive which takes place on April 2, Shroff along with DAB members will sponsor SPH’s Student Scholarship Fund, Idea Hub Fund, Activist Lab Fund, and Future of Public Health Fund to help the school reach its goal of 500 donations in 24 hours.
“I’m happy to be a donor and ambassador for the school because I believe the next generation of leaders must value the social determinants of health and bring public health to the forefront of conversations across the globe—whether they’re CEOs of a Fortune 500 company trying to decide what standards to adhere to, or architects designing an eco-friendly building with a small carbon footprint,” says Shroff, who graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences with a degree in biological science.
“Our investment in scholarship will equip students to translate knowledge into frontline action, both locally and globally,” he says. “We are tremendously grateful to alumni, parents, faculty, students and friends who continue to donate and who continue to invest in the future of health.”
Shroff began his healthcare career as a product manager at Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, where he brought biotechnology products to market and was responsible for the commercialization of the drug alpha-Interferon, which was a first step in turning diseases such as chronic myeloid leukemia from a five-year death sentence into a chronic, but manageable condition. He subsequently became a principal at The Wilkerson Group, a general management consulting firm that advised other companies on how to effectively bring their innovative medical products to market.
Now, at Galen Partners, Shroff works with entrepreneurs to maximize shareholder value in a range of medical product and technology service areas designed to produce better health outcomes at lower costs. He has developed an increasing appreciation for preventative care and the social, economic, and environmental factors that influence outcomes. Shroff says he is also motivated by his family, whose careers revolve around the social good: his wife, Anahaita, is the CEO of Lifting Up Westchester, which provides support and services to the homeless population; his son, Zal, is an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, and his son, Kaivan, is a political commentator and senior advisor to the Institute For Education in Washington, DC.
“I am not oblivious to the fact that, almost daily, there are articles published about how the healthcare system isn’t working for people,” he says. “We acknowledge all of the wonderful progress we’ve made with investments in technology, but we have to ask ourselves, ‘what else is required to improve the health of the society at large?’”
Part of the answer to that question is reflected in Shroff’s support to the school and its mission to create conditions that improve the health of all, especially vulnerable populations. Shroff says he most admires the “translational nature” of SPH, where students, staff, and faculty are committed to developing real world solutions that target the socioeconomic and environmental conditions that impact a person’s health.
To learn more about the Dean’s Advisory Board, click here. To make a donation or for more information on ways to give to SPH, click here.