Speaker Biographies

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Stephen Cho is currently Head, Portfolio Strategy & Analytics in Strategy & Growth at Novartis. Stephen and the PS&A group manage the breadth of the Novartis portfolio across Research, Development and Commercial, including in-market brands. His group is responsible for enterprise portfolio governance, portfolio analytics and decision support, executive reporting, portfolio prioritization and review, evolving its portfolio systems to visualize and report out on the Novartis portfolio, and providing a consistent framework for long-term forecasts for in-market and pipeline assets. Stephen joined Novartis in 2012 and served most recently as Global Head of Portfolio Management & Learning in NIBR from 2019 to mid-2022. Previously he held leadership roles in Vaccines & Diagnostics, Pharma Dev, and GDD in Clinical Development, Program Management, and Strategic roles. Prior to joining Novartis, he was at McKinsey & Company where he was a leader in their Pharmaceutical and Medical Products practice, and earlier in his career, Stephen was medicinal chemistry lab head/project leader at Pfizer and a medicinal chemist at Eli Lilly & Company, where he made significant contributions to discovery and development of 5 clinical candidates and 2 marketed products across neuroscience, metabolic disorders and infectious disease areas. Stephen has a PhD in organic chemistry from Stanford University, where he studied under Prof. Barry M. Trost, and a BS degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan.

Starting as a PhD academic bench scientist and professor, Paul transitioned to the life science industry consultant and program management leader working on business process projects and product development from research to commercialization. His passion is in the transition space between research and development where companies need to shape their vision and strategy. In his spare time, Paul enjoys triathlons, coffee, and music.

Thomas De Vis, originally from Beerse, Belgium, has forged a dynamic career path marked by a fusion of academic achievements and professional milestones. Graduating with a Bio-Engineering degree from the Catholic University of Leuven in 1999, Thomas embarked on a journey through academia, earning certifications such as APICS's Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and pursuing specialized studies at esteemed institutions like VLERICK Management School and ENSAT. Since March 2019, Thomas has been an instrumental figure at Johnson & Johnson, serving as an Associate Director in the Portfolio, Resource, and Performance Management (PRP) department. Here, he oversees the intricate resource management of expansive portfolios, showcasing his adeptness in orchestrating data-driven methodologies and implementing artificial intelligence tools to drive transformative initiatives. Prior to his current role, Thomas held the position of Associate Director in the PMO Operational Planning and Strategy (OPS) division, where he spearheaded strategic planning processes and led business intelligence initiatives, fostering substantial cost savings and operational efficiencies. Thomas's journey with Johnson & Johnson commenced in 2005, where he began as a Manager in the DPDS Clinical Supplies Unit (CSU), progressively ascending through the ranks while leaving an indelible mark through his leadership in supply chain optimization and cross-departmental collaborations. Before joining Johnson & Johnson, Thomas contributed his expertise to Inbev as a Production & Capacity Planner and gained valuable experience at Nestlï France, where he worked on system projects within the logistics department. Beyond his professional endeavors, Thomas finds fulfillment in his familial roles as a devoted husband and father of two. His leisure pursuits, including cycling and football, reflect his active lifestyle, while his commitment to community and environment is evident through his involvement in initiatives like the creation of a food forest and coaching his daughter's hockey team. Additionally, his passion for music shines through his role as a pianist, where he brings joy to individuals with mental disabilities through his performances. Thomas De Vis epitomizes a harmonious blend of professional excellence, personal enrichment, and altruistic endeavors, shaping a narrative defined by resilience, innovation, and compassion.

