Anna Karlsen

Anna Schou Karlsen is a core member of Egon Zehnder’s Global Health Practice. Drawing on her deep experience in the life sciences, she recruits, assesses, and works with senior executives and management teams across the life science industry with a special passion for pharma and biotech.

Before joining Egon Zehnder, Anna was a director of clinical development management with Lundbeck, Denmark, defining strategy and business priorities. Prior to that she served as a corporate strategy manager with Novozymes. Anna began her career as a consultant with McKinsey & Co. in Copenhagen, focusing on international work within life sciences and pharma including funding, R&D strategy and operations, commercial and digital transformation, market access, and launches.

Anna has a PhD in Neuroscience with focus on brain development and cognitive disorders. She earned an MSc in Human Biology and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Copenhagen. Outside work she enjoys reading widely about the life sciences and technology, carrying out creative projects, gardening, dancing, and spending time with friends, family, and her husband, daughter, and son.