FTI Consulting Appoints Ruxandra Draghia-Akli and Harriet Barham to Strengthen Brussels Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice
Former European Commission Official Ruxandra Draghia-Akli Joins as a Senior Advisor, While Harriet Barham Becomes Head of the Brussels Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice
BRUSSELS, 14 Sept. 2026 — FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) today announced two senior appointments to its Healthcare & Life Sciences practice within the firm’s Strategic Communications segment in Brussels. Former senior European Commission official Dr. Ruxandra Draghia-Akli has joined as a Senior Advisor and Harriet Barham has been appointed as Head of Brussels Healthcare & Life Sciences.
At FTI Consulting, Dr. Draghia-Akli will advise global healthcare and life sciences organisations on scientific strategy, regulatory affairs, public policy and legislative developments. Her work will help clients assess and respond to changes affecting pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, vaccines, genomic medicine and advanced therapies.
“Ruxandra brings an exceptional combination of scientific, regulatory and public policy experience to FTI Consulting. Having worked with her at the European Commission, I saw firsthand her ability to bring industry and government together, including through the launch of the world’s largest public-private partnership in the biopharma sector,” said Antoine Mialhe, who heads the Europe, Middle East and Africa Healthcare & Life Sciences practice at FTI Consulting. “Healthcare and life sciences organisations are navigating significant geopolitical, public health and macroeconomic risks and need advisors who understand complex science and can translate it into effective regulatory, policy and legislative strategies. Ruxandra brings precisely that combination of expertise.”
Dr. Draghia-Akli has more than two decades of international pharmaceutical experience spanning early discovery, clinical trials, regulatory approval, product launch and patient use. Her expertise includes infectious diseases, vaccines, genomic medicine and advanced therapies for rare diseases. She helped bring two Ebola vaccines through approval and deployment, supported the introduction of bedaquiline as a treatment for tuberculosis and helped deliver the first successful human clinical data for a small-molecule antiviral targeting dengue virus.
Throughout her career, Dr. Draghia-Akli has held senior leadership roles in academia, biotechnology, global pharmaceutical companies, the public sector and consulting. Most recently, she served as Head of Research & Development at Novavax, where she led the company’s discovery, development and regulatory activities. Prior to this, Dr. Draghia-Akli held senior global research and development roles at Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co.
As a senior official at the European Commission, Dr. Draghia-Akli served as Deputy Director-General in the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. In that role, she oversaw a substantial portfolio of research and innovation funding across health, food and biotechnology, energy and transport.
Ms. Barham, who joined FTI Consulting in 2015, brings deep expertise in policy communications and campaigns, complementing the firm’s established public affairs capabilities. She advises healthcare and biotech organisations on high-stakes communications, EU public affairs and international media strategy, and supports leadership teams with navigating regulatory milestones, clinical developments and policy advocacy, translating complex issues into clear strategies that support reputation, policy and business objectives.
Hans Hack, Head of the Strategic Communications segment in Brussels at FTI Consulting, said, “The public affairs landscape has shifted. Today, EU policy is deeply intertwined with member state dynamics, and a purely Brussels-centric approach no longer moves the needle. Driving real impact requires combining excellence in public affairs with integrated policy communications and targeted campaigns. Harriet’s deep expertise in healthcare and life sciences communications and campaigns, paired with our leading public affairs track record and Antoine as head of our EMEA Healthcare & Life Sciences practice, positions us perfectly to deliver this integrated approach and drive lasting change.”
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Source: FTI Consulting, Inc.