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Caroline Dewing is the Head of Portfolio Planning at Ionis Pharmaceuticals. In this dynamic role, she is responsible for driving prioritization of the expansive research and development portfolio and representing the portfolio perspective in governance and decision making. She has been the driving force behind multiple change management initiatives and creation of new teams and functions. Her work at Ionis, in her current and prior roles, spans portfolio optimization, risk assessment and management, lifecycle planning, forecasting and valuations, commercial assessments, and portfolio and product analytics and strategy. Prior to Ionis, she served as Chief of Staff to the COO at Akcea Therapeutics and was previously an Associate Principal at ClearView Healthcare Partners, a life-sciences strategy consulting firm. Caroline holds a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from Yale University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Michael Ferrante is the Executive Director, Business Analytics, Global Regulatory and Clinical Safety (GRACS) within Merck Research Labs. In this role, Mike is responsible for tracking and analyzing time reporting effort, forecasting resources for 1-5 years, prioritizing the portfolio, and aligning metrics and analytical tools for the 2500-person global organization. Mike was most recently Head, R&D Business Capabilities, at Bristol Myers Squibb in Princeton, where he led the R&D project, portfolio, clinical study management and headcount planning capabilities. Before joining BMS, he served as Managing Director of Consulting Solutions at YourEncore. Mike previously worked at Merck, where he was Senior Director, Business Operations, supporting clinical grants planning and budgeting, functional objectives development and execution, and strategic analysis for global clinical development and regulatory. He also led R&D operations for Merck’s subsidiary in Japan. Mike earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He lives in Cranbury, New Jersey, with his wife Deanna and have two grown children.

Stuart Fort is Senior Director in the Project Management Strategy and Capabilities group with 34 years of experience at Eli Lilly and Company. His career spans process development, technical leadership, capacity and strategic resource management, resource modeling, and project/portfolio reporting and analysis. He earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Indiana and holds a CPIM certification from APICS.

After graduating with a BA in Biology, Sean briefly taught Biology and Physical Science at Kensington High School in the School District of Philadelphia. He then went on to join the Bioprocess and Bioanalytical Research department at Merck & Co., Inc. where he spent almost eight years working in the field of Vaccine R&D working on projects such as GARDASIL, RECOMBIVAX, VAQTA, and several pre-clinical vaccine candidates. In 2008 Sean completed both his MS and MBA at Drexel University and made the leap from Bench-to-Business joining the Resource and Decision Management team in the Merck PMO. In 2012, Sean moved to the PMO at Janssen R&D where he increased his breadth of PM knowledge across multiple disciplines and now leads a team of Capacity Managers. Sean and his wife Kim spend most of their time outside of work hiking and fishing with their two beagles Isaac and Linus.

Accomplished finance and operations professional with 18 years of experience partnering to drive value through reporting and analytics, financial planning and analysis, resource management, external partnership capability builds, and R&D governance. Expertise spans across FP&A, strategic finance, accounting, project finance, clinical trial forecasting and program management. Proven history implementing capabilities that drive value creation, business outcomes and cost savings. Demonstrated ability to build and lead high performing teams and knowledge of the drug development process.

Elayne Ko has 20 years of experience in applying decision analysis process, tools, and methodologies to facilitate investment decision-making under risks and uncertainties. Her work focuses primarily in the pharmaceutical industry; in particular, drug development decisions, long-term planning, and disease area/portfolio prioritization. She has worked with R&D teams to develop business case recommendations, and with senior management who makes investment funding decisions. Elayne has gained experience - in consulting and in corporate settings - across several industries including healthcare information technology, oil & gas, and mining.

Christopher Larson is Director of Portfolio Program Management at AbbVie. Christopher has diverse experience in program management, portfolio analytics, decision science and finance. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Finance at Tilburg University. His presentation is based on original PhD research focusing on R&D organizational choices and innovation performance in the biopharmaceutical industry.

As Associate Director Capacity Management at J&J, I act as a trusted advisor for senior leadership in delivering business insights related to capacity management and resource utilization to drive strategic decision-making. With a background in Strategic Partnerships spanning 3.5 years, I've honed my skills in fostering collaborative relationships and identifying synergistic opportunities. My passion lies in maximizing operational efficiency by leveraging internal strengths and strategic alliances.

