Breaking New Ground in Mental Health: Kabir Nath’s Role in Biotech Innovation at Compass Pathways

What are the essential qualities required to lead an innovative biotechnology company at the forefront of the psychedelic space?

In this episode of The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, Heidrick & Struggles’ Charlie Moore speaks to Kabir Nath, CEO of Compass Pathways.

Compass Pathways is a company dedicated to studying investigational psilocybin treatment in treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anorexia.

Today, Kabir highlights the paradigm shift in mental health treatment through psychedelics and the challenges of leading a biotech firm in a field not widely embraced by big pharmaceutical companies.

He shares what it’s like to take over the helm of a company from founders, and how he’s collaborated with them during the transition. He also discusses his perspective on healthcare accessibility, evolving an organizational culture as the business grows, what new skill sets or capabilities he is looking for in talent, and how he manages investor relations. Finally, he shares how he is preparing the leadership team for the organization’s continued transformation over the next few years.

Join the conversation now!


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Key Takeaways:

Introduction (00:00)
Meet Kabir Nath and his career journey (01:29)
Why Kabir transitioned to the psychedelic space (05:36)
Key changes working from big pharma to a smaller biotech company (08:11)
Leadership transition from company founders (10:29)
How to make psychedelic treatments broadly accessible and affordable (12:35)
Skills and capabilities needed to support Compass Pathways’ US expansion (17:15)
How Kabir balances company growth and cultural preservation (20:05)
The importance of being adaptable (23:30)
Inclusion and diversity in mental health treatment (25:00)
The role of AI and data analytics in psychiatry (27:31)
Preparing the leadership team for the future (30:59)
Advice to executives looking to transition to the biotech space (32:12)


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Additional Resources:

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The Heidrick and Struggles Leadership Podcast is a podcast series helping global executives and leaders change the world one leadership team at a time.

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