Dr. Laura Furstenthal
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Dr. Laura Furstenthal is a Senior Partner in McKinsey & Company’s San Francisco Office, a leader within the global Healthcare Practice, and co-leader of the North America Innovation Practice.
Her clients include healthcare companies (from 50-person health techs start-ups to large medical device and pharmaceutical leaders), life science manufacturers, health insurers, research institutes, and investors across the U.S., Europe and Asia. Her expertise includes personalized medicine, commercial optimization, and delivering highest quality care for the lowest cost (including strategies to enable Accountable Care Organizations, health exchanges, and develop sustainable capital plans).
Specific to med tech, examples of her experiences include:
- Salesforce optimization and launch planning for novel cardiovascular device
- Digital transformation (including set up of the Digital Transformation Office, development of
strategy, implementation of policy and process changes to core functions, and successful launch of
initial use cases) for a leading diagnostics company
- Go-to-market model design for a novel software product within a med tech company, including
salesforce and field technical support, reimbursement strategy and market development
- Clinical operations optimization (including deployment of advanced analytics) to improve cost basis by 20% of a medical technology that required significant clinical and technical support
- Supply chain optimization for a rapidly growing med tech company
- Global growth strategy for a novel proteomics technology platform, including assessment of critical partnerships, markets and product opportunities
- Innovation portfolio assessment for an automotive manufacturer applying its proprietary technologies (GPS, mobility) to specific healthcare needs/ applications
- Assessment of value chain economics and optimization of the global business for a diabetes device
manufacturer
In addition, her 2 decades of consulting experience spans commercial, R&D, operations, organization,
capability building and strategy. She is also the co-developer and a leader in deploying McKinsey’s Net New Growth methodology across healthcare, high tech, automotive, insurance, consumer, and non-profit foundations, including guiding clients to establish a clear innovation vision/ aspiration, ensure an effective operating model, accelerate internal and external sourcing of new concepts and products, and rapidly scaling go-to-market model.
Beyond client service, she is the leader of McKinsey’s annual Women’s Leadership Summit (keynote
speakers include Sheryl Sandberg, Geena Davis and Condoleezza Rice). She has authored publications in journals including Nature Drug Discovery and speaks regularly at healthcare industry and women’s
leadership conferences. She has served on multiple boards, including California Academy of Sciences and formerly American Diabetes Association (Bay Area). She is also the mother of two children, Rory (17) and Evan (10).
Laura holds an AB in Biology from Harvard University and a PhD. in Cancer Biology from Stanford
University School of Medicine.
Dr. Laura Furstenthal is a Senior Partner in McKinsey & Company’s San Francisco Office, a leader within the global Healthcare Practice, and co-leader of the North America Innovation Practice.
Her clients include healthcare companies (from 50-person health techs start-ups to large medical device and pharmaceutical leaders), life science manufacturers, health insurers, research institutes, and investors across the U.S., Europe and Asia. Her expertise includes personalized medicine, commercial optimization, and delivering highest quality care for the lowest cost (including strategies to enable Accountable Care Organizations, health exchanges, and develop sustainable capital plans).
Specific to med tech, examples of her experiences include:
- Salesforce optimization and launch planning for novel cardiovascular device
- Digital transformation (including set up of the Digital Transformation Office, development of
strategy, implementation of policy and process changes to core functions, and successful launch of
initial use cases) for a leading diagnostics company - Go-to-market model design for a novel software product within a med tech company, including
salesforce and field technical support, reimbursement strategy and market development - Clinical operations optimization (including deployment of advanced analytics) to improve cost basis by 20% of a medical technology that required significant clinical and technical support
- Supply chain optimization for a rapidly growing med tech company
- Global growth strategy for a novel proteomics technology platform, including assessment of critical partnerships, markets and product opportunities
- Innovation portfolio assessment for an automotive manufacturer applying its proprietary technologies (GPS, mobility) to specific healthcare needs/ applications
- Assessment of value chain economics and optimization of the global business for a diabetes device
manufacturer
In addition, her 2 decades of consulting experience spans commercial, R&D, operations, organization,
capability building and strategy. She is also the co-developer and a leader in deploying McKinsey’s Net New Growth methodology across healthcare, high tech, automotive, insurance, consumer, and non-profit foundations, including guiding clients to establish a clear innovation vision/ aspiration, ensure an effective operating model, accelerate internal and external sourcing of new concepts and products, and rapidly scaling go-to-market model.
Beyond client service, she is the leader of McKinsey’s annual Women’s Leadership Summit (keynote
speakers include Sheryl Sandberg, Geena Davis and Condoleezza Rice). She has authored publications in journals including Nature Drug Discovery and speaks regularly at healthcare industry and women’s
leadership conferences. She has served on multiple boards, including California Academy of Sciences and formerly American Diabetes Association (Bay Area). She is also the mother of two children, Rory (17) and Evan (10).
Laura holds an AB in Biology from Harvard University and a PhD. in Cancer Biology from Stanford
University School of Medicine.