Leslie Lippard joins us from Alnylam, where she is Senior Director, Portfolio Analytics. Leslie has been working in the portfolio space since 1995. Prior to Alnylam, she was part of Genentech’s research and early development pipeline and portfolio planning group in San Francisco. She has a broad background in the pharma portfolio space, and has consulted at Pfizer, Amgen, Abbott/Abbvie, Genentech, JNJ, and Mallinckrodt Medical. She’s also worked in market research, collecting information used to support portfolio and other decision making, founded two successful companies to provide those services, and has worked in project management at Intermune. She’s currently the President of the Society for Decision Professionals, and a frequent contributor to the Decision Analysis Affinity Group Conference. She has been involved in the leadership of the San Francisco Chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and looks forward to becoming involved in the HBA in Boston. She has a BS in Physics from Caltech and an MBA from the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!). Outside of work, you are most likely to find Leslie exploring Boston on foot with binoculars and a sketchpad or in the pool swimming laps.

As Global Head of R&D Strategy and Portfolio Management Helen is responsible for managing Sanofi’s innovative portfolio across R&D Pharma and Vaccines. Helen and her team lead the end-to-end strategic portfolio business transformation, which enables portfolio trade-off decisions and improves strategic planning at a corporate level. Helen joined Sanofi in 2021 as Head of Portfolio Decision Resources to lead a business transformation in portfolio decision making for R&D. In June 2022, she was promoted to Head of R&D Portfolio Strategy where she has pioneered the use of AI to drive portfolio strategy and co-developed an AI powered decision intelligence tool for R&D with Ailylabs. Prior to joining Sanofi, Helen held positions of increasing responsibility at GSK for nearly 15 years leading teams working on commercial insights and valuation assessment, portfolio strategy, investment and prioritization, and clinical development and commercialization strategy. Before working in healthcare, Helen started her career at McKinsey & Co. Helen holds a PhD in Biophysical Chemistry from Yale University.

Dr. Mike Myers has worked >30 years in pharma and has spent his career contributing to the discovery and development of new drugs. He is an inventor on 35 patents and has led teams in the pursuit of innovative treatments for cancer, CNS, infectious and cardiovascular disease. Mike is currently Sr. Director LRL Project Management - Due Diligence and is involved in Lilly’s activities as part of the larger External Innovation team.

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Mary Lou Panzano is founder and CEO of Panzano Enterprises, where she focuses on helping leaders prosper in times of change and beyond. She is a communications executive with over 30 years of experience leading successful programs to support transformational change initiatives at global companies. She served as vice president, internal communications at Bayer, and held senior communications roles and Pfizer and Prudential. Today, she is a highly-sought-after speaker, coach, and author. Her 4Cs Change Framework and article series, “The 11 Principles of Prosperity,” are change-maker success essentials.

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Charles Persinger is an Executive Director in R&D Strategy at Eli Lilly and leads their Decision Sciences group. He joined Lilly after receiving his MBA from Duke University. Charles has over 20 years of experience helping enable organization decision quality at Lilly, with a focus on drug development and portfolio management decisions within Research and Development. He and the Decision Science team at Lilly work directly with decision-makers and drug development teams to enable decision quality across the R&D organization through a combination of direct decision consulting, developing and enabling decision processes, and education efforts.

Peter is a life sciences executive with a unique perspective on the R&D productivity and sustainability challenges facing biopharma companies at different stages of their evolution, and deep knowledge of the enterprise capabilities needed to address them. He has extensive experience in translating data and analytics into value-creating and optimizing strategies at the asset, franchise, and portfolio level, and he is an expert in characterizing and assessing risk and uncertainty. He has led process and organizational redesign efforts, integrating and collaborating across functions to improve both the speed and quality of decisions.

