Rob Kelly
Senior Vice President, Commercial Leader for EURAM RegionMSD Animal HealthJamie Brannan
EVP and President International Operations and AquacultureZoetisRanveer Chandra
Chief Technology Officer of Agri-FoodMicrosoftChris Boyle
Senior Managing AssociateSidley Austin LLPEllen de Brabander
Executive Vice President R&D and InnovationElancoAaron Schacht
CEOBiomEditPrior to this role, Mr. Aaron Schacht was the Vice President of Global Research and Development / Regulatory Affairs at Elanco Animal Healthheld. Before that, he held the role of Global Brand Development Leader – Pain in Lilly Biomedicines. He was the global leader for product development and commercialization activities for LY2951742 – Lilly’s novel CGRP neutralizing antibody – a new potential treatment for prevention of Migraine and Cluster Headache. In 2012, Schacht joined Lilly Biomedicines as Senior Advisor – Strategy & Business Development for Lilly BioMedicines. His responsibilities included oversight of Therapeutic Strategy development, R&D Portfolio Management, and Business Development for Lilly BioMedicines – Lilly’s largest business unit. Past roles included serving as Executive Director, Global External R&D, at Eli Lilly and Company, where he was responsible for implementation of strategies which aim to leverage novel approaches to external partnerships to augment Lilly’s access to pharmaceutical innovation as well as Executive Director of LRL (Lilly Research Labs) Strategy, Portfolio Management and Project Management where he was responsible for strategic planning, R&D portfolio and project management. Prior to these roles, he was Director, Innovation Center in the eLilly organization where he focused on the exploration, incubation and implementation of new business models and capabilities relevant to the strategic evolution of the pharmaceutical industry. In 2002, during a short leave from Lilly, Mr. Schacht was co-founder, President and CEO of Artesian Therapeutics, a Gaithersburg, MD cardiovascular drug discovery start-up. Mr. Schacht began his career at Lilly in 1990 as a medicinal chemist, and spent 5 years in the laboratory working to discover pharmaceuticals to treat cardiovascular disorders. Schacht studied Organic chemistry at the University of Illinois, receiving his Bachelors of Science degree in 1990.
Alan Mackay
Executive Partner and FounderGHO CapitalEmily Don
Head of SustainabilityAvara FoodsKim Müller Christensen
Global Commercial Senior Manager – Plant HealthCHR-Hansen, DenmarkCandise Goodwin
FounderOutlier AdvisorsBeatrice Vos, PhD
PartnerStonehaven Cozmix Group (and CEO @ SC Transactions AG)Bruce Truman
President and FounderBLT Technology & Innovation GroupProfessor Michael Lee
Deputy Vice ChancellorHarper Adams UniversityCharles Hoare
Managing Director, Head of European Healthcare M&AStifelCharles is a healthcare focused investment banker with approximately 20 years’ experience with specialty pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe. Previously Charles was Managing Director for the international healthcare team at BofA Merrill Lynch and currently leads Commerzbank’s global healthcare team. During this time he has advised multiple companies on public and private capital raises, debt financing, mergers, acquisitions and out-licensing transactions.
He has a particular focus on the veterinary healthcare sector, where he has been involved in transactions for almost all of the top 15 companies in the sector. Recent transactions include advising Virbac on the acquisition of the Sentinel and Sentinel Spectrum brands from Novartis, advising Lohmann Animal Health on its sale to Eli Lilly, advising Pharmaq on Permira’s investment in the company and assisting United Biomedical with creating a global strategic alliance for its swine vaccine portfolio.
Charles also chairs the Commercialisation committee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and serves on the school’s Finance and Planning committee. In addition, he is Chairman of the Bulldog Trust, which funds and supports entrepreneurial charities, and sits on the Boards of Directors of Placehill Limited (growth capital), Laguna Ventures Limited (late stage venture finance) and Atlantic Healthcare plc.
