Leahanne Thomas is an accomplished nonprofit executive who specializes in leading organizations through complex transitions, operational turnarounds, and periods of significant change. With more than two decades of leadership experience across healthcare, public benefits, membership associations, and mission-driven organizations, she brings a steady, strategic, and deeply human-centered approach to interim CEO engagements.
Leahanne is known for stepping into organizations at pivotal moments—often during leadership gaps, operational instability, or strategic crossroads—and bringing clarity, alignment, and forward momentum. She excels at rapidly diagnosing organizational challenges, stabilizing operations, strengthening governance, and rebuilding trust and confidence among boards, staff, and key stakeholders.
A defining strength of Leahanne’s work is her ability to integrate people, structure, and strategy. In addition to leading overall operations, she frequently assumes responsibility for workforce strategy, organizational design, and people systems, effectively serving as a CHRO-level leader in practice during transition periods. Her work includes staff and leadership realignment, role clarity and accountability frameworks, culture and engagement stabilization, and modernization of HR and operating systems to support sustainable performance.
Her expertise spans governance restructuring, operational and financial assessments, program oversight, staff realignment, cross-functional leadership, and crisis navigation. She incorporates modern tools and practices—including technology-enabled decision support and organizational efficiency techniques—to help nonprofits work smarter, increase clarity, and accelerate decision-making. Leahanne is also a PrinciplesYou® practitioner, using the tool to strengthen leadership cohesion and team performance during periods of uncertainty.
Prior to joining IES, Leahanne served in executive leadership roles with UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, BTG Consulting, and multiple nonprofit and public-sector organizations. She has led large-scale transformation initiatives, rebuilt operational and people infrastructures, and provided strategic leadership across operations, workforce strategy, technology, compliance, and stakeholder engagement.
A seasoned transition leader, Leahanne thrives in environments that require steadiness, rapid assessment, and decisive action. She is deeply committed to helping nonprofits emerge from transition stronger, more aligned, and better positioned for long-term success under new permanent leadership.
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