BIA announces new Chair and appointments to the BIA Board
BIA announces new Chair and appointments to the BIA Board
Following the BIA AGM at the UK Bioscience Forum, the Association has announced the new Chair and members who have been elected to its Board of Directors. BIA members elected five Board Directors, which includes four Corporate and one ‘Other’ member. The new Board Directors were voted for by the BIA’s membership in the weeks leading up to the meeting.
Jane Osbourn, the current Chair of the Association, is stepping down after four years in the role. The Board voted for the new Chair to be Ruth McKernan of member company AstronauTx during the last Board meeting and her appointment was announced at the AGM.
The members who will join the BIA Board from 1st January 2020 for a three-year term are:
Corporate Board Members:
· Mike Romanos, CEO, Microbiotica
· Nerida Scott, VP, Head of New Ventures & Transactions, Johnson & Johnson Innovation
· Sunil Shah, CEO, Opal Oncology
· Avi Spier, Executive Director, Head of Search & Evaluation/Region UK, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research
Other Board Member:
· Dan Mahony, Partner, Polar Capital (re-elected)
Chair of the BIA Board, Dr Jane Osbourn said: “We had an extremely capable and diverse range of candidates standing for election this year and I would like to thank them all for their commitment to supporting the BIA. Congratulations to those voted on to the Board and I would also encourage those not successful to consider standing again in future years. The BIA Board does a first-rate job of representing the membership and providing strategic guidance for the Association, which is going from strength to strength. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Chair of the Association, and I wish Ruth all the very best for her tenure starting in January.”
BIA CEO, Steve Bates said: “These new appointments emphasise the range and diversity of the membership we represent. They build on the considerable capability of the BIA Board and expand our skillset as the Association continues to take on various industrial challenges to ensure that our members can grow and be successful.”
Newly elected Chair of the BIA Board, Ruth McKernan said: “I am delighted to take on the role of Chair of the BIA, an organisation I have always admired. There are exciting opportunities for biomedical companies in the UK and the BIA works so hard to support its membership in growing the sector. I look forward to working with Steve Bates, the rest of the Board, and the team.”
For more information on the BIA Board – go to the about us section on the BIA website https://www.bioindustry.org/about-us.htm
Ends
Notes to editors:
- For more information please contact Shannon Quinney, BIA Communications Executive at [email protected] or 020 7630 2196.
About the BIA
Established over 25 years ago at the infancy of biotechnology, the BioIndustry Association (BIA) is the trade association for innovative life sciences in the UK. Our goal is to secure the UK's position as a global hub and as the best location for innovative research and commercialisation, enabling our world-leading research base to deliver healthcare solutions that can truly make a difference to people's lives.