Christopher Ball
Strategic Visionary with Proven Impact
As a Senior Principal in Strategy for Life Sciences at IQVIA, I bring three decades of experience driving innovation, policy, and commercial growth across the biotech ecosystem. My recent contribution to the BIA’s 10-Year Vision reflects a deep commitment to shaping a thriving UK life sciences sector—one that scales innovation, attracts capital, and delivers global impact. I now seek to help realise that vision from within the BIA Board.
Champion for Scale-Up and Capital Reform
The Vision 2035 calls for unlocking late-stage capital and building a stronger domestic biotech base. My career has focused on bridging the gap between science and strategy—working with investors, founders, and policymakers to create conditions for scale. I understand the structural barriers UK biotech faces and am passionate about reforming capital markets to retain and grow our most promising companies.
Connector Across Industry, Academia, and Government
Having worked across global pharma, UK start-ups, and public-private partnerships, I offer a unique perspective that spans the full innovation lifecycle and brings learnings from other biotech clusters. I’ve led initiatives that align NHS priorities with commercial biotech goals, and I advocate for policies that balance public benefit with industrial growth.
Motivated to Represent and Amplify Member Voices
As a London-based professional with national and international reach, I am committed to representing the diverse viewpoints of BIA members— including those in associate and network member organisations. I believe in inclusive growth and will work to ensure the BIA remains a bold, forward-thinking voice for UK biotech.
Jeff Bousfield
Why I’m applying
I’m standing for the BIA Board to represent SMEs and diagnostics whilst supporting innovators of every size to navigate the path from discovery to patient impact.
Experience
I began my career at GSK, working across R&D, manufacturing, IT, and corporate development, learning best practice to bring high-quality care to patients at scale.
I’ve since held senior leadership roles across sectors and geographies:
- CFO of an asset manager in Singapore
- COO of a London-based software developer
- CEO of Nonacus in Birmingham – returning to life sciences to lead a cancer diagnostics organisation bringing Galeas Bladder, an at-home urine test with greater accuracy and lower cost to invasive hospital-based procedures, to patients worldwide
Motivation
Experience of multinational and SME, UK and international, regulated and non-regulated environments has given me broad interest in all types of BIA members, and I’m specifically motivated to improve the pathway to adoption for innovators of every size, bringing clarity and standardisation to evidential, regulatory, and commercial requirements.
By clarifying these pathways, we can reduce risk, increase investor confidence, and accelerate the flow of capital and ideas into our ecosystem.
Areas of Interest
I believe the UK has a unique opportunity to harness the NHS as a national strategic asset – the equivalent of a sovereign wealth fund for life sciences.
With its scale, data, and reach, the NHS can accelerate UK innovation and bring world-class treatments to UK patients first, creating a virtuous cycle of patient benefit, industrial growth and global leadership.
In summary, I would bring to the BIA Board:
- Experience across pharma, diagnostics, SMEs, and international markets
- A focus on practical solutions to reduce barriers for innovators
- Belief in strengthening the UK’s position as a global life sciences leader
I would be honoured to represent the membership of the BIA and bring the voice of SMEs and diagnostics at Board level.
Nara Daubney
Skills and Suitability
I offer a distinctive combination of scientific, clinical, and executive expertise directly aligned with the priorities of the BIA. My leadership within biotechnology has been underpinned by rigorous scientific training and governance experience across both healthcare and industry. I bring strategic acumen, an understanding of complex regulatory and translational pathways, and a proven track record of building collaborative networks that advance the UK life sciences sector.
Biotech and Life Sciences Leadership
As CEO of Phaim Pharma, I lead the development of a novel therapeutic platform in autoimmune disease, advancing antigenic immune modulators towards clinical translation. Alongside this, I contribute actively to the BIA as a mentor, supporting early- stage biotech entrepreneurs, and as a board member of Women in Biotech, championing diversity and leadership in the sector. I am also a founding member of the Franklin Collaborative, a network of female CEOs across UK life sciences, committed to strengthening innovation and visibility for women leaders in biotech.