Alex most recently served as Associate Director, Business Capability at Jazz Pharmaceuticals. He also leads the process development and business engagement for Jazz’s project planning tools, including Planisware™, Box™ and PMO Tableau™ reports. He is responsible for managing capacity planning data outputs for all functions in R&D. Capacity Planning data supports functions by identifying bottlenecks, estimating increased effort for new projects, and headcount planning. It also supports Project Teams by bringing transparency to cross-functional effort, as a quality check on the project plan, and supports overall project cost estimation. This data is also highly leveraged by Governance to plan R&D headcount and prioritize work across departments. Prior to joining Jazz, Alex supported many functions across Bristol Myers-Squibb in their use of Planisware. From leveraging the Ideation module to support study planning in Medical Affairs to Resource Management algorithm support to foundational project planning support, BMS is where he gained his foundational Planisware experience. Prior to that he validated drug packaging rooms, equipment, materials, and processes at Xerimis. This was his first experience in pharmaceutical development and where he discovered how much he enjoys working in the drug industry. Alex earned a B.A. in Pure Mathematics from Rutgers University, Camden and an M.E. in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He lives in Burlington City, New Jersey with his wife, Colleen and their two sons, Leo and Max.

Michelle Shogren, CEO of Innovate In What You Do! LLC boasts 25+ years in clinical research, beginning as a patient participant. Her journey led her through roles in nursing, monitoring clinical trials, and a pivotal tenure at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Michelle's innovation-driven career culminated in founding her own innovation company in 2022. She's passionate about revolutionizing clinical trials, promoting user voice, and fostering innovation in healthcare.

Joe Stalder, PharmD, PMP, is Vice President of Project Management at Zentalis in San Diego, CA, co-founder of Groundswell Pharma Consulting, and editor of the book "Project Management for Drug Developers." Joe has over 10 years of project management experience in pharmaceutical development in large and small companies. His experience includes Project Management department head, PMO head, and Lead Project Manager on several early- and late-stage development assets in oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, metabolism, and pulmonology. Joe is also a regular speaker at biopharma PPM conferences and is involved in biopharma PPM community organizations including PIPMG and BiopharmaPM.

Gary Summers is a Director of Oncology Portfolio Decision Sciences at GSK, where he applies decision analysis to drug development. Complimenting this work, Dr. Summers studies how uncertainty impacts decision-making. His paper, “Friction and Decision Rules in Portfolio Decision Analysis,” won the 2021 Clemen-Kleinmuntz Best Paper Award. Dr. Summers earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Management Science from Northwestern University.

Mr. Dan Tierno has over 25 years of experience in portfolio management, drug development, mHealth, clinical trial design, big data and cell and gene therapy. Mr. Tierno has spoken on training scientists for rare disease therapeutic development, innovations in cell and gene therapeutic development and defining and generating value via portfolio management. Mr. Tierno holds his Honors MBA from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, and his MA in Biotechnology from Columbia University.

Greg leads the Decision Sciences Group (DSG) at AbbVie. DSG enables clarity of action through economic analysis, insights, and facilitative leadership for its business partners dealing with complex issues and trade-offs. Greg advises AbbVie’s senior R&D leaders on portfolio and resource investments. He has over 25 years’ experience in the pharma and medtech industry, with prior roles in drug development, program management, corporate strategy, and business integrations. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Mel serves as the business owner for Jazz's enterprise project & resource management system, Planisware™. His team is responsible for the drug development project management process, the “functional book of work,” resource forecasting in support of the annual and portfolio processes. This is achieved by advocating the development and adoption of business processes and tool enhancements that promote and support good project management practices, accurate resource forecasting informed by timecard data. Prior to joining Jazz, Mel served as Planisware business owner at BMS, were he led his team in standardizing the project, resource management and time tracking processes across 5 therapeutic areas, reducing the budget cycle process by 30% while increasing transparency and accuracy of dates and forecasts. At Merck, he led the preclinical functional planning teams. He served as a Senior management consultant for PricewaterhouseCooper (PWC) and managed the pharmaceutical development technology transfer team to successfully introduce 3 new products at Barceloneta, Puerto Rico for Abbott Labs. Mel earned a B.S. in Pharmacy from Rutgers University and a MBA from Columbia Business School. He lives in Yardley, Pennsylvania with his wife, Stephanie, and their two daughters, Sophia and Olivia.