Building a Great Board and Great Board-Management Communication
9:45am – 11:00am

Successful investors view a great Board, which is composed of active, experienced Directors working together for the good of the Company, as a key asset of the company – and as absolutely critical for the success of the company. Successful Boards help support and build great management teams, and foster effective Board/management communication. The best companies have the best Boards, who know how to lead and provide guidance without micromanaging, who recognize and quickly deal with problems that are appropriate for Board action, and who provide real value-added guidance and expertise to management in such key areas as technology, financial matters, and marketing. A panel, comprised of seasoned veterans of both building effective Boards and dealing with Board/management interaction, will discuss and explore, in a lively, interactive and insightful way, how biotech companies can build the best Board possible, how a great Board works together, and how to have Board/management communication that is active, productive and effective.

Panel Moderator:

Bruce W. Jenett
Shareholder, Heller Ehrman LLP

Panel Speakers:

Brian Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer, Trellis Bioscience

Gail Maderis
President and Chief Executive Officer, FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc.

Nandini Tandon, PhD
Venture Partner, MDS Capital

H. Daniel Perez, PhD
Venture Partner, Bay City Capital

Steven D. Weinstein
Managing Director, Novartis Venture Fund

The Global Talent Pool (or Ocean)
11:15am – 12:30pm

Most early-stage biotech companies focus their talent management efforts on research and development staff. But as companies mature, finding the right talent to commercialize products, enter the market, and run operations present major challenges. These challenges are especially pressing for companies interested in emerging markets in Asia and Eastern Europe. How do companies decide where they need people, how to find them, and how to keep them? A panel of veterans will share their experiences.

Panel Moderator:

Jack Midgley
Vice President of Human Capital Management, TriNet

Panel Speakers:

Igor Gonda, PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Aradigm Corporation

Peter Kramer
Director, Manufacturing Sciences, Bayer HealthCare

David Logan
Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Genomic Health

Mitchell B. Stern
Director, Human Capital, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Corporate Culture: Creating a Competitive Advantage
2:00pm – 3:15pm

When HR adds strategic value they’re going beyond the tactical moves of hiring, compensating and setting up the ground rules for fair play - they’re building culture, developing leaders, and facilitating employees and teams to do their best work for the entire organization. How do you leverage the capabilities of the people you’ve invested in? When is it time to build your corporate culture? Attend this session and learn what other premier biotech companies have done to create a culture where people want to work and how it contributes to the organization’s competitive advantage. Four Bay Area HR leaders describe what they’ve done to identify, communicate and live their corporate core values, building a culture that supports and lives their company’s vision.

Panel Moderator:

Jennifer Troia
Vice President, Human Resources, Sunesis

Panel Speakers:

Howard Simon
Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate
Services and Associate General Counsel, InterMune, Inc.

Lupe Rivera
Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Communications, Exelixis

Jim Sjoerdsma
Vice President, Human Resources, Genencor International, Inc.

Darlene Harper
Senior Manager, Human Resources, Alexza Pharmaceuticals

After Acquisition: Bridging Corporate Cultures
3:30pm – 4:45pm

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in life sciences continues to rise and frequently leads to varying results. Post-merger ‘cultural clashes’ are often blamed for disappointing M&A outcomes and failure to meet the financial and synergistic expectations of shareholders or employees. Very little research exists that can guide organizations through the difficult process of cultural integration. Since one culture can evolve, two, however, will not - merging two cultures well is a supreme challenge that needs to be actively shaped and carefully managed. A panel of post-merger life sciences executives will explore how organizations can anticipate post-merger cultural clashes and tailor leadership programs to address their underlying roots, how to bridge variances in the corporate histories, organizational cultures and subcultures, how to avoid exodus of key employees at all levels and how to ultimately enhance the merger success rates.

Panel Moderator:

Chris Davis
Managing Director, The Stratam Group

Panel Speakers:

Ron Eastman
Partner, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures
Former Chief Executive Officer, Rinat Neuroscience Corp.

Rich La Duca
Senior Director, Business Development, Genencor International, Inc.

Robert H. Mayer
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Genencor International, Inc.

Nick Shepperson
Executive Director, Pfizer