Governance and Sector Experience
My broader governance roles include serving as Governor of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Secretary of ENTUK, and Lead for Innovation at the Royal Society of Medicine, where I facilitate engagement between clinicians, academics, and industry. My clinical career as a consultant ENT Surgeon and immunologist provides me with a deep appreciation of translational science and the pathway from discovery to patient impact.
Motivation
I am deeply committed to advancing the UK’s position as a global leader in biotechnology and life sciences. I would bring to the BIA board both entrepreneurial perspective and sector-wide insight, with a particular focus on fostering innovation, supporting inclusive leadership, and strengthening the translation of cutting-edge science into healthcare patient impact.
Lee Dunham
I am motivated to join the BIA Board to strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader. My career has focussed on building ecosystems that connect science, business and policy to accelerate translation into patient benefit. Having worked with >200 organisations at CGT Catapult for 8 years as Director of Business Development, and now as Co-Founder of Houdini Bio, a next-gen synthetic biology and AI start-up, I will leverage these first-hand experiences of the various challenges faced by UK SMEs and the supply chain to advance the BIA’s Vision 2035.
Skills:
- Track-record of public, private and academic Collaboration & Ecosystem Building responding to industry needs
- Strategic leadership defining UK support strategies; working with IUK, DSIT, OLS and BIA
- Clear communication and influencing committee and Board direction
Suitability: I will represent a diversity of BIA members, having personally worked with and understood the needs of early academic spin-outs, CDMOs/CROs, large corporations and the NHS. As a current start-up leader, I am living the investment, regulatory, skills and technical challenges that we are all wanting to solve by 2035. I also provide a perspective of the regional challenges, having spent years specifically supporting north UK start-ups.
These Experiences will help deliver BIAs 4 key goals for Vision 2035:
- Unlock late-stage capital: providing a real-time view as a representative SME unlocking capital to fund engineering biology and AI innovation.
- Expand homegrown skills & talent: previously secured ATSTN funding, collaborated with RESILIENCE, and contributed to the Annual Skills Report.
- Reinforce and promote UK strengths: worked with DSIT to promote UK innovation globally to attract international investment (EU, USA, Canada, Japan), supported establishment of CERSI-AT and annual publication of ATMP GMP Manufacturing Survey.
- Collaborate more: As previous Head of Collaborations, working with diverse stakeholders to combine insights, identify problems and scope solutions is second nature.
David Ebsworth
Following the successful sale of Verona Pharma PLC to Merck for USD 10 billion, I will now have more time available to participate actively in BIA matters and contribute further to the development of the BioSciences industry in the UK.
I could bring considerable experience in life sciences tot he BIA board. During my 20 year employment at Bayer where following a 5 year period of head of Pharma North America, I was global head of Pharma and during this period was an active member of the Board and Exec Committee of PhRMA. When CEO of Oxford Glycosciences I was a member oft he BIA board in 2002 and 2003. As CEO of Vifor Pharma and Galenica, I was a member of the board of EFPIA and the local Swiss associations.
In 2014 I became Chairman of Verona Pharma, at that time listed on AIM with a market capo of GBP 12 mill. During the following 11 years, Verona has seen many succeses and challenges but ultimately received approval for Ohtuvayre, the first novel drug to treat COPD for decades, and then successfully launched the product in the US, where it is currently on track to be the most successful COPD launch in the history of the US market. This success has lead to the offer by Merck to buy Verona Pharma.
I also chair other biosciences companies in Germany and Switzerland. I am currently Exec Chairman of the small BIA member company Actimed Therapeutics where we are raising money for a Phase 2B/3 approval trial in cancer cachexia.
Cathal Friel
Strategic Growth & Industry Impact
Cathal Friel is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record of founding, scaling, and listing life sciences and biotech companies on the London Stock Exchange. He is currently Chair and co-founder of Poolbeg Pharma plc, and European Green Transition plc. Over the past two decades, Cathal has played a pivotal role in establishing and growing several publicly listed companies, including Amryt Pharma, which was sold to Chiesi Farmaceutici for $1.48bn in 2023. His work has consistently focused on translating scientific innovation into meaningful commercial outcomes — including revenue growth, shareholder returns, and the development of new products and services that not only build successful companies but also contribute to advancing drug development and improving patient outcomes.
