Archives: Speakers

Leslie Pibouleau works as a policy officer in the European Commission in the Unit of the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) in charge of the State of Health, the European Semester, and Health Technology Assessment. Leslie is a biomedical engineer by background with a PhD in public health on statistical methods for medical devices. She has been working on medical devices and their clinical evaluation in many different capacities since 2000, both in the private and the public sector: Medtech companies, Contract Research Organisations, the French HTA body (Haute Autorité de Santé), the European Medicines Agency where she kickstarted the work of the expert panels secretariat as well as the European Commission where she currently works on the implementation of the HTA Regulation.

Sophie graduated from the University of Liverpool with a BSc in Biological Sciences in 2022. She has since completed a master’s in Clinical Drug Development at University College London, where she undertook a dissertation looking at the differences in the clinical presentation between adults and pediatrics with systemic lupus erythematosus. Following on from this, Sophie has a strong interest in the medical sectors. 

Ben Franks FRSA is a former wine journalist turned entrepreneur, best known for founding the award-winning wine merchant Novel Wines and co-founding Canned Wine Group, where today he is CCO and wine buyer. Ben was named ‘Leadership Champion’ and listed in Harper’s 30 Under 30 in 2024 and has been described as ‘a shining example of the entrepreneurial spirit’ by The Buyer and a ‘visionary entrepreneur’ by the IEWA. Alongside his own businesses, Ben is an investor and advisor to other wine and spirits brands, particularly those looking to launch in the UK market. Since 2020 he has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, recognising his work in start-ups and entrepreneurship.

Martin Jarvis is a buying manager passionate about driving sustainable innovation in the food industry. With a strong focus on ethical sourcing, Martin combines strategic thinking with creative problem-solving to deliver solutions that reduce environmental impact while enhancing product quality and brand value. He champions collaboration with suppliers to foster transparency, resilience, and long-term sustainability, ensuring that innovation aligns with both consumer expectations and global responsibility.

Nicole Honigman is a proactive clinical research leader with 13+ years of experience driving Phase IIa–IV trials from feasibility through close-out across global and local settings. She currently serves as Global Study Director at AstraZeneca, where she leads cross-functional teams, oversees outsourced delivery, and steers study planning, risk‑based quality management, and inspection readiness to meet timelines, budgets, and quality standards. Previously at Alexion (AZ RDU), she led country operations and global monitoring oversight, optimizing startup, recruitment, vendor management, and CRA resourcing across complex rare disease programs. Nicole’s therapeutic expertise spans hematology, nephrology, neurology, bone metabolism, rheumatology, gastrointestinal, metabolic diseases, oncology, and infectious disease, with recent emphasis on cardiovascular trials. She is trained in project management, and recognized for disciplined TMF governance, KPI-driven performance management, and effective stakeholder communication.

Joana Claverol , is the Clinical Research Director at Barcelona Children’s Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Spain, where she leads the clinical trials office since 2012 and the Patients engagement in research area since 2015. The Clinical Research Unit is a reference unit for pediatric patients nationally and internationally, specializing in innovative treatments for highly complex patients with rare pediatric diseases. She has more than 13 years of experience in medical and clinical research in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, with special knowledge and experience in drug development and clinical trial design, and all regulatory and methodological aspects related to clinical research. She holds a postgraduate in Senior Management Program of Health Institutions by IESE Business School, a Master in Pharmaceutical Marketing by Universitat Pompeu Fabra, a Master of clinical trials at Universitat de Barcelona and a BS Degree in Biological Sciences by Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.