Brian Quinn
CEOWellFish DiagnosticsDieter Schillinger
Ex - Deputy Director General BiosciencesInternational Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)Charlie Barton
Co-FounderVirtual RecallDave Ross
Chief Executive OfficerAgri-EPI Centre LtdDavid Tinsley
Managing DirectorMWIDeborah Dullen
President and CEOBioTraceITGreg Blair
Vice President of Business DevelopmentZomedicaAdrienne Woodward
Manager of Swine – Specialty Product ResearchUnited Animal HealthJulia Stephanus
PartnerBorealis VenturesJulia Stephanus is a 30 year veteran of the veterinary pharmaceutical industry. Currently Julia is President of Avviare, a consulting firm specializing in supporting veterinary focused start-ups.
Julia has been involved in the development and launch of 28 veterinary products. She has been a senior executive in two start-up pharmaceutical companies (Aratana Therapeutics and Summit VetPharm), and held key positions at multi-nationals including Pfizer (now Zoetis) and its legacy companies.
As Chief Commercial Officer of Aratana Julia provided the commercial leadership resulting in a successful IPO (NASDAQ:PETX), high-impact corporate branding, innovative go-to-market strategies for five therapeutics and the staffing of the inaugural commercial organization.
As founder and CEO of Summit VetPharm, Julia developed and launched a new line of companion animal parasiticides, grew the company to a cash flow positive position with 85 employees in five years and divested the company to Ceva Animal Health in 2010. A graduate of Indiana University, she has continued her executive training at Harvard, Columbia, University of Chicago and the Wharton School of Business.
Karolina Zapadka
InvestorPark Walk AdvisorsJulie Lawless
PresidentLawless Strategic CommunicationsKen Bowman
PresidentKVP InternationalJeroen van de Ven
Lead, Global Marketing and Commercial ServicesMSD Animal HealthHannah McIver
CEO & PresidentMicrosintesisLinda Dixon
Group Leader, African Swine Fever VirusThe Pirbright InstituteLinda Dixon’s research is focused on the functional genomics of African swine fever virus (ASFV) aimed at understanding mechanisms of immune evasion and pathogenesis and application of this knowledge to development of vaccines. This large DNA virus causes a haemorrhagic fever of pigs with a high socio-economic impact in affected countries. The lack of a vaccine limits options for disease control.
Linda’s group has focussed on research underpinning the development of effective vaccines. Their approach has been to determine genome sequences of virulent and attenuated (weakened) isolates to help define the molecular determinants of virulence and identify those genes involved in evading host defences. The group has characterised ASFV proteins that inhibit host pathways involved in activating the host’s defences. These include proteins that inhibit host gene expression (transcription) responses, signal molecule induction and stress-activated responses. This knowledge has been applied to the rational development of candidate live attenuated ASFV vaccines by targeted gene deletions.
In collaboration with the Vaccinology Group they have compared host responses in vitro (in glass) and in vivo (in animal) and induction of protective immune responses in pigs immunised with these gene manipulated and natural attenuated ASFV strains. The group has also collaborated with these groups and The Jenner Institute to screen ASFV antigens for those important in induction of protective immunity, in particular those which induce strong immune (CD8+ T cell) responses. This information will be applied to development of candidate virus-vectored vaccines.
In addition Linda provides advice on ASFV nationally to Defra and internationally as an OIE expert and is Chair of the Asfarviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses and a Jenner Institute Investigator.
Linda Rhodes
VMD, PhD, Independent and ex-CSOIndependent Animal HealthDr. Rhodes has over 30 years of accomplishments in human and animal drug discovery, development, biomedical research, and clinical veterinary medicine.
