Catherine Sohn

Catherine Sohn is a pharmacist, global biopharmaceutical executive, Adjunct Professor and a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP). Dr. Sohn has deep industry knowledge from a 30-year career in the U.S. and global pharmaceutical industry, and a reputation as a strategic thinker with the ability to drive a strong interface between research and development and marketing. She was named “Distinguished Alumnus” by the University of California San Francisco (2000) and “Woman of the Year” by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (2003), has received the Licensing Executive Society’s “Frank Barnes Mentoring Award” (2009), and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Euro-Excellence Award (2012).

In 2016, Dr. Sohn was recognized as one of the PharmaVoice 100 most inspiring people in the life science industry. Her areas of expertise include domestic and global business development, strategy and product marketing/launch execution across vaccines, pharmaceutical products and consumer healthcare brands, having led the launches of the U.S. Vaccine Business and a $1 billion CNS pharmaceutical product at SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline). From 1998 to 2010, Dr. Sohn was Senior Vice President for Worldwide Business Development for GlaxoSmithKline’s $6 billion Consumer Healthcare division, where she served on the Global Executive Committee and led numerous U.S., global, European and Japanese transactions and integrations. In the pharmaceutical division, from 1994 to 1998, she was Vice President, Worldwide Strategic Product Development at SmithKline Beecham for the Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, and Metabolic Therapeutic Areas, with responsibility for product strategy, valuation and strategic commercial leadership for all assets from Phase 1 through life cycle management. Dr. Sohn has a strong technical background, having begun her career in 1982 in anti-infective medical affairs at SmithKline & French.

Dr. Sohn received a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree from the University of California San Francisco, as well as a Certificate of Professional Development from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Board Leadership Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), and is a Certified Licensing Professional.

Dr. Sohn is an Independent Director on the Board of Directors of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ), Rubius Therapeutics (Nasdaq: RUBY), Axcella Health (Nasdaq: AXLA) and Landec Corporation (Nasdaq: LNDC), all publicly-traded life science companies.