NMDP/Be The Match Appoints Amy Ronneberg as Chief Executive Officer

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.—June 10, 2020— The National Marrow Donor Program^®(NMDP)/Be The Match^® today announced the appointment of Amy Ronneberg as Chief Executive Officer (CEO)—the first female CEO for the organization. Ronneberg joined Be The Match in 2013 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief of Staff, and has served as Acting CEO since February.

Be The Match is a non-profit organization that delivers cures to patients in need of life-saving blood stem cell therapy. The organization operates the national Be The Match Registry^®, the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential stem cell donors. As trusted leaders in advancing stem cell therapy, Be The Match also provides ground-breaking research, innovative technologies, patient support, and education so even more lives can be saved.

Around the same time Ronneberg joined Be The Match as CFO, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now cancer-free, she brings unique passion and perspective to her work.

"As a cancer survivor, I have personally felt what many other cancer patients and their loved ones encounter every day. My experience, the patients we serve, and our outstanding, dedicated employees are my motivation," Ronneberg said. "I am deeply honored to be selected to lead this organization and look forward to further advancing our commitment to providing equal outcomes for all. The recent pandemic has put a spotlight on healthcare inequalities, and we are uniquely positioned to address one glaring disparity that is affecting ethnically diverse patients—that is the ability to find a matching donor. I look forward to leading our team in diversifying the registry and delivering more life-saving treatments to patients of all backgrounds."   

After the Affordable Care Act was implemented, Ronneberg led a Be The Match budget restructure that netted a sustainable $50 million cost reduction and made marrow transplants more affordable. Those efforts and more earned her one of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2016 CFO of the Year awards. Ronneberg also played a pivotal role in establishing Be The Match’s operations in Mexico.

This spring, the Be The Match Board of Directors worked with an outside firm to identify the qualities needed in its next CEO and unanimously agreed that Ronneberg possesses all of them.

"Amy has the perfect blend of business experience, passion and health care expertise to lead Be The Match," said Chair of the Board David L. Porter, M.D. "She likes to say, 'patients first, employees always.' I applaud her commitment to carrying out our mission and putting people first."

Ronneberg is also responsible for BeThe Match BioTherapies^®, which partners with global cell and gene therapy industry leaders to deliver high-quality, consistent and compliant therapies to patients in need. Under her guidance, Be The Match BioTherapies has invested in several therapeutics companies and launched an integrated supply chain platform called MatchSource^®.

Prior to joining Be The Match, Ronneberg spent 12 years at Capella Education Company where she served as Chief Accounting Officer, Vice President of Finance and led enterprise-wide operations and customer service. She also worked for Ernst & Young as an Audit Manager.

Ronneberg has served on several boards and is currently on the board of Magenta Therapeutics (MGTA), the Finance Committee for Allina Healthcare and the World Marrow Donor Association.

Ronneberg earned a Master of Business Administration from Capella University, Minneapolis, Minn. and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

"Going through treatment with my husband and young children at my side made me a much stronger person, leader and decision maker," Ronneberg said. "Cancer is an unfortunate reality that millions of people have to face, but with support, hope and the right medical tools, it can be overcome."