Biocom California Appoints New Members to its Board of Directors and Board of Governors

SAN FRANCISCO & LOS ANGELES & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biocom California, the association representing the California life science industry, today announced that it has appointed Neil Bence, Ph.D., vice president and head of oncology discovery at Bristol Myers Squibb, and Connor Bates, vice president and general manager at BD, to its board of governors.

“We carefully select our board members to ensure we consistently have the most dynamic, highly qualified and exceptional leaders in the life science industry on our team to aid us in meeting the evolving needs of California’s biotechnology community,” said Joe Panetta, president and CEO of Biocom California. “I’m fully confident Dr. Bence and Mr. Bates’ talents and depths of experience will prove invaluable as we continue to drive California’s life science industry forward.”

Neil Bence serves as the vice president and head of oncology discovery in Research & Early Development at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he oversees an oncology discovery team at the Oncogenesis Thematic Research Center and serves as site head for the company’s San Diego location. Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Neil served as the head of biology at Nurix Therapeutics in San Francisco, where he oversaw research for multiple oncology and immuno-oncology programs now in clinical development. He also worked at Millennium and Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, helping to advance multiple programs for hematological and solid tumor oncology indications. Neil received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis, and his Ph.D. in biological sciences from Stanford University.

Connor Bates is currently the vice president and general manager at BD Medication Management Solutions, where he leads the development and execution of the company’s global infusion strategy. Earlier in his career, Connor held multiple cross-functional roles including marketing, strategic planning, supply chain management, new product development, process engineering and manufacturing operations. Connor received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Kettering University and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Additionally, Joydeep Ganguly, senior vice president of corporate operations at Gilead Sciences, Julie Gilmore, Ph.D., associate vice president and global head of Lilly Gateway Labs, and Matthew Bresnahan, partner for patents and innovations at Wilson Sonsini have been appointed to Biocom California’s board of directors. All three formerly served on the board of governors.

“The new appointees to our board of directors have demonstrated a consistent track record of excellence in our industry and have contributed greatly as members of our board of governors,” said Panetta. “I look forward to their participation on our board of directors and am certain they will continue to be vital counsel for Biocom California.”

About Biocom California

Biocom California is the leader and advocate for California’s life science sector. We work on behalf of more than 1,700 members to drive public policy, build an enviable network of industry leaders, create access to capital, introduce cutting-edge STEM education programs and create robust value-driven purchasing programs.

Founded in 1995 in San Diego, Biocom California provides the strongest public voice to research institutions and companies that fuel the local and state-wide economy. Our goal is simple: to help our members produce novel solutions that improve the human condition. In addition to our San Diego headquarters, Biocom California operates core offices in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, with satellite offices in Sacramento, Washington, D.C. and Tokyo. Our broad membership benefits apply to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics and diagnostics companies of all sizes, as well as to research universities and institutes, clinical research organizations, investors and service providers.

For more information on Biocom California, please visit our website at www.biocom.org. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter (@BIOCOMCA).

Carolyn Hawley
Evoke Canale
(619) 849-5382
Carolyn.hawley@evokegroup.com