The company adds the life sciences and technology leader to its executive team as it continues to drive global RWE innovation.
Aetion, a leading health technology company, announces that Marla Kessler will become its first Chief Customer Officer. Kessler will lead Aetion’s efforts to create superior customer experiences, oversee marketing and communications teams, and support the development of new products and services.
“Aetion is already the distinctive leader in generating RWE for safety and regulatory uses, bringing exceptional value to our customers,” Kessler said. “As Chief Customer Officer, I am delighted to work with our team’s science, technology, and services experts, as well as our partners, to expand that value to new applications and customer segments. Our potential to improve patient outcomes with RWE is limitless.”
Kessler brings over 20 years’ experience driving performance across life sciences, technology, and service sectors. Prior to joining Aetion, she was most recently IQVIA’s SVP, Strategy, Marketing, and Communication, overseeing the rebranding from the IMS Health-Quintiles merger. She had previously held several other global leadership positions in the company’s consulting and RWE businesses.
Kessler’s health care background also includes senior positions at Pfizer and McKinsey, where she spearheaded cross-industry collaborations and new offering development, as well as her current role as a Board Member of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Her public sector experience includes the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the Congressional Research Service. She has also been recognized as industry leader, including being an MM&M 2019 Hall of Femme Member and a winner of PM360 Magazine ELITE 2019 Strategist award.
Kessler joins Aetion following a period of rapid customer growth, new research collaborations including with FDA, and the completion of a successful Series C fundraise in May 2021. Her perspective and experience will further enable the company to expand into new verticals, advance its partnerships with regulators and HTA agencies, and grow relationships with existing customers.
“Our customers have been critical partners in advancing the use of scientifically valid RWE in their organizations and across the industry at large,” said Carolyn Magill, CEO of Aetion. “Through her uniquely broad experience across global health care and passion for helping customers achieve their evidence generation goals, Marla will help us identify and tailor novel offerings and amplify our impact.”
About Aetion
Aetion delivers real-world evidence for the manufacturers, purchasers, and regulators of medical treatments and technologies. The Aetion Evidence Platform® analyzes data from the real world to produce transparent, rapid, and scientifically validated answers on safety, effectiveness, and value. Founded by Harvard Medical School faculty members with decades of experience in epidemiology and health outcomes research, Aetion informs health care’s most critical decisions—what works best, for whom, and when—to guide product development, commercialization, and payment innovation.
Aetion is based in New York City and backed by investors including New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Warburg Pincus, Flare Capital Partners, Greenspring Associates, Lakestar, B Capital, Foresite Capital, Town Hall Ventures, McKesson Ventures, Sanofi Ventures, EDBI, Johnson & Johnson Innovation—JJDC, Inc., UCB, Amgen Ventures, and Horizon Health Services, Inc. Learn more at aetion.com and follow us at @aetioninc.