Christi Shaw

CEO of Kite Pharma

Ms. Shaw oversees all aspects of cell therapy at Gilead’s Kite business unit, with responsibility for all of the company’s 1,200 employees around the world.

Ms. Shaw has over 25 years of experience providing commercial, financial, strategic, medical, clinical development, legal and operations leadership in healthcare.

Ms. Shaw joined Kite from Eli Lilly & Company, where she served as senior vice president, Eli Lilly & Company and president, Lilly Bio-Medicines, leading the company’s broadest therapeutic portfolio and overseeing late-stage clinical development and commercialization.

Ms. Shaw has held prominent leadership roles at Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis where she served as US Country President and President 2016.

Ms. Shaw has been recognized with numerous industry awards including: a 2019 Women in Oncology Award (PRIMO), a 2018 Health Visionary Award (Society for Women’s Health Research) and a 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award (Eye for Pharma), among others.

Ms. Shaw currently serves on the boards of the Biotechnology Industry Organization; Avantor, a global manufacturer and distributor of products, services and solutions to professionals in the life sciences and advanced technology industries; and the Healthcare Women’s Business Association. She serves as an Advisor to Concord Health Partners. In 2017, she founded the More Moments More Memories Foundation to assist people with cancer and their caregivers.

Ms. Shaw earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Iowa State University.

Sherry Shaw/More Moments More Memories Foundation Fund

Christi’s sister Sherry was diagnosed with breast cancer and multiple myeloma at age 49. Luckily she was accepted into a promising clinical study (Christi moved heaven and earth for Sherry’s care.) A key criterion for admission to the trial was a full-time caretaker for the three-month trial and beyond. Christi, one of the topped rank women in the industry decided to resign her role. The CEO said, “I am amazed by your courage,” to which Christi replied, “what do you mean?” He said, “you are walking away and you don’t know where you will go after that.” Christi replied, “I will have a firsthand opportunity to see what our patients go through during treatment and it should make me a better pharma leader.”

We are overjoyed to report that after three years of horrific suffering and seemingly endless treatment, and with another hero, their sister Shelley, providing bone marrow just before her wedding, Sherry is doing well.

In honor of these three women we donated to the More Moments More Memories Foundation Fund in Christi’s name. The foundation removes financial obstacles and clears a path for patients with cancer to seek critical treatments to the quality and quantity of their lives.

We celebrate the Shaw sisters and their real life inspirational journey and amazing sacrifice. We wish them peace, joy and abundant health. They already have incredible love.