COVID-19 update: managing through the crisis and planning for recovery

Max Herrmann

Managing Director, Stifel

Max joined Stifel in September 2013 as Head of European Healthcare Equity Research. He was also part-time Chief Financial Officer of ReViral Ltd from 2014-2019. Prior to joining Stifel, Max was Chief Financial Officer of Silence Therapeutics plc. He possesses more than 25 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry experience, having held key management positions with leading development-stage companies, as well as establishing several highly rated equity research teams at a number of investment banks. He has also been involved in raising over $700m in funds for biotech companies. Max holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Kent and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen.

Sam Taylor

Senior Partner, PwC

Sam is the Senior Partner for the Milton Keynes office heading up a team of over 150 in the South Midlands. He has extensive experience of working with life sciences and technology companies, from spin-outs and start-up ventures right through to listed companies, covering the main market, AIM and NASDAQ. He also has extensive experience of capital market transactions, having worked through a number of IPOs, reverse acquisitions and Class 1 acquisitions and disposals in the technology sector.

Charles Waddell

Partner, Pinsent Masons

Charles is a corporate partner in Pinsent Masons' Tier 1 ranked life sciences practice. His main focus is on VC financings, IPOs and M&A in the biotech and medtech sector.

Steve Bates OBE

Chief Executive Officer

What does your role at BIA involve?

Steve Bates is the CEO of the UK Bioindustry Association, the UK’s Trade Association for innovative life science companies with over 550 members. Steve is the visible face of the vibrant UK life sciences industry to government and media. He serves on the UK Government’s Life Sciences Council and the UK Biosecurity Leadership Council. Steve was a founder member of the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce in the Covid crisis, sitting on its steering Board alongside Kate Bingham. He is active member and former chair the International Council of Biotech Associations and has been a board member of EuropaBio since 2015.

Previous experience & achievements

Steve has championed, with government, effective industrial incentives like the Biomedical Catalyst, which have crowded in private sector investment into UK SMEs. He is a driving force behind the scale up agenda, spearheading policy agenda to unlock UK pension fund capital into productive UK growth in life sciences. 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 joining the BIA in 2012, Steve worked for Genzyme and was advisor to the UK Government of Tony Blair working on NHS reform and the Northern Ireland peace process. He was made OBE for services to innovation in 2017 and became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science in 2020.

Michael Warren

Strategic Policy Advisor, BIA

Michael joined the BIA in September to lead our policy and public affairs work on Brexit. He has extensive experience spanning a wide range of senior government and communications roles, most recently as a member of the executive team at Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.