Kathryn Smith
Managing Director, FastForward

Kathy is an independent business development consultant working with for-profit and not-for-profit biotechnology and healthcare companies.

Her role at Fast Forward (a wholly owned subsidiary of the National MS Society) is as Managing Director for the General Fund. Her responsibilities include establishing and driving the Fast Forward strategy, evaluating companies for funding, working with reviewers and applicants, negotiating funding agreements and helping funded companies to succeed.

Kathy has 28 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, in R&D, Business Development and Strategic Planning, and has extensive knowledge and understanding of Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and the Healthcare Environment.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Kathy worked for 26 years at Pfizer. In her most recent role as Executive Director of the Acquisition Practice Group, she led the R&D acquisition strategy and subsequent integration of acquired R&D companies, securing over $3Bn in assets from more than 9 companies, and establishing Pfizer’s Research presence in Bio-therapeutics and Vaccines. Prior to that, she led Discovery Strategic Alliances, leading investments in external Research and growing the annual investment from $50MM to $175MM. Other positions at Pfizer include several years in Clinical Development, where she played key roles in the approval of NorvascTM and ZithromaxTM; and in cardiovascular Discovery Research.

Kathy holds a BS in Pharmacology from Leeds University, UK and an MA in Biology from Brown University. Originally from the UK, she has lived in the US for the last 20 years.