Katie (Carr) Payne is Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Head of Advocacy at PCMA. In this role, Katie is responsible for leading PCMA’s communications function and oversees the association’s communications and public affairs strategy. 

Katie is a global communications and external affairs executive with more than two decades of experience in corporate communications, investor and media relations, issues and crisis management, and executive positioning. She has a specific expertise in healthcare communications having led communications and public affairs activities for a number of global life sciences and healthcare companies.

Most recently, Katie served as vice president of global corporate communications at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, leading the company’s internal and external communications, digital presence, corporate brand and reputation-related issues management. Prior to her role at Alexion, Katie served as senior vice president of corporate communications and external affairs at Orchard Therapeutics, a global gene therapy company, where she was a member of the executive team and directed the company’s internal and external communications, patient advocacy, investor relations and public affairs functions. Katie joined Orchard from AMAG Pharmaceuticals, where she served as senior vice president of corporate affairs, overseeing all communications, government relations and advocacy activities.

In addition to her in-house executive leadership roles, Katie also spent a decade at a global communications and public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. She started her work in communications as a reporter for The Salem News, one of the largest regional newspapers in Massachusetts.

Katie graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with high honors from The Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing and business management and a master’s degree in health communications.