Kristen Smithwick

Kristen Smithwick, a 14-year veteran researcher and consultant to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, leads business development, marketing, and strategic planning at Thought Leader Select, a Chapel Hill, NC-based firm that promotes thought leadership in medicine.

As Vice President, Kristen drives internal resources on a number of fronts, including strategic partnerships and product/service development to help biopharmaceutical clients understand the ever-changing landscape of the influence of key opinion leaders and centers of excellence in the medical profession.

Kristen routinely interacts with clients in brand and product management roles, as well as medical affairs leaders, crafting strategies for engagement in support of cutting-edge treatments. To date, Kristen has led client research and consulting efforts in over 18 therapeutic areas and 50 diseases and conditions, including areas such as neurology, cardiology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, and infectious diseases. She has identified and profiled thousands of thought leaders and medical centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Latin America in support of over two dozen of the world's leading drug developers.

Kristen is available for conference panels, as well as corporate training and workshops for companies interested in optimizing KOL strategies for better engagement and compliance with existing and emerging legislation and regulations, such as the Sunshine Act.