Kirsten Axelsen
Senior Policy Advisor, DLA Piper & Non Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Kirsten works with leaders in life sciences companies to navigate policy, competition, reimbursement and public perception for successful product launch, growth and for profitability. She has diverse experience developing and executing strategy at all stages of the biopharmaceutical lifecycle and in all major markets.
Now an independent consultant and non-profit founder, Kirsten previously was on the leadership team of Pfizer Inc’s $30 billion global innovative pharmaceutical business. She led Strategy and Business Evaluation for Rare Disease, Oncology, Inflammation & Immunology and Primary Care. Kirsten also led Pfizer’s Global Policy team. She founded and is the Secretary of the Preparedness and Treatment Equity Coalition. She is also a visiting scholar with the American Enterprise Institute, an Aspen Institute Health Fellow and a senior advisor to DLA Piper.
Kirsten is a board member for Ramapo for Children and Aequitas Health, worked in Ethiopia with the International Trachoma initiative and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with other healthcare leaders to raise $1.6 million for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.