Jessica Cortez
Sitting at the seam where science, policy, reimbursement and operations collide
- Role
- Partner at Simon-Kucher
- Location
- Dallas, TX, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Jessica Cortez
Jessica Cortez is a nationally recognized healthcare strategist who helps biopharma teams bridge science and strategy to drive real-world adoption. With over 15 years of experience spanning US regulatory policy, drug commercialization, and payment, Jessica brings deep market access expertise and a proven track record of success across buy-and-bill products, rare disease therapies, and specialty pharmaceuticals. As a Partner in the Lifesciences division at Simon Kucher, Jessica leads thought leadership efforts across translational science, coverage & reimbursement, and launch readiness. She is known for translating complex regulatory and economic landscapes into actionable commercialization strategies that accelerate patient access and strengthen provider alignment. For complex therapies, Jessica provides high-impact strategic counsel to life sciences companies on product launch sequencing, pricing, coding, site-of-care alignment, and field team enablement. Her collaborative approach, combined with technical precision and emotional intelligence, has made her a trusted partner to over 200 clients across providers, payers, manufacturers, and advocacy groups. Prior to Simon-Kucher, Jessica held leadership roles at Avalere Health, Bristol-Myers Squibb and AmerisourceBergen (Cencora), where she led annual dissection of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), launched four blockbuster therapies, led national reimbursement teams, and overhauled pharmacy operations at scale. Jessica has her bachelor\'s in biology from University of North Texas and is a current master’s candidate in biotechnology, regulatory affairs at Johns Hopkins University. A champion of diversity and inclusion, she has mentored colleagues across seven time zones and is known for leading with compassion, intelligence, and a deep commitment to patient outcomes.“ I believe open, respectful collaboration can solve any problem. My work is driven by empathy, scientific rigor, and a relentless focus on improving access to care.”
Experience
Partner
Nov 2025 — Present · Chicago, IL, US
Education
University of North Texas
Bachelor of Science (BS), Biology
2005 — 2010
Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
Master of Science - MS, Biotechnology
Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
Master of Science - MS, Biotechnology, Regulatory Affairs - candidate (c)
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