Aetion Welcomes Marla Kessler as First Chief Customer Officer to Accelerate Its Next Phase of Growth

Aetion has announced 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 service 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 more than 20 years’ experience driving performance across life sciences, technology, and service sectors. Prior to joining Aetion, she was most recently IQVIA’s senior vice president, 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 business.

Kessler’s healthcare background also includes senior positions at Pfizer and McKinsey, where she spearheaded cross-industry collaborations and new offering development. She is currently a board member of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Her public sector experience includes the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the Congressional Research Service. Kessler has also been recognized as an industry leader; she was an MM&M 2019 Hall of Femme member and a winner of the PM360 Magazine ELITE 2019 Strategist award.

Kessler joins Aetion following a period of rapid customer growth, new research collaborations including with the FDA, and the completion of a successful Series C fundraising round in May 2021. Her perspective and experience will further enable the company to expand into new verticals, advance its partnership with regulators and health technology assessment (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 Aetion CEO Carolyn Magill. “Through her uniquely broad experience across global healthcare and passion for helping customers achieve their evidence generation goals, Marla will help us identify and tailor novel offerings and amplify our impact.”

Read the original press release here.