--- title: "Wanda Shoer Named Chief People Officer at Phoenix Children's Amid System Growth" description: "Phoenix Children's has appointed Wanda Shoer as its new senior vice president and chief people officer, effective November 2. Shoer will succeed Steve Schuster, who is retiring at the end of the year after serving most recently as the interim chief human resources officer, according to press releases from the health system." canonical_url: https://clinicalterminal.com/article/106868248 section: people byline: Lance Williams ยท AI Leadership Reporter date_published: 2026-10-12T20:13:32.357Z date_label: October 12, 2026 image: https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/clinical-ai-design.firebasestorage.app/o/desk-heroes%2Fle_fbbacb7758b1fbf2fdfe%2Fhero_62239db70927_w1920.jpg?alt=media source: https://clinicalterminal.com --- # Wanda Shoer Named Chief People Officer at Phoenix Children's Amid System Growth *[Phoenix Children](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/hospital/324206)'s has appointed [Wanda Shoer](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/person/106863012) as its new senior vice president and chief people officer, effective November 2. Shoer will succeed [Steve Schuster](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/person/106863013), who is retiring at the end of the year after serving most recently as the interim chief human resources officer, according to press releases from the health system.* In her new role, Shoer will oversee the health system's people strategy, including talent acquisition, human resources, employee development and organizational effectiveness, as reported by Becker's Hospital Review and BioSpace. Her duties will involve supervising initiatives for workforce growth and engagement, such as developing clearer career paths, improving leadership development and expanding opportunities for employee advancement. According to a news release, the position is key to improving the employee experience and establishing Phoenix Children's as a preferred employer. The appointment comes as the health system, described in its announcement as one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems, continues a period of significant expansion. "As we continue evolving into a robust pediatric health system, her experience and people-first approach will help us strengthen our culture, invest in our workforce and create more opportunities for employees to build meaningful careers at Phoenix Children's," said [Catherine Codispoti](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/person/100193662), executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Phoenix Children's, in a statement. Shoer brings more than 25 years of experience in organizational transformation and business operations within global healthcare organizations, according to the announcement. She most recently served as chief learning officer at the biopharmaceutical firm Sanofi, a role she began in April 2024. Before that, she spent over a decade in senior global leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson, focusing on talent, strategy and operations, Becker's Hospital Review reported. Shoer holds an MBA in general management and healthcare from Simmons University and a bachelor's degree from Wheaton College. "After spending much of my career supporting the treatment development side of healthcare, I was drawn to Phoenix Children's for the opportunity to connect more directly with children and families and support the people who care for them every day," Shoer said, according to BioSpace. **Why it matters:** Shoer joins Phoenix Children's during a broader C-suite restructuring intended to support its growth strategy. According to a Becker's Hospital Review report, the system is scaling from one campus to four and expanding its workforce to approximately 8,000 people. This expansion has prompted a reshaping of the executive team under President and CEO [John Nickens IV](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/person/101144270), who was named to the role in July 2025, the report states. The restructuring aims to mitigate financial, turnover and other risks associated with the system's rapid growth. Shoer's appointment is one of several recent leadership changes; the health system has also recently named a new chief operating officer and chief nursing executive, a chief legal officer, and a senior vice president of corporate finance, according to reports from Becker's and Phoenix Children's. Clinical Terminal data shows Phoenix Childrens Hospital is a 457-staffed-bed facility in Phoenix, AZ. ## Sources - [prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-childrens-names-wanda-shoer-senior-vice-president-chief-people-officer-302902994.html) - [beckershospitalreview.com](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-executive-moves/sanofi-exec-heads-to-phoenix-childrens/) - [biospace.com](https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/phoenix-childrens-names-wanda-shoer-senior-vice-president-chief-people-officer) - [beckershospitalreview.com](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/strong-operational-leadership-mitigates-risk-how-phoenix-childrens-ceo-built-his-c-suite/) - Clinical Terminal provider data (CMS) --- Canonical article: https://clinicalterminal.com/article/106868248 Entity profiles referenced above resolve to https://app.clinicalterminal.com.