Delivering Value Through Public Markets & M&A
With deep expertise in capital markets, shareholder engagement, and M&A, Cathal has listed five companies and led numerous value-creating transactions. As co-founder and former Chair of hVIVO plc he combined two loss making businesses (Venn Life Sciences and hVIVO) and refined the company’s business model, directing its focus to revenue generation and profitability. He demerged the drug development assets which hVIVO had previously been developing into a new standalone company, Poolbeg Pharma, handing a £25m distribution in specie to hVIVO shareholders in 2021. His strategic leadership and understanding of public markets enable him to support companies through every stage of growth.
Commitment to the BIA Mission
Cathal shares the BIA’s commitment to strengthening the UK’s position as a global life sciences leader. If elected as a Non-Executive Director, he aims to represent the interests of public biotech companies, as well as promote capital market access – which Cathal firmly believes is a vital route for scaling innovation in the life sciences sector. He is passionate about contributing his experience and perspective to help shape policy, supporting investment, and contributing his experience to initiatives that foster innovation and entrepreneurship (such as PULSE) and serve the diverse needs of BIA members across all regions and stages of development.
Dan Gliddon
As a life sciences executive with 20+ years in UK companies, I bring a unique perspective on the industry's evolution and proven international partnerships. My responsibility for strategy, operations, and growth as Forcefield Tx COO positions me to enhance BIA's mission.
Capital Access & Partnership Strategy
In 2024, BIA saw £3.5B investment growth, but early-stage capital access remains difficult. Forcefield secured funding and a new investor in 2024 despite the tough VC environment. Prior to this, as key F-star Therapeutics management team member I led translational development strategy enabling in-house and strategic collaborations with Merck KGaA and contributing to a NASDAQ listing. These experiences offer dual insights into both equity and partnership-based capital strategies that BIA members need to scale.
Academic-Industry Collaboration
BIA supports university partnerships through PULSE / Biomedical Catalyst advocacy and my operational experience establishing academic collaborations with leading institutions provides models for policy recommendations. I created strategic research agreements to bridge the "valley of death," strengthening BIA's advocacy for funding of academic research translation.
Global Regulatory Competitiveness
I offer unique competitive positioning insights from my global regulatory while maintaining UK headquarters. I understand BIA's challenges (41% clinical trial decline) and opportunities available to UK shown by superior Australian and Canadian R&D tax models and regulatory effectiveness, having advanced multiple programs through global regulatory gates.
Unique Cross-sector Perspectives
My governance and partnership experience from 4.5 years at Forcefield with board stakeholders and career path from GSK to Huntingdon Life Sciences/Envigo to biotech executive roles provides ecosystem perspectives rarely seen on industry boards.
My goal is to improve the quality of life for patients affected by disease. This requires strong science, culturally diverse teams with a shared development vision, and stakeholder collaboration—investors, regulators, clinicians, payers, charities, governments, and patients. BIA is a key facilitator of this ecosystem and I'd like to join them to help UK biotech compete globally.
Jonathan Haigh
Technical Thought-Leadership
Dr. Jonathan Haigh is a visionary leader in the life sciences sector with 25 years’ experience across Research & Development, clinical and commercial biomanufacturing operations. He holds a Ph.D. in antibody purification from University of Cambridge, and an MBA from Durham University, bringing together scientific depth with strategic business expertise. He is an Ph.D. examiner at the Department of Biochemical Engineering, UCL, a member of BIA SICom, and a named inventor on numerous bioprocessing patents.
Driving Growth in the UK Bioeconomy
Jonathan has been central to FUJIFILM Biotechnologies growth journey, evolving towards a world-leading UK-based CDMO organisation. As head of the UK business, Jonathan actively led the Senior Leadership Team in securing and deploying £1 Billion capital investment into GMP commercial manufacturing facilities, to expand national capacity and capability. Under his leadership, the organisation are constructing a £500m mammalian cell culture biomanufacturing facility, the largest single-use facility in UK history, and also recently launched an MHRA-approved Advanced Therapy GMP manufacturing facility towards advancing tomorrows medicines.
