MERGE, a leading marketing and technology agency, is pleased to announce the appointment of its CEO, Stephanie Trunzo, a pioneer in innovation, to the Lake Nona National Advisory Board, a group of forward-thinking leaders helping shape the future of health and wellness. With a proven track record of transforming global healthcare systems through technology and strategy, Trunzo’s expertise and perspective will help guide the Lake Nona Impact Forum’s efforts to spark new ideas and drive meaningful progress in health.
Trunzo’s career spans healthcare, technology, and policy, with leadership roles that blend vision with execution. Her leadership as Senior Vice President and General Manager at Oracle Health drove the strategic acquisition of Cerner, revolutionizing the healthcare landscape. Trunzo serves on the board of Transplants.org, a patient-founded nonprofit offering education, support, and research for people on the transplant journey. Trunzo is a member of the 2024 Frist Cressey Ventures Collective. This distinguished group of leaders is united by their dedication to improving healthcare globally and bringing humans back to the center of a more holistic, proactive healthcare system.
Trunzo is also a former council member for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization that advises global leaders through strategy, policy, and delivery with technology. With over 20 patents solidifying her position as a forward-thinker in AI and health, Trunzo is on the forefront of reshaping how businesses meet rapidly evolving needs and support better health outcomes.
She joins a group of respected voices across business, science, and public health, including Michelle Williams, ScD, Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Stanford School of Medicine; Deepak Chopra, MD, founder of The Chopra Foundation; and Richard Carmona, MD, the 17th Surgeon General of the United States.
Trunzo’s appointment reflects the Forum’s focus on big ideas and meaningful collaboration to tackle complex health challenges. As a member of the National Advisory Board, she’ll help shape the conversations and programming that drive the Forum’s work to improve health at scale.
“What excites me most about Stephanie joining the board is her rare ability to see both the system and the individual,” said Gloria Caulfield, founder of the Lake Nona Impact Forum. “She understands how the most complex parts of healthcare, including technology, policy, and infrastructure, ultimately have to serve real people navigating real lives. Stephanie brings both precision and imagination to the table. Her experience building meaningful, tech-enabled change is exactly what we need as we continue pushing for bold ideas that move health forward, not just in theory, but in ways people can feel.”
Trunzo recently spoke on the Forum panel, “The Future of Consumer Empowered Health,” alongside thought leaders Dr. David Feinberg (Chairman of Oracle Health), Jonathan Swerdlin (CEO of Function Health), and Mary Langowski (EVP and President of Walgreens Health). The conversation highlighted a shared belief: when patients are empowered with the right tools and information, they can make smarter, more confident decisions about their care.
Reflecting on her appointment, Trunzo shared,"People today navigate a healthcare system that is often confusing and disconnected, yet they rightfully expect the same seamless, intuitive experiences they get from every other aspect of their digital lives. This has created a powerful convergence at the intersection of health, consumerism, and technology, demanding that we empower individuals on their own health journeys. The Lake Nona Impact Forum is leading the charge to solve these complex challenges, and I am honored to join its board of visionaries. MERGE is built to turn these complexities into clear, impactful experiences, and I am eager to contribute our insights to the important conversations that drive such meaningful change.”
Trunzo’s appointment reinforces the Forum’s commitment to tackling the most pressing health and wellness challenges with creativity, and bold, forward-thinking solutions.