Scott Parker,
Board Chair
Board member since 2018
“Heart to Heart’s value proposition is unique—a word I rarely use. The organization’s humanitarian premise is not merely admirable and life-saving. It is a remarkably effective, data-driven approach to creating lasting change in how countries provide their populace with modern heart care. The idea that an NGO of dedicated medical volunteers can have such an impact in addressing the global burden of heart disease appeals to me from both a humanitarian and a business perspective.”
Scott serves as president and CEO of Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, USA in Silicon Valley. The company markets a portfolio of optical lasers and semiconductors— the building blocks for the internet and, most recently, for the computing clusters driving the revolution in artificial intelligence. Scott has a remarkable vantage point from which to anticipate the implications of AI, including remarkable gains in efficiency and an unprecedented shift in human capital.
Interestingly, Scott sees parallels between developing a cardiac program and developing the processes and infrastructure necessary for a successful manufacturing enterprise. He sees our educational best practices as analogous to the quality controls that enable high-volume, high-performance manufacturing processes. Throughout his career, Scott has helped companies cultivate the relationships necessary to drive growth and manage innovation, a skill set that will be helpful as Heart to Heart continues to expand the reach of our program model into underserved regions in Latin America.
Like many of our strong supporters, Scott’s introduction to Heart to Heart grew out of an intensely personal experience. Over 30 years ago, when Scott and Kay Parker’s son Ben was just weeks old, he underwent open heart surgery—performed by Heart to Heart’s founder and medical director, Nilas Young, MD. That life-changing event gave the Parkers an immediate awareness and enduring appreciation for timely modern heart care. (The first day of Ben’s life was profoundly touch-and-go; read about the hour-by-hour details, in his parents’ own words, here.)
We look forward to having Scott and Ben join us on an upcoming training mission to the National Children’s Hospital in Costa Rica. Ultramarathoner Ben will be an inspiration to our colleagues (and their young patients), and Scott will capitalize on opportunities to engage leaders of our growing Costa Rica-based stakeholder community. To Scott, leveraging his business expertise to advance Heart to Heart’s mission is a wonderful opportunity to pay it forward, to give babies born with heart defects a second chance at life.