Lifebox Elects New Members to Global Governance Council
October 23, 2025 – In a new chapter for global surgical safety, Lifebox, the global safer surgery and anesthesia nonprofit, elected two leading voices in global health, Professor Thomas G. Weiser and Professor Salome Maswime, to lead its Global Governance Council as Chair and Deputy Chair, respectively.
Professor Thomas G. Weiser is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery at Stanford University and Program Director at Wellcome Leap. A long-time advocate for surgical safety, he played a key role in the World Health Organization’s Safe Surgery Saves Lives initiative and helped develop the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.
“Lifebox’s work is one I have been deeply connected to since the earliest days of the global surgical safety movement,” said Prof. Weiser. “Having helped develop the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, I’m honored to lead the Global Governance Council now as we advance the next phase of building stronger, safer surgical systems worldwide.”
Joining him as Deputy Chair, Professor Salome Maswime is an obstetrician-gynecologist and Head of the Global Surgery Division at the University of Cape Town. She also serves as Director of UCT’s World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Integrated Clinical Care. A clinician, scientist, and global health leader, Prof. Maswime has pioneered academic global surgery in Africa and championed maternal and perinatal health equity.
“Having served on the Global Governance Council, I have seen firsthand how Lifebox’s work transforms surgical systems,” said Prof. Maswime. “I am excited to continue this journey in a leadership role, advancing innovation, building capacity, and supporting providers to deliver safer surgery and anesthesia globally.”
Lifebox Global CEO Kris Torgeson welcomed the new appointments, noting that their leadership comes as the organization advances its Safer Surgical Systems Strengthening (S4) strategy. “Prof. Weiser and Prof. Maswime’s expertise and leadership will help Lifebox to continue advancing practical, scalable solutions that make surgery and anesthesia safer for all,” she said.
The Global Governance Council provides strategic oversight and guidance to advance Lifebox’s work. Lifebox extends its gratitude to Dr. Alexander Hannenberg for his outstanding leadership as Interim Chair and his continued commitment to the organization’s work.
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About Lifebox
Lifebox is a global nonprofit that saves lives through safer surgery and anesthesia. Through tools, training, and partnerships, Lifebox addresses the critical gaps in surgical systems to make surgery and anesthesia safer worldwide. Lifebox focuses on three core areas: anesthesia safety, surgical teamwork, and reducing surgical infection. Co-founded by Dr. Atul Gawande in 2011, Lifebox has worked in 116 countries and trained more than 13,000 healthcare providers to make 248 million surgeries safer. To learn more about Lifebox, visit lifebox.org
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