Spectrum Science Welcomes Karen Flaherty as Chief Financial Officer

New CFO Appointment Strengthens Financial Leadership Amid Spectrum’s Continued Growth 

Washington — NOVEMBER 24, 2025 — Spectrum Science, an independent, full-service, strategic platform offering integrated clinical, commercial and communications services, today announced the appointment of Karen Flaherty as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Karen brings more than two decades of leadership experience in finance and operations across life sciences and high-growth industries and will play a pivotal role guiding Spectrum’s financial strategy to enable and accelerate its continued growth. 

“As we continue to scale and expand our impact across the life science industry, having a strong financial leader who can think strategically about growth enablement is essential,” said Amy Hutnik, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Spectrum Science. “This move reinforces our commitment to building a future-ready organization that delivers both innovation and operational excellence. I’m thrilled to work with Karen, who is already making an immediate impact as momentum continues to build in our business.” 

Karen joins Spectrum from Elligo Health Research, where she served as CFO since 2017. During her tenure, she helped transform the company from its early stages into a thriving business, leading strategic initiatives across finance, talent services, contracts, and corporate operations, including acquisition and integration strategy to support organizational growth. Her ability to build scalable systems and high-performing teams has been instrumental in driving organizational success. 

Karen’s career spans both life sciences and consumer health. Prior to Elligo, she led finance for PlantStrong, a lifestyle and consumer products brand, and held senior roles at PPD (Pharmaceutical Product Development), where she managed operations finance for the company’s largest division and contributed to corporate strategy and financial planning. As CFO of Spectrum, Karen will oversee all aspects of financial strategy and operations, including budgeting, planning, accounting and compliance, while driving transformative business models to respond to evolving market conditions. 

“I’m thrilled to join Spectrum at such a dynamic time in its growth journey,” said Flaherty. “Spectrum’s commitment to innovation and impact in science and healthcare aligns perfectly with my passion for building strong financial foundations that enable strategic transformation. I look forward to partnering with the team to drive meaningful results.” 

Karen is a certified public accountant (CPA), holds a degree in finance and marketing from The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and a Master’s in Accountancy from Texas State University. Based in Austin, Karen is passionate about mentoring emerging leaders and giving back to her community. Her contributions have earned her multiple nominations for Best CFO by the Austin Business Journal. 

With strengthened financial leadership, Spectrum is poised to accelerate its growth trajectory—fueling strategic investments, operational excellence, and long-term value for clients and stakeholders. Click here to learn more about Spectrum’s exceptional leadership team.   

About Spectrum Science
Spectrum Science is an award-winning, strategic platform of integrated marketing communications, clinical trial recruitment and retention, advertising, consulting and media services. Connected by a foundation of scientific and strategic acumen, Spectrum delivers at all points in the product and company lifecycle, across all channels, with global reach as founder, U.S. partner and chair of Global Health Marketing & Communications (GHMC). As an independent company with end-to-end capabilities operating all together under a single P&L, Spectrum’s flexible model is purposefully designed to meet and evolve with the specific needs of health and life science clients. Ready to experience a new frequency all together? Visit spectrumscience.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram. 

Media Contact:
Darcy Woodson
dwoodson@spectrumscience.com
(212) 468-5360