William T. Speck, M.D.

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University. Former CEO of New York Presbyterian Hospital.


Dr. William T. Speck is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, where he is a key figure in house officer education and serves on its Institutional Review Board. He is Co-President of City Meals on Wheels, a major non-profit social service organization in New York City. Prior to his recent return and impressive 15-year tenure with Columbia University, Dr. Speck was the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. Through his visionary leadership and management skills, the Laboratory completed a successful capital campaign, increased its endowment and generated significant profits.

A graduate of Rutgers University and Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Dr. Speck’s postdoctoral training included a Fellowship in Infectious Disease at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University which led to a joint-appointment as Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology. Dr. Speck was a Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine and Chief Administrative Officer at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. He was then appointed as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University for ten years. The Department’s ranking in NIH support went from thirtieth among all departments to fourth during his chairmanship. In 1992, Dr. Speck returned to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital as CEO and President, where he and his management team created a profitable operation within five years. Dr. Speck initiated a full merger with Cornell’s New York Hospital. Dr. Speck became the first President of the new entity, The New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the largest academic medical center in the country.

Dr. Speck continues today to extend his broad management, administrative, negotiating, and strategic-planning skills to a variety of leadership roles and nonprofit Boards, including the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA and the Hadassah Medical Organization. Dr. Speck was appointed as Board Member of HDRF in June, 2010 and will continue to use his experience and understanding of the medical research process in helping HDRF accomplish its mission.