Shekar Kurpad, MD, has been appointed as president and chief executive officer of the Medical College of Wisconsin effective July 1.
Kurpad currently serves as professor of neurosurgery and senior associate dean, neuroscience in the MCW School of Medicine, and founding director of the Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience.
He succeeds John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, who has served as MCW’s president and CEO since July 1, 2010. Raymond will commit his time to MCW as a member of the faculty of the School of Medicine and assist with Dr. Kurpad’s transition into his new executive leadership role.
Kurpad is a board-certified neurosurgeon, neuroscientist and academic health leader with more than 20 years of experience in building high performing, multi-institution enterprises. Since 2022, he has served as the founding director of WINS, a first-of-its-kind statewide neuroscience enterprise integrating more than 600 clinicians and scientists across MCW, Froedtert ThedaCare, Children’s Wisconsin and the Zablocki VA Medical Center under a unified strategic plan.
Kurpad’s contributions to clinical care, research and teaching include nearly 15,000 surgical procedures and more than 150 original research manuscripts that have shaped contemporary spinal cord science and care. Kurpad has mentored and served as a preceptor for almost 100 medical and graduate students, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers. Kurpad is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in spinal cord injury, including leadership in major clinical trials and development of imaging biomarkers.
Across the MCW and Froedtert Health enterprise, Dr. Kurpad has led service lines exceeding $400 million and driven measurable gains in volume, margin, quality and market share. Further, he has spearheaded major philanthropic and government partnerships, including the $12.5 million BRAVE (Building Resilience through Action in VEterans and first responders) program supporting veterans and first responders. As an enterprise strategist, Dr. Kurpad has built integrated euroscience programs, expanded research funding, established translational research hubs and cultivated broad civic, business and legislative relationships.
