Navigating Career Change // Kathy Xiang - Business Development at Compass Pathways

Meet Kathy Xiang, Director of Business Development for Compass Pathways and former City corporate lawyer. Compass Pathways is a mental health company committed to evidence based innovation in mental health and they are currently researching how psilocybin therapy could help people with treatment-resistant depression. Kathy’s commitment to making a career change towards something aligned with her own values is inspiring and she takes us through her thought processes at the time and how she navigated that change. This is a particularly great episode around navigating career change and for insights into the mental health space. 

In this episode we cover:-

• Kathy’s path into law:-
  • Studying history at Uni then the “what now” moment.
  • Qualifying at a London City firm into M&A and private equity funds.
• 1 year post qualification feeling unfulfilled and asking “where do I want to be in 5 years?”
• Kathy reflects on the analysis of her options at the time and how she obtained inspiration and insights into different career paths.
• Making strategic moves - becoming a management consultant for Boston Consulting Group.
• Finding the one! Why Kathy chose Compass Pathway and what her role entails.
• Kathy’s own personal insights into mental health and why the transformative impact of Compass Pathways was appealing.
• What Compass Pathways does:-
  • What psilocybin therapy is – from administration to integration
  • Progress with the clinical trials
  • Growth milestones in 2020 from investment rounds to becoming a publicly listed company
• What advice Kathy would give to the previous version of her who felt stuck and unfulfilled.

CONTACT INFO + LINKS

Compass Pathways

You can find their website here.

Kathy Xiang

You can connect with Kathy via LinkedIn here.

Legally Different:-

• Instagram:@legallydifferent 
• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for tuning in!

Lauren