Executive Insights: Shaping Aging Policy for Innovation and Impact

Senior VP - General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer - Corporate Affairs at Eisai Inc. Over 25 years of experience in legal, compliance, risk management, and strategic oversight in Biopharmaceutical industry. Proven track record in leading Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, Corporate Affairs, and Government relations. Adept at navigating complex regulatory environments, high leverage transactions and disputes and driving organizational success through strategic management.

Timothy A. Lash President, Gary and Mary West Foundation President, West Health Institute President & Chair, West Health Policy Center Timothy A. Lash is president of the Gary and Mary West Foundation, West Health Institute in San Diego and the West Health Policy Center in Washington, DC, where he is also chairperson of the organization. Lash leads the development and execution of West Health’s healthcare and successful aging portfolio and its federal, state, and local public policy agenda. He has been with the organization since 2013. Solely funded by entrepreneurs and philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable older adults to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. Lash has led the creation of two West Health Accelerators—at Mass General Brigham, a $16.4 million initiative to transform hospital care for older adults, and at Northwestern Medicine, which integrates behavioral health into primary care to expand access. These programs are being implemented regionally and will offer scalable models for nationwide adoption. A leader in national healthcare initiatives, Lash contributes to the Drug Selection and Medical Trend Committee for Civica Rx, the first nonprofit generic drug company, established in part through support from the Gary and Mary West Foundation. He also serves on the executive board of CalPACE and advisory boards for ACEP’s Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation and the VA’s Health Services Research Merit Review Board. His previous roles include leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson and other healthcare companies. He holds an M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a B.S. in biology from Union College.

Krischa Winright is the president of Medicare Advantage for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the eighth largest Medicare Advantage plan in the country serving nearly 750,000 individuals nationwide. She and her team advance comprehensive Medicare Advantage product and enablement solutions for individuals, customer groups and joint venture partners. In this role, Krischa leads the development of core Medicare Advantage services that set the standard nationally in improving health outcomes and customer experience for seniors.

Laura Cohen is the Vice President for Environment Shaping in Eli Lilly and Company’s Neuroscience Corporate Affairs group where she focuses on policy, access, and reimbursement issues for Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics, diagnostics, and screening. Previously, Laura was the head of environment shaping and health policy for Lilly’s Immunology business unit where she worked across dermatology, rheumatology, and gastroenterology. Before joining Lilly, Laura practiced law in several large law firms, including Sidley Austin, LLP; was an in-house counsel for a health insurance company where she focused on regulatory and government affairs issues; and began her career in health policy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. She holds a BA with honors from Brandeis University in History and Health Policy and a JD with honors from Suffolk Law School.