He is passionate in driving strategic investment programmes towards the UK, and aims to offer his expertise in this field by serving the BIA Board. He has also contributed to strategic M&A activities, ensuring the UK remains a competitive destination for global innovation and investment.
Innovative and Entrepreneurial Focus
Jonathan’s motivations in this application are rooted in supporting innovation that benefits patients and society, while enabling SMEs to scale breakthrough ideas. He brings a collaborative approach, working effectively with government, academia, and industry to deliver programmes of national and global importance.
With a proven track record in scientific innovation, international operational leadership, and strategic vision, Jonathan would make a highly valuable and intentionally-networked contribution to the BIA Board, helping to ensure the UK Life Sciences ecosystem continues to thrive in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
Agnieszka Janeczek
Career Overview
Agnieszka Janeczek is a founding team member and CEO at Renovos Biologics, a Southampton biotech-medtech spinout. A biotechnologist by training, she holds a PhD in Biomedicine from Southampton University, UK and an MSc in Medical Biotechnology from Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland. Her academic background is complemented by training in leadership and finance from Cambridge Judge and London Business Schools.
Skills and Suitability
Specialising in regenerative medicine and nanomaterials, Agnieszka led Renovos from concept to an early-stage company, gaining extensive experience in entrepreneurship, technology development, commercialisation, regulatory compliance, market access, fundraising, and strategy. Her experience founding and managing an SME from academia demonstrates her capacity to make a substantial contribution to BIA’s goal of advancing the UK life sciences ecosystem, by connectivity between startups, universities, pharma, investors, and service providers.
Relevant Experiences
Throughout her career, Agnieszka has been supported by prestigious entrepreneurship and funding programs, including Biotechnology YES, CDL, Medtech Innovator, SETsquared ICURe, and UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, which equipped her with the knowledge and skills to drive innovation in the biomedical sector. As an entrepreneur, she has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by early-stage biotech companies, making her well-suited to support BIA's efforts in fostering innovation and high-calibre talent growth within the industry.
Motivations and Value Addition
As a non-executive director, Agnieszka would contribute to the development of initiatives that directly support early-stage bio-entrepreneurs, influence the creation of policies that facilitate innovation, improve funding landscape and simplify the start-up journey, complementing BIA's mission of promoting the interests of smaller bio-enterprises. Agnieszka is particularly keen to use her expertise to support the BIA in advocating for entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, making it easier for entrepreneurs to access funding, talent, resources and networks to succeed, nurturing the next generation of biotech leaders.
Fiona Li
I am passionate about new technologies, healthcare system management, bioindustry trend and bio-economic environments. I have devoted myself to cancer therapeutics since I lost a very close friend who suffered from leukaemia at the age of 11. After I specialised as a Clinical Oncologist working in the Oncology Radiotherapy Centre, I was puzzled seeing my patients become weaker and weaker through repeated cancer treatments, and I decided to dive into scientific research to find the reason and cures. After my PhD and postdoctoral research at UCL, Queen Mary’s and Bart’s Cancer Institute focusing on translational oncology and tumour biology, I worked with over 40 European and US biotech/biopharma companies, supporting them with scientific and medical assessments, tech-transfer and partnering with Chinese, Korean and Japanese pharmaceutical companies. From these, I accumulated experience and savings to enable me to set up my own biopharma companies to develop innovative medicines for cancer patients.
My personal mission is to encourage the awareness of maintaining and improving the patients’ overall wellbeing, which is an essential aspect of treating any diseases, especially in the oncology field. It is also my personal goal to encourage communications across different professional fields and the boundaries between countries, to enable a balanced and more accurate vision and direction of progression towards a positive outcome beneficial to global health and living standards. I am actively attending the Parliament Day events, the activities of Women-In-Biotech group and Regulatory Group in BIA. I believe that my international cross-culture background and experiences will supply valuable contributions to BIA to deepen and broaden its leverage in the UK and internationally.
