Beyond Type 1 Appoints Thom Scher as Chief Executive Officer
Menlo Park, CA, January 9, 2019—Beyond Type 1’s Board of Directors announced today the appointment of Thom Scher as the organization’s new chief executive officer. Sarah Lucas, who has led the organization since its founding, will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.
Scher enters the CEO role after serving as COO since the organization’s inception in 2015. For the last three months, he has served as both COO and Acting CEO. “It’s incredibly humbling to wake up knowing that every day you can change what it means to live with a chronic illness, and that more broadly, your work has the potential to create new models for philanthropy” said Scher. “I’m grateful to the Board of Directors for this opportunity and excited to build on all that we have accomplished under Sarah Lucas’ leadership in the last three years.”
Since Beyond Type 1’s founding in 2015 by Juliet de Baubigny, Nick Jonas, Sarah Lucas and Sam Talbot, the organization has seen explosive growth in both programs and reach. Beginning with a single Instagram post, Beyond Type 1 now unites a global diabetes community over two million strong through a robust portfolio of programs, digital platforms, grantees and partners.
“Since joining the company at inception, Thom Scher has completely embraced the vision, mission and commitment to the type 1 diabetes community and the goals of educating, advocating and working to find a cure. His work engaging corporate and nonprofit partners, both within and outside of the diabetes space, has been a central part of Beyond Type 1’s growth,” said Juliet de Baubigny, Beyond Type 1 co-founder and board member. “We are fortunate to have Thom assume the role of CEO and have great confidence in his leadership.”
Prior to Beyond Type 1, Scher was most recently responsible for building global content and marketing initiatives for wikiHow, an internet company that helps educate over 100 million users each month. He earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Stanford University, ran an award-nominated public relations firm in San Francisco, and is a long-time volunteer across several charitable causes. While he was new to the diabetes space when he started at Beyond Type 1, he has become a well-recognized advocate in the community.
Nate Checketts, member of the Beyond Type 1 Board of Directors said, “The Board of Directors is excited to share the news of Thom Scher’s appointment as CEO. As a person living with type 1 diabetes myself, I look forward to the many ways Thom’s leadership will help our community grow, evolve and help those impacted by diabetes.”
About Beyond Type 1
Founded in 2015, Beyond Type 1 is leveraging the power of social media and technology, changing what it means to live with a chronic disease. By educating the global community about this autoimmune disease, as well as providing resources and supporting those living with type 1 diabetes, Beyond Type 1 is bridging the gap from diagnosis to cure, empowering people to live well today and funding a better tomorrow.
Media Contact
Dana Howe
Director of Brand Communications, Beyond Type 1
