Kelley Boucher

Kelley Boucher, Chief People Officer of Compass Pathways, brings a distinctive approach to people leadership that sits at the intersection of culture, science and strategy. She believes that culture is not separate from business strategy, but one of the ways an organization turns its ambition into action – creating the conditions for people to perform at their best in service of a shared purpose. That belief is rooted in a lesson learned early in life as an athlete: the strongest teams combine support with drive and determination. When the right people are brought together, and the right environment is created, they’re empowered to take care of one another, challenge one another, and collaborate to win – a dynamic Kelley carries into how she thinks about culture and performance today. If an organization can foster a culture of belonging and collaboration, truly remarkable things can be achieved. Kelley’s experience shaping and leading cultures spans over two decades across the biotech industry, including leadership roles at Shire, Abiomed, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and most recently, Apellis Pharmaceuticals. She holds a bachelor's degree in Government Relations from Cornell University and completed the Strategic Human Resources Development Program at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Throughout her career, Kelley has gravitated toward fields that require disruptive innovation to help fulfill completely unmet patient needs. She believes that when the work has the potential to transform people’s lives, the stakes are high – and the standards we set for ourselves should be, too. For Kelley, that standard starts with herself. It means leading with intention and making a conscious choice each day to show up as her best self for the people around her. This extends beyond professional performance – it’s a way of life. In her role at Compass, Kelley regards our purpose – Unlocking Pathways to Be -- as both a privilege and a responsibility to be her best self on behalf of people living with serious mental health conditions who have exhausted available treatment options. This is also a perspective grounded in personal experience. Kelley lost a dear friend to suicide after spending years searching for anything that could help. Losing this person underscored for her the urgent need to keep pursuing new possibilities for people who have tried, again and again, to find relief. Striving to realize this new future for mental health care is what drew her to Compass, where she sees the opportunity to lead a culture as purposeful and ambitious as the mission it exists to serve.