LUNGevity Foundation has announced the appointment of Jason Bernhard to its Board of Directors, reinforcing the nonprofit’s leadership as it seeks to improve outcomes for people with lung cancer. Bernhard joins LUNGevity from Lazard, where he serves as Managing Director and Global Chief Operating Officer of Financial Advisory, bringing nearly three decades of investment banking experience and deep sector expertise.

At Lazard, Bernhard has held senior roles including Global Co-Head of Healthcare Investment Banking and Head of Healthcare, North America. He co-founded the firm’s biotechnology and healthcare services practices, has served on the Investment Banking Committee and Global Executive Committee, and has led complex domestic and cross-border transactions spanning mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, leveraged buyouts and capital raises. His career began in 1988 in Merrill Lynch’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group, with postings in New York, London and Hong Kong. He holds a B.A., cum laude, and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School.

Bernhard’s appointment to LUNGevity’s board follows a simultaneous governance move in the behavioral health sector. He recently joined the board of Acadia Healthcare, expanding that board’s membership and adding a veteran health care investment banker to the Franklin-based company’s governance team. Acadia Healthcare’s leadership expects Bernhard’s capital markets experience and strategic perspective to support the company as it pursues long-term value creation and considers portfolio priorities.

Observers note the timing of Bernhard’s arrival at Acadia comes after activist investor interest and periodic share volatility, and amid management review of potential divestiture options for international operations. His track record advising healthcare clients on contested situations and complex transactions positions him to contribute to both nonprofit and corporate governance challenges.

For LUNGevity, Bernhard’s blend of financial acumen and sector knowledge is expected to strengthen the foundation’s capacity to advance research, care and advocacy. For Acadia Healthcare, his presence on the board signals a bolstering of financial oversight and strategic planning at a pivotal time for the company.