23andMe Research Institute Appoints John McLeod General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer

PALO ALTO, Calif. — December 9, 2025 — 23andMe Research Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization, today announced the appointment of John McLeod to the role of General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer. McLeod will be responsible for all legal and regulatory matters and help lead the organization’s ongoing transition to a nonprofit operating structure.

“John McLeod brings extraordinary legal depth, global experience, and mission-driven leadership,” said Anne Wojcicki founder and CEO of 23andMe Research Institute.  “We are thrilled to have him part of the 23andMe Research Institute.”

McLeod previously spent more than 18 years at Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, most recently serving as Chief International Counsel. He counseled Pfizer’s senior management on a wide range of complex legal issues and oversaw major litigation, privacy, regulatory, transactional, compliance, public policy and government affairs matters.  Mr. McLeod has held several executive legal roles including working as lead attorney supporting Pfizer’s development and delivery of 2B+ doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to more than 150 countries around the world. 

“I’m honored to join 23andMe at such an important moment in this next phase as a nonprofit,” noted John McLeod. “I look forward to supporting the team, advancing our mission, and ensuring we continue to operate with the highest legal and ethical standards.”

McLeod spent significant time abroad, most recently in London and prior to that, in Tokyo, Japan as Compliance Lead and in Madrid, Spain as the Legal Director. For several years he worked at Pfizer’s New York Headquarters in the Business Transaction group supporting complex cross-border merger and acquisition activities. Mr. McLeod began his legal career in private practice at Skadden Arps, based in New York.

About 23andMe Research Institute

23andMe Research Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that enables people everywhere to access their genetic information, learn about themselves and participate in the world’s largest crowdsourced research initiative. The Institute aims to be the world’s most significant contributor to scientific advancement, uniting people with the common goal of improving health and deepening our understanding of DNA — the code of life.