Cissy is a managing director in True’s Life Sciences, Venture Capital and Talent Advisory Practices. Trained as a scientist and drawing on her experience as a biotech operator, she brings a distinctive perspective to her search and advisory work.
Based in Boston MA, Cissy partners with venture investors, boards and CEOs on executive recruitment, leadership assessment, organizational effectiveness, and succession planning for biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Before joining True, Cissy was a partner at Catalyst Advisors LP, a boutique executive search firm. She previously served as chief people officer and member of the executive team at Valo Health, leading people and organizational strategies to integrate tech and biotech talent in building an AI-driven drug discovery platform. She also spent a decade at Russell Reynolds Associates as a managing director, where she led the inclusion and culture practice and was a senior member of the global biotech and pharmaceuticals practice. Earlier in her career, she led strategy and business development at emerging-growth biotech companies, building on her roots in academic tech transfer and company creation.
Committed to investing in talent to future-proof the life sciences industry, Cissy serves on the Board of Trustees of Keck Graduate Institute of the Claremont Colleges and has been a member of the Board of Advisors for Life Science Cares since its inception. She is a Co-Chair of the 2025 annual gala for the Asian Community Fund of The Boston Foundation and previously served on the Board of Directors of Community Rowing Inc.
She holds a Ph.D. in cancer biology from Columbia University, an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship and strategic management from Penn State University, and a B.A. in biology from Brown University.
