Aetion, the global leader in real-world evidence (RWE) technology and analytics, today announced the appointment of Kevin Riley as president. Kevin will partner closely with Jeremy Rassen, Sc.D., who assumed the role of interim CEO in June 2024. He continues in the role as Carolyn Magill transitions from CEO to senior advisor. Rassen co-founded Aetion 12 years ago, previously served as CEO from 2016-2017, and has served as board director since the company’s founding.
“I’m thrilled to join Aetion,” said Riley. “Aetion has redefined how the industry creates evidence from vast volumes of real-world data, with a full suite of software products that enable rapid answers to critical questions in healthcare. I’ve built a career around scaling health tech firms, and I’m excited to work with Jeremy and the team to drive our commercialization, as well as the value we create for life sciences and other customers in their commercialization efforts.”
After leading Aetion in achieving 600 percent growth and raising over $200 million in capital, Magill has chosen to transition to senior advisor for the company. “It’s been an honor to lead Aetion for the past seven years, a period during which we pioneered the field of real-world evidence and advanced a broader understanding of which health treatments work best, especially for populations underrepresented in clinical trials,” said Magill. “Aetion’s incredible foundation and talented team give me the confidence to step out of an operating role for a couple of years as I invest more energy in advisory work and time with my expanding family.”
“It’s been a privilege to work shoulder-to-shoulder with Carolyn all these years as she led Aetion’s growth from early-stage startup to the world’s leader in real-world data analytics and technology,” said Rassen, co-founder, interim chief executive officer, and director of Aetion. “I’m grateful to Carolyn for her countless contributions, including how she’s positioned Aetion for future success. I’m also thrilled to partner with Kevin on the company’s next chapter. He’s a leader with deep executive, transformation, and commercial experience across healthcare and company stages.”
Riley is a proven executive, commercial and product leader with a comprehensive record of launching, growing and differentiating businesses — from startups to global enterprises. He was named to Healthcare Technology Report’s Top Healthcare Software Executives of 2024. Most recently, Riley led the transformation of Zyter|TruCare, a care management company serving 40 million lives globally. At Salesforce, he was the chief customer officer and general manager of the $4.5 billion healthcare and life sciences business. At Vlocity, he built the health and government business units from their nascency to acquisition by Salesforce for $2 billion. He’s led several national retail health start-ups, including GuideWell as founder and CEO. Riley was also the chief innovation officer of Florida Blue, a $12 billion health plan. He has a B.S. in chemistry from Sam Houston State University and an MBA from Rice University.
About Aetion
Aetion is a healthcare analytics company that delivers real-world evidence for the manufacturers, purchasers, and regulators of medical treatments and technologies. Aetion’s suite of real-world data analytics applications analyzes data from the real world to produce transparent, rapid and scientifically validated answers on safety, effectiveness and value. Founded by Harvard Medical School faculty members with decades of experience in epidemiology and health outcomes research, Aetion informs healthcare’s most critical decisions—what works best, for whom, and when—to guide product development, commercialization and payment innovation. The company’s investors include Flare Capital Partners, NEA, Warburg Pincus, B Capital and a number of leading life sciences and payer partners.
