Mayo Clinic names new chief administrative officer

(ABC 6 News) – The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees has named Christina Zorn, J.D as the next chief administrative officer of Mayo Clinic.

Zorn will succeed Jeff Bolton, who announced in August that he will retire from Mayo Clinic on Nov. 30.

"I extend my sincere congratulations to Christina in her new role as Mayo Clinic’s chief administrative officer," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic’s president and CEO. "She is a values-driven servant leader with a strong track record of contributions to our organization. She brings unique qualifications and leadership qualities to this position, and I look forward to partnering with her to advance health care transformation at Mayo Clinic and beyond."

In her new role, Zorn will be Dr. Farrugia’s administrative partner, advancing Mayo Clinic’s 2030 strategic plan, overseeing the organization’s administrative functions and providing financial stewardship of Mayo Clinic’s resources.

Since 2015, Zorn has been the chief administrative officer of Mayo Clinic in Florida. In partnership with Kent Thielen, M.D., CEO, Mayo Clinic in Florida, she leads Mayo Clinic in Florida. Zorn is a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees and Mayo Clinic Board of Governors, and she serves on many other institutional committees and leadership groups.

She began her career at Mayo in 2002 as a legal counsel. She was named chair of the Florida division of Mayo Clinic’s Legal Department in 2009. Previously, she oversaw Information Technology, Information Security, Human Resources, Planning Services and Enterprise Analytics across Mayo Clinic.

Before joining Mayo Clinic, Zorn practiced with the law firm Foley & Lardner LLP, focusing on health care and transactional law. She has a Bachelor of Science in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she earned her law degree from Creighton University School of Law.

"I join Gianrico in congratulating Christina on being named Mayo Clinic’s new chief administrative officer," says Jeff Bolton. "Her commitment to our patients and staff, and her demonstrated success empowering innovation, problem-solving and operational excellence make her the right person to partner with Gianrico to lead Mayo Clinic to Cure, Connect and Transform health care."

"When you speak to our patients, staff members, benefactors, and business and community partners, there is an appreciation for how extraordinary and unique Mayo Clinic truly is," says Zorn. "I am honored and humbled to serve Mayo Clinic in this role and advance the transformation of health care. It is a privilege to work for an organization that puts the needs of our patients first and to support our staff in this shared mission."

Zorn will work with Bolton over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition and will formally assume her new role on Dec. 1.

"I am grateful for Jeff’s patient-centered leadership and contributions to Mayo Clinic these past 19 years," says Dr. Farrugia. "His legacy will be felt through our organization for many years to come. He has been an outstanding chief administrative officer and an incredible collaborator, confidant and adviser. And just as importantly, he’s a wonderful colleague and friend”