Shaun Grady appointed as new Chair of BIA from 2026
Monday, 1 September 2025 – London, UK – The BioIndustry Association (BIA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Shaun Grady as the new Chair of BIA, effective from January 2026. Shaun will continue to be Chair of AstraZeneca UK. He succeeds Dr Daniel Mahony, who has served as BIA Chair since January 2022 and has played a pivotal role in steering the association and supporting the UK life sciences ecosystem during a period of significant growth and change.
Shaun brings a wealth of experience in leadership, with over 40 years in the life sciences industry and a proven track record for advancing innovation. He has been a BIA Board member since January 2024.
As the new Chair of BIA, Shaun will work closely with the BIA Board, member companies and leadership team to continue improving the UK environment for biotech and life sciences, supporting innovation from discovery through to delivery.
Commenting on the appointment, Dr Daniel Mahony, Senior Partner, Novo Growth Investments, and current Chair of BIA, said:
Through serving on the BIA Board, I have been able to witness first-hand the work carried out by the organisation to ensure the UK life sciences ecosystem is vibrant, well-connected and respected. As governments have changed and geopolitical winds have altered, BIA's vision has remained constant, and I will continue to support their work. My successor, Shaun Grady, has a wealth of experience and will be uniquely placed to assist BIA in furthering its efforts to enhance the UK's life sciences potential.
Shaun Grady, Chair of AstraZeneca UK, and new Chair of BIA, said:
Dan has provided exceptional leadership at BIA, and I am honoured to follow in his footsteps as Chair. The UK life sciences industry is at a critical inflection point within a growing and increasingly competitive, global life sciences industry. I look forward to working with the BIA Board and engaging with as many members as possible, listening to their perspectives and insights. As Chair, I will champion the value of innovation and capabilities in our sector and the transformative technologies we are bringing forward, which can significantly improve outcomes for patients.
Following BIA CEO Steve Bates’ decision to step down from his position, a Nominations Committee has been convened from members of the Board to coordinate the search for a new Chief Executive. This group has been working through August 2025. After Steve’s final day as BIA CEO on 26 September 2025, Managing Director Jane Wall will serve as interim leader of the organisation.
About Dr Daniel Mahony
Dr Daniel Mahony
Daniel joined Novo Holdings in 2024 as a Senior Partner in Growth Investments.
Daniel has 25+ years of global healthcare investment experience covering biotechnology, medical technology and healthcare services. In 2007, he co-founded the healthcare business unit at Polar Capital in London, growing it to over $4 billion in assets under management. Daniel was formerly a Senior Research Analyst at Morgan Stanley in London, an Analyst at ING Barings Furman Selz in New York, and completed his postdoctoral work at DNAX Research Institute in Palo Alto. He currently chairs the UK BioIndustry Association, is a Non-Executive Director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge and was in 2022 appointed as the UK Government’s Life Sciences Envoy.
Daniel received his PhD in Development Biology from the University of Cambridge and his BA in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford.
In November 2024, he was reappointed as the UK Government Life Sciences Investment Envoy and will continue in that role in 2026. As the immediate past Chair, Dan will continue to sit on the BIA Board for one final year.
About Shaun Grady
Shaun Grady
Shaun Grady is the most senior official for AstraZeneca in the UK, reporting to CEO Pascal Soriot. He is responsible for representing AstraZeneca’s whole enterprise across the UK. In this role, Shaun works closely with senior leaders across AstraZeneca to champion and support AstraZeneca’s science and R&D function, operations and manufacturing, commercial business, and corporate priorities across the life sciences ecosystem in the UK. Shaun manages critical relationships with senior Government representatives, life science business leaders and industry associations, as well as leading on advocacy for key policy priorities. As UK Chair he also represents AstraZeneca’s global enterprise, to support and leverage the UK's unique diplomatic and economic networks to improve trade and international cooperation in life sciences. Additionally, Shaun chairs a number of groups within AstraZeneca, including the UK Leadership Team, the UK Employee Forum and the UK Inclusion and Diversity working group. Before becoming the Chair of AstraZeneca UK, Shaun led the company’s business development function, where he worked for over 20 years.
Shaun is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cambridge United Football Club, and a Board member for the CBI President’s Committee, the Cambridge Arts Theatre, and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC). He is also a member of the Innovate Cambridge Advisory Council, a member of the Beijing BioPark Advisory Committee and an Honorary Fellow at The University of Cambridge Judge Business School and Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge.
