Benefactors

Kent Thiry '78 and Denise O'Leary '79

Denise O’Leary, ’79, is a private investor and chair of the board of trustees for the University of Denver. She also serves on the boards of Medtronic, American Airlines, and other companies. Denise is a longstanding Stanford volunteer, having served as a trustee for the university as well as on the boards of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Health Care (formerly Stanford Hospital & Clinics). She currently chairs the engineering council and is a member of the interdisciplinary life sciences council. Denise has been awarded the Stanford Medal and the Gold Spike for her distinguished service.

Kent Thiry, ’78, is the current executive chair and the former CEO of DaVita, Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of kidney dialysis services. Kent has been involved in multiple Stanford regional and reunion activities and also supported key priorities across campus. For more than a decade, he been a leadership speaker at several Stanford Graduate School of Business programs, including “View from the Top,” the dean’s premier speaker series. Kent currently serves as a key advisor for Stanford ChEM-H and works closely with faculty leaders. Outside Stanford, he serves in leadership roles with several organizations, including The Nature Conservancy.