Dr. Rhodes was educated at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (VMD) and Cornell University (PhD). She has an extensive background in physiology, veterinary medicine, and drug development, and many publications in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Rhodes practiced clinical veterinary medicine for five years, with experience in both companion and farm animal practice. As a senior research fellow at Merck Research Laboratories for 8 years, she led pre-clinical biology evaluation of several marketed human drugs. She worked for Merial Ltd. as director of large animal development projects, leading project teams developing novel compounds for a variety of indications. In April 2001, she formed AlcheraBio, a consulting, marketing, and contract research firm specializing in developing new drugs for animals, working with biotechnology and animal health companies world-wide. AlcheraBio was acquired in 2008 by Argenta, and Dr. Rhodes served as executive vice president to transition the company when in 2011, she accepted a position as CEO of Aratana Therapeutics, a startup company developing innovative new medicines for dogs and cats. Subsequently, when the company became public she served as its Chief Scientific Officer. During her 5-year tenure, the company achieved FDA approval of three new pet therapeutics: Galliprant, Nocita and Entyce. She is currently retired and an independent consultant. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Zoetis, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Alliance for Contraception in Dogs and Cats and the Michelson Found Animals Foundation. She founded Feather in Her Cap, a non-profit that recognizes the achievement of women in the animal health industry. She is the recipient of the Iron Paw Award.
Louise Grubb
CEO & Co-FounderTriviumVetMatt Dobbs
Global Chief Medical OfficerDestination PetProfessor Maxime Madder
Director Biologics and Infectious DiseasesClinglobalPaul Dick
PresidentPaul Dick & AssociatesDr Paul Dick D.V.M. M.Sc. obtained his veterinary medical degree with honours in 1984.
While working in clinical practice he completed his Masters in Immunology and Virology transitioning into the Pharmaceutical industry in 1988. Dr. Dick has over 25 years experience in the pharmaceutical space including general management and leadership roles, business development, commercialization, regulatory affairs, and product development encompassing medicinal, non-medicinal and natural health products.
His work in this sector has ranged from small “start up” companies to medium and large multi-nationals functioning in various capacities from research to COO and CEO.
Dr. Dick has worked extensively with Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on numerous regulatory submissions and on several Departmental Committees.
In addition he has been a recipient of the NSERC Synergy Award and has served as a peer reviewer of NSERC strategic grants. He is currently heading his own consulting firm ( Paul Dick and Associates Ltd.) and is the managing partner and president of a venture capital partnership (Vet Venture Capital Inc.).Alan White
Commercial Relations DirectorMWI Animal HealthSimon Doherty
Associate FellowQueen’s University BelfastSpencer Swayze
Managing DirectorPaine Schwartz Partners, LLCSven Arnouts
Business DevelopmentGhent UniversityDaniel Oliver
CEO and FounderRejuvenate BioDouglas Hutchison FRSE FRCVS NXD
Non-Executive DirectorHallmarq Veterinary Imaging LtdJames Ede
Group Sustainability Lead – Starches, Sweeteners, and TexturisersCargillMarie-Paul Lachaud
Referent Animal Health R&DOne Health PharmaMarie-Paul Lachaud, DVM is Head of Program Management Europe at Aratana Therapeutics. Her responsibilities include coordinating the process leading to regulatory approval by the European Medicines Agency for Aratana’s products targeted at unmet medical needs in cats and dogs.
Prior to joining Aratana, Dr. Lachaud served the veterinary pharmaceutical industry as an experienced consultant, with a specific focus on international drug clinical development.
From 2000 to 2008, Dr. Lachaud was the European animal health director at ICON Clinical Research in Paris, France. In 1990, she co-founded PROTOCOLE, the first European veterinary consultancy and contract research organization focused on drug clinical development and regulatory affairs, which was acquired by ICON in 2000.
Dr. Lachaud has been involved in transitioning human drugs to meet unmet needs in veterinary medicine for years. Her work has resulted in significant animal health product approvals in Europe and the United-States for companion animals in a number of innovative therapeutic areas, including reproduction, chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, pain management, oncology and neurobehavioral disorders.
She received her veterinary degree from Alfort National Veterinary School in Paris and her doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Paris, France.Wendy Furness
Director & FounderAnimal Health Angels