Whilst managing our clinical-stage biopharma company developing a platform of innovative medicines to prevent the side-effects of cancer therapeutics, I hope to be able to present/reflect some views and needs from SMEs perspectives into BIA’s board.
Conor McKechnie
I lead Cytiva’s global efforts to understand, connect, and support life sciences customers - from start-ups and academic institutions to SMEs and large corporates - reflecting the diversity of BIA’s membership.
Since 2006, I’ve developed a deep understanding of the UK’s global biotech position, our health and life sciences policy landscape, and the sector’s evolving challenges and opportunities.
Over two decades at Cytiva (and previously GE Life Sciences), I’ve led communications, health policy, public and government affairs, and now global strategy and marketing. I have board experience from Cytiva’s global leadership team and pro bono roles with the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) and Buckinghamshire Business First, with a focus on communications, policy, and talent development.
I’m proud of Cytiva’s UK heritage, but prouder of the impact our customers and BIA members have on patients’ lives.
If elected to the BIA Board, I will help strengthen BIA’s role as the leading voice for UK biotech, ensuring our sector remains globally competitive and resilient. I will bring:
- Global market insights from Cytiva’s operations in leading biotech clusters to inform BIA’s strategy
- Sector-wide understanding from working across the BIA membership on innovation, talent, and resilience
- Ecosystem connectivity, leveraging Cytiva’s regional footprint to link emerging companies with established players
- Marketing, public affairs, and policy expertise to raise the profile of UK life sciences and shape a growth-focused regulatory environment
Divya Vijay Pratheek
Industry Experience
With over a decade in biotech, I have worked in established companies such as QIAGEN and scaling start-ups including Congenica, Automata, and now Ribbon Bio, serving markets globally. My portfolios have included products used in research and translational workflows, such as the QIAcube, as well as clinical environments, including the QIAsymphony and Congenica’s variant analysis software.
I have faced the challenges of companies at different stages of growth—moving from discovery through to putting products on a shelf, and empowering teams to place those products in customers’ hands.
Skills and Suitability
My expertise lies in product strategy—translating technical capability into products that meet market needs while aligning with company vision. I have embedded best practices from large organisations into smaller, fast-growing companies and hope to bring that experience to guide and partner with organisations across the BIA. With a background in microbiology (BSc, Bangalore) and communication sciences (MSc, NC State), I combine technical grounding with the ability to communicate complex science to investors, regulators, and policymakers.
Personal Motivation
Growing up in India, I experienced the value of healthcare advances that eradicated diseases like polio, and I saw biotechnology’s potential to address food security and sustainability.
My mother’s death from ovarian cancer, followed by the birth of my son last year, deepened my resolve to champion personalised medicine and therapies that can transform patient outcomes. I strongly believe that in my son’s life, he would have access to better health outcomes brought about by the transformative nature of our field.
Commitment to BIA
I believe strongly in the BIA’s mission to champion UK life sciences and ensure companies thrive globally. As a Board member, I would bring the perspective of scaling SMEs, advocate for synthetic biology’s growing role, and represent diverse voices across the ecosystem—helping ensure the UK remains a place where breakthrough science delivers meaningful benefits for patients, society, and the economy.
We in the UK have the right people, the right mindset in this most important time for us to be on the right side of science.
Rosie Rodriguez
Leadership at Relation
I joined Relation almost four years ago when the company was just nine people. Today, as SVP of Growth, I have been instrumental in scaling the organisation to 95, with plans to reach 120. Relation has since become recognised as a sector leader, raising the largest seed-stage round in Europe. My remit spans People & Culture, Partnerships & Alliances, Infrastructure and Place (including the creation of 15,000 sq ft of integrated wet/dry labs in the Knowledge Quarter), Scientific Advisory Board leadership, and Communications. Central to this has been building an interdisciplinary environment where biologists, technologists, and data scientists work side by side.
