Board elects Dinakar Singh, Susan Lyne

The university’s Board elected two new trustees at its fall meeting on November 16: Dinakar Singh and Susan Lyne. The board now numbers 42.

Mr. Singh is the founding partner of TPG-Axon Capital, a global investment firm. Through offices in New York, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, TPG-Axon invests across global markets and asset classes. The firm was founded by Mr. Singh in late 2004 in partnership with Texas Pacific Group.

He was previously a partner at Goldman Sachs, where he was co-head of the Principal Strategies department. During his 14 years at Goldman Sachs, he served on a number of the firm’s key leadership committees, including the Securities Division Operating Committee, Risk Committee, Partnership Committee and Asia Management Committee.

Mr. Singh is the chairman of the board of the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation, whose mission is to accelerate the development of a treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, the number one genetic killer of infants and toddlers. The foundation was established in 2003 by Mr. Singh and his wife, Loren Eng, who have a daughter with the disease. The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation is the world’s leading funder of research into the disease, with more $100 million spent on basic, translational and clinical research.

Mr. Singh serves on the Yale University Investment Committee and the Trilateral Commission. In addition to his seat on the Rockefeller University Board of Trustees, he is a member of the boards of the New York Public Library, Columbia University Medical Center and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories.

“Rockefeller University is a crown jewel of American research — a unique collection of scientific intellect, harnessed together in an environment that maximizes creativity,” says Mr. Singh. “The result has been sustained leadership in finding solutions to pressing biomedical problems, and I am proud and honored to support the university in its continued mission.”

Ms. Lyne is chairman of Gilt Groupe, the e-commerce company that pioneered “flash sales” in the United States. Before joining Gilt, Ms. Lyne served from 2004 to 2008 as president and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where she led the company’s recovery and return to profitability. During her tenure at Martha Stewart she was named Publishing Executive of the Year by Advertising Age and received a Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications.

From 1996 to 2004, Ms. Lyne held various positions at the Walt Disney Company and ABC, including executive vice president of development and new business and executive vice president of movies and miniseries. In 2002 she was named president of ABC Entertainment, where she was responsible for the network’s primetime schedule and oversaw the development of shows such asDesperate Housewives, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy.

Ms. Lyne spent 15 years in the magazine industry before joining Disney. She was managing editor of New Times and The Village Voice and, in 1987, created and launched Premiere Magazine, where she served as editor-in-chief and publication director.

In addition to Gilt Groupe, Ms. Lyne is on the board of AOL, Inc. She is a trustee of The New School and a former trustee of The Posse Foundation and The Public Theater.

“I lost my husband to pancreatic cancer so I am deeply interested in how and why cancers grow, and in new approaches to treating the disease. Spending an afternoon with Titia de Lange in her laboratory, and hearing about Ralph Steinman’s work, convinced me that the most interesting, consequential research is happening here at Rockefeller University,” Ms. Lyne says.