Recruiting and Training the Next Generation of Biotechnology Associates
9:45am – 11:00am

As the biotech industry continues to grow in the Bay Area, there continues to be a need for skilled workers to fill positions those biotech companies. Programs such as Biotech Partners, a program which works to develop the biotech skills of at-risk youth in the Bay Area, have trained and placed hundreds of students for promising positions in the biotech industry. Ultimately, local companies which participate in biotech training programs support their communities by drawing locally for the next generation of workers. This session will explore these training programs and their successes, share robust statistics about the value of in-depth, hands-on biotech training and ultimately what training programs mean for workforce development for Bay Area companies. It may also spark a new dialogue about the ongoing need for trained biotech associates, and open up new avenues for industry/academic partnerships and new funding for biotech training programs.

Panel Moderator:

David Gilbert
Public Affairs Manager, DOE Joint Genome Institute

Panel Speakers:

Ellyn Daugherty
Founder, San Mateo Biotechnology Career Pathway (SMBCP)

Honorable Loni Hancock
California State Assembly
Former Mayor, City of Berkeley

Jose Mendoza
Biotech Partners Program Participant, Intern

Trina Ostrander
Community Relations, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals

Tamas Torok
Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories

Developing Successful Project Leaders
11:30am – 12:45pm

In many biotech organizations, there are two paths to success: a scientific/technical hierarchy and a managerial hierarchy. At some point in his or her career, someone who has moved smoothly up the scientific hierarchy may be offered a chance or deliberately seek to enter the managerial hierarchy as a project manager. In fact, according to the American Society for Engineering Management, more than half of all engineers will make this shift. However, the transition from one hierarchy to the other can be rocky. Mastering standardized methods and complex software tools is not enough. To ensure successful projects in complex environments, project managers must become adept leaders—often without official authority. The right kind of leadership enables the project manager to cut across functional silos, bring issues to resolution quickly, and keep projects on track despite inevitable “hiccups.” This session will offer insights into different types of leadership styles which, when used effectively, enable any individual to address the specific project situation he/she faces.

Panel Moderator:

Harry Georgiades
Director of Operations, Integrated Project Management, Inc.

Panel Speakers:

Michael Cancilla
Senior Director, Project Management, Exelixis, Inc.

Nipun Davar, PhD
Vice President of Development, Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Daniel Maher
Vice President, Product Development, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc.

Dennis F. Marr, PhD, PMP
Senior Director of Research and Development, Thoratec Corporation

Theresa Musser
Vice President of Development Operations, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Trimming & Clipping: Grooming Your Board to Be Best in Show
2:15pm – 3:30pm

This panel will explore the difficult and intriguing topic of how to manage, and adjust when necessary, Board performance, by appropriate discussion, or by polite resignation, or by more forceful appropriate means when necessary, when one or more Board members are being disruptive, not participating adequately, or otherwise are not providing necessary value to the Company. The art of building and maintaining a vibrant and productive Board is always a difficult one at best, but investors, Board members and management also need to know how to deal with "the dark side"--how to recognize in time, and how to handle, using best practices, serious problems which arise, and which can cripple the company, when the Board as a whole, or a Board member, is not functioning at best purpose or is in fact dysfunctional.

Panel Moderator:

Bruce W. Jenett
Co-Chair, Global Life Sciences Sector, DLA Piper US LLP

Panel Speakers:

Lisa Conte
Chief Executive Officer, Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Ken Haas
Venture Partner, Abingworth Management, Inc.

Jon Saxe
Chairman, Board of Directors, Entelos, Inc. and VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc.

Nandini Tandon
Managing Director, Lumira Capital

Employee Benefits: The Importance of Shifting Your Focus from Cost to Investment
3:45pm – 5:00pm

The ever increasing cost of healthcare is a top of mind topic for executives in all industries, but particularly for biotech companies. With every dollar being precious and recruitment more and more competitive, the focus has to be on how to maximize the ROI of each employee benefit dollar and the impact a sound employee benefit strategy has on recruitment activities and overall employee productivity. At the end of the day, healthier, more productive employees have a tremendous impact on company success so understanding the relationship between the two is critical. To shift the paradigm of employee benefit decision makers from being solely focused on cost to being more aware of and focused on investment and then understand the impact that their employee benefit strategy and investment have on employee productivity. This session will provide participants with several current case studies, several new employee benefit strategies and a variety of ways to measure the ROI of their own employee benefit spend.

Panel Moderator:

John Kahle
Chief Wellness Officer, Intercare Insurance Solutions

Panel Speakers:

Christina J. Barrington, Pharm D
Director of Pharmacy Services, Health Alliance Medical Plans, a division of Carle Clinic

Ardis J. Belknap
Human Resources Manager, City of Springfield

Christopher (Chris) M Hogan
Regional Manager, GreatWest Life

Gregg Peterson
Executive Corporate Account Director, Employer Accounts - California, Managed Markets Division, GlaxoSmithKline