Industry Experience
Before Relation, I spent 17 years in pharma across Roche and GSK in roles spanning clinical development, partnerships, and portfolio strategy. As Chief of Staff to Hal Barron, then President of R&D and GSK Board member, I helped shape GSK’s transformation strategy, embedding human genetics, machine learning, and technology at the centre of R&D. In this final role, I was based in San Francisco, where I established GSK’s new site and gained first-hand experience of west coast partnerships and the dynamic biotech ecosystem.
Community & BIA Engagement
I am passionate about building communities that drive innovation. Earlier this year, I conceived and led Code to Cure, a landmark TechBio event, oversubscribed and widely praised across the sector attended by investors, pharma, academia, start-ups, and scale-ups, with BIA leadership also participating.
My engagement with the BIA runs deep: I mentor in the Women in Biotech programme, contribute regularly to BIA-led panels, and have proudly represented Relation at Parliament Days for the past three years. These experiences have strengthened my belief in the BIA’s unique role in uniting our sector and bringing diverse capabilities together to deliver impact.
Commitment
I am particularly motivated to champion the needs of early-stage and scaling innovators who do not yet have access to the same resources or infrastructure as more established players. I believe strongly in ensuring the UK and London remain a magnet for TechBio, including addressing immigration and visa challenges for talent post-Brexit. As a proud dual British-European citizen, I want to ensure the sector benefits from diverse perspectives and leadership. I would be honoured to contribute my energy, experience, and perspective as a member of the BIA Board, not only as a business leader but as a passionate community builder and advocate for interdisciplinarity, dedicated to ensuring the UK is the most dynamic and collaborative place in the world to grow biotech and TechBio innovation.
Charles Sermon
I’ve spent 25 years in biotech, initially as an investor at Nomura and the last 10 years as a founder of Mereo, helping scale Mereo from a small private company to a Nasdaq listed biotech.
I’m a member of the Mereo C Suite as General Counsel with responsibility for Business Development so I work regularly with global biotech and pharma partners and service providers. Many of these are BIA members. Through these interactions I understand the challenges the diverse range of BIA members face.
I regularly attend BIA, BIO and global partnering conferences so I’m in a position to reinforce and promote the UK’s strengths and help address other goals in the BIA’s Vision 2035 including scaling up.
Experience
In 2015 I was one of Mereo’s founders. Starting as a private UK company with a handful of employees I helped transition Mereo to a public company on AIM and then its sole Nasdaq listing. I’ve experienced the challenges of building a UK based business over a decade including through COVID and Brexit.
I work closely with Mereo’s pharma stakeholders at Novartis and AstraZeneca. I’ve also worked with U.S. investors who today comprise over 90% of our shareholders, so I have direct experience of raising capital in the U.S whilst maintaining our UK presence where Mereo’s C Suite and most employees are based.
I also have previous relevant independent board experience with the London Enterprise Panel (Science and Technology Committee).
Skills
- Growing and financing private biotech companies
- UK and U.S. public market experience
- Global business development
Motivations
I would like to use my broad experience to help the BIA and its members with current challenges in scaling UK companies and to promote the UK’s strengths abroad as part of the BIA’s Vision 2035. Achieving these goals will have a significant impact for UK biotech.
Sunil Shah
I have had the privilege of serving on the BIA Board for over five years, supporting the Executive team and helping strengthen the UK’s biotech ecosystem. I am seeking re-election to continue championing early-stage biotech companies, particularly during what I believe is the most challenging era for discovery-driven startups.
With over 20 years of experience, I co-founded Oxygen Healthcare Ltd (acquired by Piramal in 2013) and later established the o2h Group, where I now also lead o2h Ventures. Through our HMRC-approved SEIS/EIS fund, we have invested in 37 biotech companies—50% led by female founders—leveraging $10M of our own and other investors’ funds to raise over £300M and create 650+ jobs. o2h Ventures was recognised as one of the top 3 most active biotech investors, according to the BIA Financial Report 2023. I currently serve as Chairman, Non-Executive Director, Board Observer or investor in over 20 early/growth stage biotech companies.
