4 October 2012 -- The BioIndustry Association (BIA) has today appointed Harren Jhoti and Will West to its Board of Directors at its Annual General Meeting. In addition, Allan Marchington, has been re-appointed to the Board. The new and re-elected Board members will serve from1 January 2013 for a term of two years.
Tim Edwards, BIA Chairman, said:
“I would like to welcome our new Board members and congratulate our re-elected Board member. As a result of these appointments, I believe our Board continues to broaden its outlook and experience, and I look forward to working with them and the BIA team to ensure the UK remains a world-leading location for the life sciences.
“I would also like to thank Andrew Heath and Dominique Klein who are standing down at the end of the year for their service to the BIA and its members.”
The new Board appointments follow the arrival of new BIA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Bates, who joined the BIA in July and presented at the AGM.
Commenting on his first few weeks at the BIA, Steve Bates, BIA Chief Executive Officer, said:
“I am delighted to see there has been a pipeline of new companies joining the BIA during the last 12 months. Companies such as Bicycle Therapeutics Ltd, F Star, Horizon Discovery Ltd, PolyTherics Ltd and Prosonix Ltd represent the next generation of UK bioscience. I am sure that the opportunity provided by the BIA for these companies to interact with our service provider members will help them become successful more quickly.
“Additionally, it is great that global life science players show their support for the UK bioscience sector through their membership of the BIA. To this end I am particularly pleased to welcome AstraZeneca and MSD to the membership in the last twelve months.”
“It is essential for companies wherever they fit in the life sciences ecosystem to join our vibrant association.”
For further information, please contact Robert Winder, Head of Communications, rwinder@bioindustry.org, 020 7630 2191; mobile 07825 942 934.
New BIA Board members:
Harren Jhoti, PhD is President, Astex Pharmaceuticals
Dr Will West is CEO, Cellcentric Ltd
Dr Allan Marchington is Partner, Apposite Capital
BIA UK Bioscience Forum
The UK Bioscience Forum was held on 4 October 2012 at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. More than 300 members of the UK bioscience community attended the event. The event programme, information about the partnering programme, exhibition and Autumn Reception are available from http://www.ukbioscienceforum.org/.
BioIndustry Association
Founded over 20 years ago at the infancy of biotechnology, the BioIndustry Association (BIA) is the trade association for innovative enterprises involved in UK bioscience. Members include emerging and more established bioscience companies; pharmaceutical companies; academic, research and philanthropic organisations; and service providers to the bioscience sector. The BIA represents the interests of its members to a broad section of stakeholders, from government and regulators to patient groups and the media. Our goal is to secure the UK’s position as a global hub and as the best location for innovative research and commercialisation, enabling our world-leading research base to deliver healthcare solutions that can truly make a difference to people’s lives. For further information, please go to www.bioindustry.org
