Kathy Connell

Non-Executive Director

Kathy Connell is an internationally recognised healthcare and life sciences leader with deep and broad investment and licensing expertise, delivering a solid track record of value creating deals across pharmaceuticals, medtech, vaccines consumer and digital healthcare for some of the world’s largest companies. 

For the past 20 years, Kathy has held senior executive leadership positions in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer health sectors specialising in business development, licensing, acquisitions and venture investment. During her tenure at Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi, Kathy led external innovation investment, licensing and acquisition across ANZ, with more than $US1B of capital being deployed in Australia with industry, academia, VCs and government organisations. A dedicated advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion, in 2017 Kathy co-founded Medicines Australia’s Pharmaceutical Australia Inclusion Group (PAIG) – a special working group designed to foster diverse and inclusive corporate cultures across the pharmaceutical industries, to enhance social sustainability, responsible business practices and deliver long-term value creation.

She was awarded BioMelbourne Network’s Woman of the Year in 2018 for her leadership in supporting Australia’s high priority strategic growth sectors of biotech, medtech and pharmaceuticals. Today Kathy leads Korn Ferry’s Healthcare and LifeSciences practice in Australia as Senior Client Partner and she is also a Non-Executive Director of BioNSW, the peak body for Life Sciences companies and professionals in NSW. Kathy holds various tertiary degrees and qualifications in Applied Science, Psychology, Mediation and Law as well as being a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.