I have initiated and overseen the launch of o2h Kickstarter Competitions in the UK and globally, providing medicinal chemistry support to early-stage biotech ventures. o2h Discovery has since supported 25+ companies—including Alevin, Kuano, Celestial Health, Serenatis Bio and Five Alarm Bio—helping them advance therapies that address unmet needs.
Beyond investment, I have fostered community-building initiatives like o2h ChaiTimes and Biotech Bikers, mentoring emerging leaders and connecting innovators across the sector.
My contributions have been recognized with awards such as the UKBAA Angel Investor of the Year, OBN Special Recognition, and Cambridge Science and Technology CEO of the Year.
I am committed to shaping policies that support biotech growth, de-risk investments, and link ventures with global capital. I believe continuity in leadership is essential to drive innovation, inclusion and patient impact. I would be honoured to continue serving the BIA Board and helping build a resilient, world-class biotech ecosystem.
Chris Sheldon
I currently serve as Senior Vice President & Global Head of Business Development for GSK, based in the UK, reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer & President Research and Development (R&D) and a core member of GSK’s Global R&D leadership team.
GSK is a strong supporter of the wider UK life sciences sector, including through our development of the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst and long-standing partnerships with a number of universities to develop skills and talent.
I am a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive and scientist, experienced in building and leading Business Development (BD) and Investor Relations (IR) functions within world leading global biopharmaceutical companies - with a track record of multi-billion dollar enterprise value creation through exceptional deal-making.
My team and I are responsible for all of GSK's BD activities globally, covering the scouting & evaluating, transacting and alliance management of all new investment opportunities across Oncology, Respiratory, Immunology & Inflammation and Infectious disease.
I have developed an exceptional network having worked in the UK at major pharmaceutical companies for over 20 years and currently serve on the Scientific Advisory board for Medicxi, a major European venture investment firm focused on the life sciences sector.
Before my BD career, I worked in discovery research at AstraZeneca as a Senior Research Chemist. I hold a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Bristol, UK and a first-class honors degree in Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK.
I am passionate about helping the UK maintain its position as a world-leading life sciences sector. My career background across R&D, BD & IR coupled with the support I can bring from GSK, a major global biopharmaceutical company, makes me an ideal candidate to serve on the BIA Board.
Claire Thompson
Claire is standing for re-election as she firmly believes that the Life Science industry is key to ensuring the UK economy revives and thrives. She is committed to continuing to support BIA activities including working with key stakeholders to promote and enable innovation and investment in the UK, and the Women in Biotech Advisory Board.
Claire is a multi-award winning entrepreneur with >20 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, spanning large multi-nationals (GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer), virtual biotech and CDMOs. She is Founder and CEO of Agility Life Sciences, an award-winning formulation development CDMO which helps biotechs to turn their badly behaved molecules into products which have the best chance of success in preclinical studies, and enable them to be accelerated to clinic. Claire is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Cambridge where she helps academics translate their research into healthcare products and platforms. She holds an Honorary Professorship at the University of Nottingham.
Claire was the winner of the Bionow Outstanding Achievement award in 2023, named in the Medicine Maker Power List in 2022, and the inaugural recipient of the One Nucleus “Life Science Inspiration of the Year” award in 2021. She is passionate not just about the process of getting medicines to patients, but the people involved in the development. One of her mantras is “People and purpose over products and profits”.
She has made appearances for the BBC (Health: Truth or Scare), ITV News and Channel 4 (Food Unwrapped) to illustrate the science behind medicines in a way which engages the public, and demonstrates to girls where science can take them. As a former international footballer, Claire founded the Girls In Football Teams (GIFT) Grant Foundation, which has supported more than 30 girls’ and women’s teams across the UK.
Özgür Tuncer
Broad Industry Perspective for growth
Özgür has over 20 years’ experience in life sciences – from leading early-stage innovation to advising on major global deals. As CEO of Stablepharma, he is focused on solving a real-world problem: how to make pharmaceutical products more accessible, worldwide, by removing the need for the cold chain. He is also an investor, board member for 4 start-ups, Ascension Life Fund partner, helping build resilience and scalability into the UK’s next generation of biotech companies.
