Lesley McKendrick, RN, serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Hawaii, providing executive leadership for operations serving over 4.8 million members. She oversees day-to-day operations across San Diego, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, and leads regional Support Services—including Security Services, Environmental Services, Food and Nutrition, Supply Chain Management, Facilities Management, and Emergency Response. Since stepping into her role in January 2019, McKendrick has been a key leader within Kaiser Permanente’s regional executive team, recognized for operational excellence and crisis leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Coalition labor strike, and Southern California wildfires. Her leadership ensures seamless care delivery and service coordination across all 12 Southern California service areas.

Originally from Scotland, McKendrick began her career as a staff nurse in the Accident and Emergency Department at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1988, she joined Kaiser Permanente’s Anaheim Medical Center as a surgical care nurse and progressed into leadership roles in hospital and ambulatory settings. From 2012 to 2019, she served as Senior Vice President and Area Manager of the South Bay Medical Center, driving improvements in margins, membership growth, and top-quartile performance in patient safety, quality, and service. Passionate about community health, she championed initiatives like Project SEARCH and Kaiser Permanente’s Summer Youth Employment program. McKendrick holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Chapman University, completed the Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Program, and earned her nursing credentials from Inverclyde and Bute College of Nursing and Midwifery in Scotland.