Annette M. Walker is the visionary President of City of Hope Orange County who has gained a national reputation for her industry-changing insights, outstanding leadership, and keen abilities to bring people together and achieve extraordinary results.
A national leader with local influence. Twice recognized as one of the most influential leaders in U.S. health care by Modern Healthcare, Annette has been at the helm of many top organizations in her field. She considers her leadership at City of Hope among her most important roles as she is transforming cancer care for generations of patients in the nation’s sixth largest county.
In 2025, Annette and her team opened Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital on City of Hope Orange County’s 72-acre academic research campus in Irvine, establishing a next-generation model of care for 2 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year. The hospital is seamlessly connected to City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center – the region’s most advanced comprehensive cancer center. Annette has also established a network of clinical locations that bring pioneering research and lifesaving treatments closer to those who need them.
At the nexus of business, innovation, and strategy. Annette has built her career on seeking innovative solutions, ensuring sound business strategies, and brokering agreements. She has a special talent for orchestrating ground-breaking partnerships, including two with Orange County’s largest real estate developers that led to greatly enhanced community services.
Before City of Hope, Annette was President of Strategy for Providence St. Joseph Health, the nation’s third-largest health system. While there, she was instrumental in bringing two prominent health organizations together and, within the first year, succeeded in convening key stakeholders to develop a transformational strategic plan. Annette also served as interim president and chief executive of St. Joseph Health before the merger of St. Joseph Health and Providence.
Annette is a featured speaker for national audiences and is the author of numerous articles on strategy, leadership, marketing, quality, planning, and management. She has received many leadership and innovation honors for her work from major institutions, organizations, and publications. Annette was recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Healthcare (2020, 2019), a Top Women Leader Luminary (2023) and a Top 25 Women in Healthcare (2017). She was inducted as a 2026 honoree on the City of Irvine’s Wall of Recognition, earned the 2026 Innovator of the Year Award from the Association of California Cities – Orange County and was recognized as the 2026 Visionary Leader of the Year by the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce. She also earned Orange County Business Journal’s Women in Business award (2020), Businessperson of the Year (2019), and OC 50 (2020-2026), and has been honored as one of the Top 100 Orange County Influencers by the Orange County Register (2019-2025).
Community engagement and personal growth. Committed to giving back, Annette has served on a wide range of boards for more than 20 years. She presently serves on the Chapman University Board of Trustees, and the medical device start-ups Renata and Cern. She chairs the Santa Margarita Catholic High School Foundation. She has also served as a board member and chair of American Unity Group, Ltd. (a Captive Insurance Company), the Well Being Trust, many Providence St. Joseph boards, and Loyola Marymount’s Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering Executive Advisory Board, along with additional board participation for several nonprofits and health care professional organizations.
She is the mother of six and grandmother of 15, attributing her approachable leadership style to her strong family life. Annette is an advocate for and frequent speaker addressing effective work-life balance, personal growth, and development. Annette holds a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.