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Fangning Zhang

PartnerShanghai

Serves leading pharmaceutical and medtech companies across Greater China and leads R&D and biotech work for the region

Fangning is a leader of the Life Sciences Practice in Greater China and for the last 17 years has served pharmaceutical and medtech companies on topics related to business strategy, innovation, business development and M&A, organization, and transformation. She began her career with McKinsey in the New Jersey office before moving to Shanghai in 2010.

Examples of her recent client work include:

  • formulating a growth strategy in China for a leading multinational pharmaceutical company
  • helping a leading global healthcare company in China transform its go-to-market model
  • helping a leading multinational pharmaceutical company relaunch an innovative drug through holistic strategy and building new capabilities
  • helping a leading multinational pharmaceutical corporation develop systematic ways to access China innovation

Fangning’s broad network includes leaders from multinational and local companies, and she hosts regular executive roundtables for China’s R&D and biotech leaders. She is also a regular speaker at leading healthcare conferences in China. She has published a series of reports and white papers about innovation topics in pharmaceutical industries.

Before joining McKinsey, Fangning worked as a research scientist at Pfizer’s global R&D center, conducting drug-discovery research as a medicinal chemist in anti-infectives, immunology, and oncology. She earned her MBA in marketing and strategy from Kellogg School of Business. She served as a board member of The BayHelix Group from 2020 to 2023.

Published work

Vision 2028: How China could impact the global biopharma industry,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022

The next frontier for AI in China could add $600 billion to its economy,” McKinsey & Company, June 2022

The dawn of China biopharma innovation,” McKinsey & Company, October 2021

The evolving role of medical affairs in Asia−Pacific: Three imperatives for pharmacos,” McKinsey & Company, April 2018

Interview

What’s next for pharma innovation in China,” McKinsey & Company, September, 2017

Past experience

Pfizer Inc.
Senior associate scientist

Education

Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
MBA, marketing, strategy

Stony Brook University
MS, chemistry