SAN MATEO, Calif.– Evidation, the leader in direct-to-participant real-world data and health research, today announced the appointment of Leslie Oley Wilberforce as Chief Executive Officer. Wilberforce succeeds Christine Lemke, who will continue as an advisor and Board Member.
A proven operator, strategic product leader, and seasoned dealmaker, Wilberforce has been instrumental in shaping Evidation’s trajectory as a market leader in health research. As President and Chief Operating Officer, Wilberforce scaled the company’s programs, teams, and market impact. She led the creation of Evidation’s enterprise product and technology platform, and forged partnerships and programs with companies and organizations including The Michael J. Fox Foundation and The American Heart Association, connecting millions of individuals to groundbreaking health research. She also played a key role in Evidation’s collaboration on the Heartline Study™ with Johnson & Johnson and Apple.
Now, Wilberforce will lead Evidation into a pivotal new phase, focused on engaging cohorts of individuals directly and at scale to generate patient-centric, real-world data and insights with unprecedented speed and depth. With its AI-enabled technology, Evidation is uniquely positioned to transform how real-world data is collected and applied across healthcare.
“Since I joined Evidation in 2015, we have pursued a fundamental shift in health research — one where individuals control their health data and can meaningfully and easily contribute their experience to real-world evidence generation,” said Wilberforce. “We’ve built a powerful, interactive technology platform that millions of people use to share their permissioned health data. I am honored and energized to lead Evidation at this moment — one where we can rapidly deliver deep and differentiated real-world insights from cohorts of individuals across therapeutic areas.”
Wilberforce, a mechanical engineer by training, led product strategy and commercialization efforts at Boston Scientific, ApniCure, and Voyage Medical, focusing on data-driven health technology solutions, before joining Evidation.
“Leslie is a driven leader whose operational prowess and people-first leadership approach have made her an indispensable force behind Evidation’s success and the right leader for this moment,” said Christine Lemke, outgoing CEO and Co-founder of Evidation. “She has played a defining role in our growth, and I have full confidence she’ll propel Evidation to deliver even greater impact in the years ahead.”
Lemke’s leadership shaped Evidation from the ground up, transforming a bold idea into a company that now serves millions of individuals globally. Along with former Co-CEO and Board Chair Deb Kilpatrick, she helped steer Evidation through multiple funding rounds, scaled operations, and cemented its place as a pioneer in real-world data and direct-to-participant research.
