Mara Aspinall is a healthcare industry leader who successfully engineers bold moves that strengthen businesses as well as advance the life sciences community. She is the President and CEO of Health Catalysts, a consulting firm dedicated to increasing growth and impact of early stage life science companies. Mara is the former President and CEO of Ventana Medical Systems. Ventana, a member of the Roche Group, is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of tissue-based cancer diagnostic products that enable the delivery of personalized healthcare to patients. During her tenure, Ventana substantially grew revenue, profit and market share and was established as the world’s leading oncology companion diagnostics developer and manufacturer.
Previously, Mara spent 12 years with Genzyme Corporation where she held leadership roles including President of Genzyme Genetics and President of Genzyme Pharmaceuticals. Mara was also the Founder, CEO and Director of On-Q-ity, a research based company focused on transforming cancer patient management through the capture of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a patient’s blood.
Mara currently chairs the Arizona Biosciences Board, a group led by CEOs in multiple industries dedicated to improving our state’s atmosphere for technology companies. Mara is also a Board member of Science Foundation Arizona.
A dynamic participant in the life sciences community, Mara has spearheaded many initiatives to educate policymakers about diagnostics, genomics, and personalized medicine. Most recently, she has founded the International School of Biomedical Diagnostics at Arizona State University and Dublin City University, the first international school dedicated to diagnostics as an independent discipline. In addition, she founded DxInsights, an institute dedicated to education on the importance of diagnostics in improving patient care. She is also a founder of the European Personalized Medicine Association (EPEMED) and a former Director of the US Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC).
Mara spent 15 years on the Board of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, chairing the Science Committee and 3 years as Board member of Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts. She was an active member of the Secretary of Health and Human Services' Advisory Council on Genetics in the Obama and Bush Administrations.
Mara has written several articles, case studies and editorials on healthcare topics. In 2010 she was named one of the “100 Most Inspiring People in Life Sciences” by PharmaVOICE magazine.
Mara started her business career at Bain & Company, an international strategic consulting firm. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University.