Abi Coman-Walker is a globally experienced operational leader known for driving transformation, innovation and strategic growth across the financial services and biotechnology sectors. With more than two decades of international leadership experience, Abi currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Acuitas Therapeutics, a pioneering biotechnology company whose lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology played a critical role in the delivery of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including COMIRNATY®, the first regulatory approved COVID vaccine, which helped to end the global pandemic.
At Acuitas, Abi is a core executive team member, overseeing all financial, operational and people and culture functions. She has led the company through a period of exponential growth, quadrupling organizational scale while maintaining a collaborative, high-performance culture. Her leadership has enabled the development of robust operational systems, new facilities and strategic initiatives to support innovation, supply chain efficiency, and corporate sustainability. A passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, Abi champions internal culture-building and external community engagement. She creates immersive opportunities for the team to contribute to their communities and guides the organization’s commitment to sustainability.
Prior to joining Acuitas, Abi spent 17 years at HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, where she progressed through a range of senior leadership roles as part of the bank’s prestigious International Manager Programme. Her final role at HSBC was as Strategic Program Director for HSBC Canada, where she led a major transformation project focused on designing a greener, post-pandemic operating model – aiming to deliver more than $83 million (USD) in efficiencies while reimagining the employee experience.
Abi took the leap from banking to biotechnology to provide strategic leadership in support of Acuitas’ exceptional growth and her alignment with Acuitas’ values and purpose.
Abi’s international career has taken her across the globe, with postings in Brazil, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the UK. Her roles spanned business performance, compliance and risk management, trade services and change management – equipping her with a real-world and nuanced understanding of regional dynamics and cross-cultural leadership.
Deeply committed to community and industry advancement, Abi currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board at Junior Achievement of British Columbia (JABC), is Co-Chair of the Business Laureates Hall of Fame Gala, a Board Member at Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), and a mentor with Mentor Walks Vancouver.
Abi brings a rare blend of strategic foresight, operational rigour and human-centered leadership, making her a standout figure in both business and biotech landscapes.