Catalyst Advisors LP, an international executive recruitment and assessment firm singularly focused on life sciences, recently announced that Cissy Young, PhD, will join the firm as a partner.

Based in Boston, Dr. Young is a trusted advisor to Boards and CEOs on leadership topics, including assessment, recruitment and development of executive talent, bench building and succession planning, and board composition and evolution.

Dr. Young will join a team at Catalyst Advisors that assembles exceptional boards and executive leadership teams for companies committed to transforming the lives of patients and their families through innovative therapeutics.

“Cissy will make an immediate impact and we are thrilled to have her join our growing team of life science experts,” said John Archer, Founder and Partner at Catalyst Advisors. “Cissy’s commitment to advancing DE&I and innovation is a valuable asset as we continue to advise life sciences organizations on building diverse and inclusive boardrooms and executive leadership teams seeking to make life-changing scientific contributions to society.”

“With her rich set of experiences in biotechnology including scientific, business, and people leadership, along with her prior leadership experience at a global executive recruitment firm, Cissy is a perfect fit at Catalyst Advisors,” said Gilbert Forest, Partner, Catalyst Advisors. “Cissy’s stellar reputation in the industry precedes her, and her insights and experiences will be incredibly valuable to our clients as they look to recruit diverse talent and build inclusive, growth-oriented cultures.”

“I am thrilled to join Catalyst Advisors and work with a talented team that is committed to advising our clients on best-in-class leadership,” said Dr. Young. “I am excited to leverage my scientific background and operational experience to bring insights and perspectives on assembling impactful leadership teams.”

Dr. Young brings over a decade of executive recruitment and DE&I leadership experience to Catalyst Advisors. Previously, she was a Managing Director at a top global executive search and leadership advisory firm, where she led the Diversity & Inclusion practice and served as a senior member of the Global Biotech & Pharmaceuticals Practice. Most recently, she was the Chief People Officer at Valo Health, where she led the talent and people strategy for assembling tech and pharma/biotech talent to build an AI-powered computational platform for drug discovery and development. Dr. Young’s earlier professional experiences also include leading business development and strategy at several emerging growth biotech companies.

Dr. Young received her B.A. in biology from Brown University, her Ph.D. in cancer biology from Columbia University, and her M.B.A. in entrepreneurship and strategic management from The Pennsylvania State University.