Lifebox announces the appointment of Natalie Meyers, MPH, as its new Global Chief Executive Officer. Natalie will assume the role on November 16, 2026. Natalie has nearly two decades of experience in global surgery, public health, international development, government, philanthropy, and social impact innovation. She takes on this role as Lifebox enters the next phase of delivering its 2025–2030 strategy to strengthen surgical systems, expand patient-safety programs and improve outcomes for millions of surgical patients worldwide.
“As we deliver our 2025–2030 strategy and position Lifebox for our ambitious third decade of work, we wanted a leader who could build on our strong foundation, help us reach more people, and expand our partnerships and impact. Natalie brings the global health leadership, strategic thinking, and partnership-building experience we need,” said Professor Thomas Weiser, Chair of the Lifebox Global Governance Council and Professor of Surgery at Stanford University. “She knows how important it is to support locally led surgical systems and has a proven record of bringing together partners and resources to create lasting impact. We are excited to welcome Natalie as she leads Lifebox into its next chapter.”
Natalie’s career spans global health, international development, and public service, and is a published thought leader on global surgery in Stanford Social Innovation Review, Devex, The Hill, and Think Global Health.
Before joining Lifebox, Natalie was Executive Vice President of Programs and Partnerships at ReSurge International. She led teams across 17 countries globally, built ReSurge’s eight-country Africa portfolio from the ground up with local leaders and institutions, and helped secure resources to grow the organization’s programs and impact. In addition, she led efforts to advance women’s leadership in surgery, such as the Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery program. Natalie also founded and co-chaired the AI and Innovation Task Force at ReSurge. Her work has contributed to global health projects in more than 40 countries.
As a Presidential Management Fellow at USAID, she managed over US$55 million in Ebola preparedness funding across nine African countries and helped set up the agency’s Ebola Task Force during the 2014 West Africa outbreak. She also worked on the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania.
Earlier, Natalie worked with the Gates Foundation and Global Impact Advisors on a project that expanded contraceptive access for more than 40 million women over six years. She also worked with Spring Impact in London, supporting organizations to scale social impact. She later became an innovation strategist in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, where she managed Civic Bridge, a program that connects private-sector experts with government teams to tackle important city challenges.
Natalie succeeds Kris Torgeson, who previously served as Lifebox Global CEO. During the transition, Judy Ngugi, Lifebox’s Chief Finance and Administration Officer, served as Interim CEO.
“I want to thank Judy Ngugi for her leadership during this transition. Judy led Lifebox with dedication and steadiness, ensuring the organization stayed on track while we searched for our next CEO,” Weiser added.
As Lifebox celebrates 15 years of making surgery and anesthesia safer, Natalie’s appointment marks a new chapter for the organization. Lifebox will focus on scaling its programs, strengthening surgical systems, and closing the gaps that still prevent millions of patients from accessing safe surgery and anesthesia.