A Voice for Entrepreneurs
Having worked with founders, investors, public health organisations and big pharma across the UK and US, Özgür understands the challenges that many BIA members face when developing and scaling a business idea. He has much experience helping companies navigate the barriers to funding, regulatory and commercial landscapes, and would bring that, and a wider international perspective to the Board. His experience is extensive, and also relevant, as he has a clear understanding of all parts of the ecosystem in the UK, Europe and US.
International Experience, Local Commitment
Özgür led Pfizer’s global infectious diseases portfolio strategy and was behind its entry into vaccines – which included acquiring a UK biotech. At IQVIA he led the Strategy Consulting Team, supporting hundreds of high-value healthcare investments and service provisions globally. With extensive international experience, he is deeply committed to supporting the BIA to help UK biotechs thrive on the global stage.
How Özgür can add Value to the BIA
Özgür is motivated by the opportunity to give back and share his broad experience to support growth in UK Biotechs – to be an active, listening board member who champions the views of small and mid-sized companies. He believes the UK has world-class science and talent, and wants to help advance and scale innovations for greater global health and economic impact.
Theo Vogiatzoglou
Professional Experience
I am Regional Sales Manager for Northern Europe at ACRO Biosystems, a global manufacturer supporting life sciences R&D and drug development through high-quality reagents and services. In my current role, I lead commercial strategy and customer engagement across the UK and Northern European markets. Over the past two years, I have delivered double-digit growth, securing more than 20 new strategic partnerships and expanding our reach with both early-stage biotech and established pharma customers.
Sector Expertise
My career has focused on connecting scientific innovation with commercial pathways. I have worked closely with organisations across the pipeline, helping SMEs access critical research tools and supporting pharma with translational programmes. This gives me a balanced perspective on the challenges facing both emerging and established companies. I also contribute to broader sector discussions, engaging with policy forums and industry groups on issues such as access to innovation and the UK’s global competitiveness.
Board Contribution
I am motivated to join the BIA Board to strengthen UK biotech policy and ensure members’ voices are represented effectively. I would bring commercial insight, international perspective, and practical experience supporting organisations as they scale. In particular, I believe the Association can do even more to champion SMEs, who are the lifeblood of our ecosystem. To support them, I propose establishing SME Market Access Clinics — practical forums where smaller companies can connect with experienced commercial leaders to troubleshoot challenges such as fundraising, scaling sales, or international expansion.
Through my role, I maintain daily contact with stakeholders across multiple geographies and stages of innovation. I am committed to using this experience to add value to the Association’s mission and represent the interests of Corporate Members and the sector as a whole.
Anna Williamson
I am a member of Roche/Genentech Partnering. Having almost completed my first term on the BIA Board I am seeking re-election for a second term.
Before joining Roche, I worked in technology transfer at the University of California. I have a BA and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge.
With >20 years of partnering experience, I have established and managed many collaborations, ranging from academia to early-stage start-ups to large pharmaceutical companies. I believe this global experience, combined with my understanding of the UK’s life sciences ecosystem, positions me well to support the BIA.
My experience extends beyond deal-making to building and nurturing collaborative ecosystems. I played a key role in negotiating Roche’s founding membership in Our Future Health, a flagship UK Government/private partnership, and now represent Roche on its Founders Board. I am Roche’s business lead for the UK Biobank PPP consortium. I was previously on the Board at Start Codon, a life sciences accelerator, and I hold office hours, and provide mentorship, for other accelerators in the UK.
After moving back to the UK after 20 years in the US, I am passionate about supporting the UK’s life sciences ecosystem. During my first tenure on the BIA Board, I participated in Board meetings, the WIB Advisory Committee, Parliamentary Days, the Leadership Summits (where I’ve hosted Partnering roundtables), mentoring and many other BIA events. My Board role has been rewarding and inspiring. I have seen firsthand the BIA’s vital role in championing our sector which has only served to increase my commitment to the UK and the BIA.
If fortunate enough to be re-elected to the Board, I would strive to bring my expertise, along with the perspective and support of the Roche Group, a global leader in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, to the BIA.