Aaron Kissel is POLITICO’s Vice President and General Manager of Product. He has a wealth of experience in product, sales, and general management, including over 20 years of experience in operating content, data, software and consulting businesses. He was most recently the Chief Commercial Officer at Enigma Technologies in New York, where he helped the management team raise $90 M for series C funding while implementing new product development processes and doubled the firm’s new sales pipeline. Previously, Aaron held multiple executive leadership roles at CEB (now Gartner). Aaron sat on the executive committees of both of CEB’s primary business units and manages teams in over ten countries, was the head of CEB’s Human Resources and Financial Services Practices. Additionally, Aaron has had leadership roles focused on corporate strategy and product development that supported the firm’s growth run from $25 M in 1997 when he joined to over $950 M in annual revenues in 2015. Aaron has BS from Cornell’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations. Aaron and his wife Meg live in Washington, DC with their three children. Aaron’s roots in Upstate New York are evident in his overly-eager commitment to Syracuse University Basketball.

Alexander Gaffney is the Senior Director of Research at POLITICO’s AgencyIQ, where he leads the team’s research and analysis of life sciences regulatory issues affecting the Food and Drug Administration. Alexander previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers where he led analysis of life sciences regulatory issues for the firm’s prestigious Health Research Institute. Before joining PwC, he was the Manager of Regulatory Intelligence at the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), where he also was Managing Editor of the company’s flagship publication, Regulatory Focus. Alexander has had his Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) in US regulation since 2013, and will complete his master’s degree in regulatory science at the University of Maryland in 2020. He has a degree in Political Science from Providence College. He currently lives in the Washington, DC area with his wife and two dogs.

Alexis Drumheller is a Commercial Director for New Products at POLITICO, charged with building the client base for AgencyIQ. Previously, Alexis spent nine years with Advisory Board, the health care research and technology firm based in Washington, DC. Alexis led their commercial efforts for new product launches, and specialized in serving the health plan C-suite. Earlier in her career, she managed the full lifecycle of client engagement for national health systems, and was also instrumental in growing the membership base for Advisory Board’s best practice research programs. Alexis graduated Cum Laude from the University of Richmond in 2011. She resides in Burlington, VT with her fiancé and enjoys skiing, hiking and practicing yoga.

Colleen Connolly is POLITICO’s Commercial Director, New Products, where she is responsible for the development of the AgencyIQ membership base. Previously, Colleen managed the new business teams on both POLITICO Pro and POLITICO Audience Solutions. Earlier in her career she worked at the Advisory Board Company providing hospitals and health systems with access to research and best practices. She completed her MBA at the University of Baltimore in 2013 and holds a B.S. in Merchandising Management from Virginia Tech. She is a Washington, D.C. native who, when not working or traveling the world, can be found doing live storytelling at local comedy clubs.

Coming soon!

Emma Kinnucan is the Senior Director of Strategy and New Product Development at POLITICO, where she is responsible for the development and management of the AgencyIQ platform. Previously, Emma managed corporate strategy and innovation at Booz Allen Hamilton, a $6B consulting firm. Emma also researched, developed, and launched new products for the Corporate Executive Board (CEB, now Gartner). Earlier in her career, Emma was a counter-terrorism analyst. She will complete her MBA at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in 2020 and holds a B.S. in political science from Northeastern University. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Nik, and cat, Roux.

Gaurav Agrawal is POLITICO’s lead Product Manager for AgencyIQ. He has a diverse professional background with experience in product management, business strategy/operations, and litigation. Gaurav received his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis in 2018, and since then has led new product development/launch in multiple industries. Previously, Gaurav was a practicing lawyer in New Delhi (India), in the areas of international arbitration, business advisory, and public policy. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in computer engineering.

Gaurav lives in the DC area. He grew up in India, and moved to the US in 2016. So far, he has lived in three countries on three continents.

Kedest Tadesse is a Senior Research Manager and contributes to the research and development of content for AgencyIQ. Prior to joining AgencyIQ, Kedest’s worked on issues related to the development, regulation, and litigation of foods, drugs, and medical devices. She coordinated and compiled regulatory submissions to the FDA. Kedest also provided support in responding to various legislative challenges to consumer and industrial products. Kedest received a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from Jacobs University (Bremen, Germany) and a M.S. in Biotechnology from Georgetown University (Washington, DC). Kedest also holds a Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) in US regulation.

Laura DiAngelo is a Senior Research Manager on the AgencyIQ team. She contributes to the research and development of content for Agency IQ. Before joining POLITICO, Laura consulted on policy and regulatory issues for life sciences and health plan clients with Avalere Health, and managed content for the Avalere Policy and State Reform 360® business intelligence research products. She holds a MPH in health care policy from the George Washington University’s Milken School of Public Health, as well as a BA from Binghamton University. Laura lives in Washington DC, and enjoys the work of the Washington National Opera and the Washington Capitals.

Lily Rosenfield is a Research Analyst for AgencyIQ focused on evaluating qualitative and quantitative data to drive key insights for clients. Prior to joining AgencyIQ, Lily worked as a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, and as a researcher for the Advisory Board Company (now part of Optum). Her expertise spans multiple areas of health policy, and she has worked closely with healthcare providers, life sciences companies, and government agencies. She received her B.A. in Environmental Science from George Washington University in D.C., where she still resides today.

Simmi Bhuller serves as the Executive Director of New Product Development at POLITICO. Prior to joining POLITICO in March 2019, Simmi spent 16 years at the Advisory Board Company and EAB (formally the Education Advisory Board). Throughout her tenure there, she launched 18 products, working at the intersection of product, sales, and account management. In her time at EAB, she oversaw $30 M+ in sales, teams of 55+ individuals and the growth from serving the first university to 1,100 universities, colleges, and K-12 Districts. Prior to her time at the Advisory Board and EAB, Simmi was on the staff of a gubernatorial campaign in Connecticut.

Simmi holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University. In July of 2019, she was appointed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to serve on the Board of Visitors at her alma mater. She also sits on the APDUC committee at George Mason University. In her free time, she volunteers with SALDEF, a legal defense and education organization.

Aaron Badida is a Research Analyst on the AgencyIQ team. He dives into FDA regulations and data to analyze and synthesize their industry impact. Prior to becoming a POLITICO, Aaron worked in legislative and regulatory policy analysis for AdventHealth—one of the nation’s largest health care providers. He graduated cum laude with his JD from the University of Florida Levin School of Law, and he is currently pursuing his MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences through the University of Florida College of Public Health.