BIA regional focus: Cambridge

Steve Bates OBE

CEO, BIA

Steve Bates FMed Sci OBE has been leading the UK Bioindustry Association as CEO since 2012. He currently chairs the International Council of Biotech Associations and has been a board member of Europabio since 2015. He sits on the UK’s Life Sciences Council. Steve is the visible face of the vibrant UK life sciences industry to government and media. Steve was a founder member of the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce in the Covid crisis, sitting on its steering Board alongside Kate Bingham. Steve has championed, with government, effective industrial incentives like the Biomedical Catalyst, which have crowded in private sector investment into UK SMES. He has forged several links for the sector across the USA, Europe and in China. In his time at the BIA, Steve has developed new member groups focused on cell and gene therapy, genomics and engineered biology. A strong advocate of partnership working, Steve champions sector collaboration with research charities and academia. Proud to lead an organisation with a diverse Board with over 40% female representation, Steve is committed to next generation talent and developing the skills needed for the sector to flourish. Before the BIA, Steve worked for Genzyme and was advisor to the UK Government of Tony Blair. He was made OBE for services to innovation in 2017 and became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science in 2020.

Rob Cooke

Chief Technology Officer, Sosei Heptares

Michael Skynner

COO, Bicycle Therapeutics

Michael joined Bicycle Therapeutics in January 2016 to lead the discovery team and company operations as COO. As part of that role he oversaw the company move into new premises in 2017 at the Babraham Research Campus, and then again in 2022 into new facilities at the Portway, Granta Park. He switched into a new role as CTO in January 2022 to further accelerate Bicycle’s activities in therapeutic areas beyond Oncology. Prior to joining Bicycle, he lead Pfizer’s rare disease efforts in Europe and founded the Pfizer Rare Disease Consortium as well as Pfizer’s Genetic Medicine Institute, a bespoke research unit in central London embedded within the UK gene therapy academic community. Previously, he was VP and established a new Discovery Performance Unit (DPU) at GSK. Prior to GSK he co-founded a successful biotech start-up company, Cambridge Biotechnology Ltd. Here, he helped the company identify and occupy premises embedded within Cambridge University’s Pharmacology department and then into new facilities at the Babraham Research campus before a successful trade sale to Biovitrum, Swedish Orphan. Michael has over 22 years pharmaceutical and 5 years academic experience and obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at Imperial College in 1994.

Chris Walters

Head of UK Life Sciences, JLL

Chris leads the Life Science business at JLL that focuses on the science, technology and innovation sector. Through experience working with NHS Trusts; academic and research institutions; local authorities; and a diverse set of private sector clients covering private equity, institutional capital and sovereign wealth; Chris is recognised as an industry-leading expert on both the UK and European markets. Chris’s responsibilities are focused on providing strategic recommendations on a range of development and investment opportunities comprising development consultancy, appraisals and transactional advice. In addition, he works closely with all aspects of the occupier business to find tailored solutions to their needs across the full spectrum of the science and technology industry.

Ola Wlodek

CEO, Constructive Bio

After completing a PhD in Biology and Biomedical Sciences from Cambridge University in 2013, Ola worked in the several companies within the Cambridge cluster before joining Constructive Bio as CEO in July 2022. She is a currently an executive MBA candidate with the Warwick Business School.