2023-2024 BIO Executive Committee is Accomplished, Energetic and Diverse
Boston, Mass. (June 5, 2023) – Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) is proud to announce its newly elected Executive Committee Directors following Board elections that took place Monday, June 5, during the 2023 BIO International Convention in Boston, June 5-8, 2023.
Dr. Ted W. Love, former President & CEO of Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), will be BIO’s new Chair of its Board of Directors for a two-year term (2023-2025). In addition, BIO today announces the election of its Executive Committee, representing an accomplished group of executives from both emerging, early to mid-stage companies and established, commercial BIO member companies.
Incoming Chair Dr. Ted Love is a distinguished industry leader with more than two decades of management experience, along with nearly a decade of prior experience as a practicing physician. Dr. Love has spent much of his career focused on addressing the ongoing healthcare disparities facing the sickle cell disease community, and leading the development of therapies for this underserved patient population.
He has been a longstanding BIO board director, and most recently has served over the last four years as Chair of the Emerging Companies Section Governing Board, and Vice Chair of BIO’s Health Section Governing Board.
“BIO is thrilled to welcome Ted as our new Board Chair,” says Rachel King, BIO President & CEO. “Ted is a proven innovator who has developed and brought critical therapies to market. He embodies the industry’s mission to advance innovation, increase access to novel treatments, and build an inclusive workforce to reach our most underserved patient communities.”
“I am excited to lead BIO and the individuals elected today as we usher in a new era for the biotechnology industry,” says Love. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen what it means when people cannot access the care they need. Greater diversity in our industry will help drive innovation forward, especially for segments of our society who lack access to critical medical treatments, adequate nutrition, and a clean environment.”
Rachel King also acknowledged the extraordinary leadership of BIO’s outgoing Chair Paul Hastings, President & CEO of Nkarta, Inc., who helped to lead the industry through its COVID and post-COVID transition. “Paul drove our organization and industry forward during the pandemic and will leave a lasting legacy at BIO that ensures we put the needs of patients first.”
During Hastings’ tenure, many BIO policy priorities were realized including clean passage of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), federal and state-based clean fuels initiatives, and an increased focus on clinical trial diversity.
“In recent years, BIO and the biotech industry-at-large have been a driving force in the fight against COVID and for future pandemic preparedness,” says Hastings. “But equally important are the positions we have taken on issues such as diversity and inclusion in clinical trials, affordable access to medical innovation for all patients, and increased access to agricultural and environmental innovations”
“Additionally, we took the first step to balance the BIO executive committee with representatives from across the biotech ecosystem, large and small, healthcare, agricultural, and environmental. I look forward to continuing this important work as a member of BIO’s Executive Committee.”
BIO also announces the re-election of Ms. Elizabeth Lewis, Head of Global Oncology Patient Value, Policy and Access, at Takeda Oncology, as Associate Vice Chair & Secretary of the BIO Board, and the re-election of Mr. Bradford Zakes, President & CEO of Cerevast Medical, Inc., as Board Treasurer.
BIO’s Executive Committee Directors for the 2023-2024 term are:
- Ted W. Love, MD, Global Blood Therapeutics – Board Chair (Chair of the Health Section)
- Elizabeth Lewis, JD, Takeda Oncology – Associate Vice Chair & Secretary
- Bradford A. Zakes, MBA, Cerevast Medical, Inc. – Treasurer of Full Board
- John F. Crowley, JD, MBA, Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. – Health Section Vice Chair (Board Vice Chair)
- Anna Rath, JD, Vestaron Corporation – Agriculture & Environment (A&E) Chair
- Erika Smith, MBA, ReNetX Bio – Emerging Companies Section (ECS) Chair
- Duane J. Simpson, Bayer CropScience, Inc. – Agriculture & Environment (A&E) Vice-Chair
- Grace E. Colón, PhD, Bloom Science, Inc. – ECS Vice Chair
- Sylvia Wulf, MBA, AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. – A&E Section At-Large
- Angela Ailloni, MBA, Ginkgo Bioworks – A&E Section At-Large
- Paul J. Hastings, Nkarta, Inc. – Immediate Past Chair
- Stuart A. Arbuckle, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated – At-Large Director
- Bill Sibold, MBA, Sanofi – At-Large Director
- Fritz Bittenbender, MPA, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group – At-Large Director
- Catherine Owen, Bristol Myers Squibb – At-Large Director
- Eric Dube, PhD, Travere Therapeutics, Inc. – At-Large Director
- Aamir Malik, Pfizer Inc. – At-Large Director
- Jannie Oosthuizen, Merck – At-Large Director
- Victor Bultó, Novartis – At-Large Director
- Bill Newell, JD, Sutro Biopharma, Inc. – At-Large Director
- Joseph LaRosa, JD, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – At-Large Director
- Ian Thompson, MBA, Amgen Inc. – At-Large Director
- Sofie Qiao, PhD, Vivace Therapeutics, Inc. – At-Large Director