Chris Takimoto, MD, PhD, is the Global Chief Medical Officer of The START Center for Cancer Research. Chris has worked in oncology drug development for over three decades. He has extensive experience in early phase oncology trials both as a clinical investigator and as an industry sponsor.
Before joining START, Chris was the CMO for IGM Biosciences, a clinical stage, public biotechnology company, and he also was a Senior Vice President in Oncology at Gilead Sciences. Prior to that, he was the CMO at Forty Seven, Inc., a biotechnology company that was acquired by Gilead in 2020, and he was also a Vice President at Johnson & Johnson/Janssen R&D overseeing Oncology Experimental Medicine Early Development.
Chris was one of the original Phase 1 Investigators at START when it was founded in 2007, and he has held faculty positions at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, the National Cancer Institute, and the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. He completed fellowships in Medical Oncology and Clinical Pharmacology, and he is a graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine where he received his MD and a PhD in Pharmacology. Chris also holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Stanford University.
Jonathan Pearson is an experienced regulator at the Financial Conduct Authority. He has spent over 25 years in financial services regulation working in a variety of functions including Strategy, Supervision, Competition and most recently Policy. Currently, he holds the position of Head of Department for Consumer Policy and Outcomes, with his remit including the Consumer Duty – and particularly supporting firms and consumers in realising the benefits of the Duty, as well as co-ordinating the FCA’s work on vulnerability and financial inclusion.
Samantha is a financial services executive and NED with 360-degree experience spanning tier-one banks, prominent fintechs and major regulators.
Her most recent role at Lloyds Banking Group saw her leading the strategic direction on payments and delivering critical enterprise services including payment schemes, liquidity, settlement and policy compliance.
At the Financial Conduct Authority, Samantha oversaw payments supervision and the regulator’s Innovate agenda. Prior to this, she held several senior positions in NatWest driving digital innovation, strategy and change in transaction services.
Samantha served on the Board of Swift SC, becoming its Deputy Chair, and has also worked with newer fintechs including Form3 and Fnality.
A constructive and impactful voice for industry evolution, Samantha is the WIBF UK Leadership Council member for AI, Tech, Digital and previously chaired the UK Finance National Payments Vision work. Samantha champions action to unlock the economic opportunity of DEI, ensuring sustainable, risk-managed growth for firms and economies alike.
I’m in the compressed air industry for 29 years, and at AF compressors for 19 years.
Always focus on energy saving and energy efficiency.
Dr. Forte Soto is an MHRA-accredited Principal Investigator with over 25 years of experience in clinical practice and research. As Director of Safety Human Pharmacology at Parexel’s London Early Phase Clinical Unit, he has led or contributed to more than 200 Phase I/II studies, including first-in-human trials, drug-drug interaction studies, bioequivalence, thorough QT, biosimilars, and proof-of-concept research.
His therapeutic expertise spans CNS, immunology, cardiovascular, metabolism, respiratory, and dermatology. Dr. Forte Soto holds a medical degree from the University of Central Venezuela, an MSc in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Aberdeen, and a DPhil in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of London. He completed postdoctoral training at the William Harvey Research Institute and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (FFPM).
Jose Garcia is a Growth Director at Ai Palette, focused on enabling CPG companies to accelerate innovation through data-driven, AI-powered solutions. With a strong passion for helping brands succeed in an increasingly dynamic consumer landscape, he works with leading CPG companies to modernise how they identify opportunities, develop products, and bring innovations to market.
With a strong track record of driving impact across global brands, Jose has supported organisations in transforming their innovation and go-to-market capabilities at scale. At Ai Palette, he is responsible for building and sustaining strategic relationships with many of the largest players across the CPG space, such as Diageo, Mondelez, Suntory, and Nestlé, ensuring they continuously derive value from AI-led consumer insights and remain competitive in a fast-evolving market.
JJ Delgado is a digital strategy and innovation leader, currently serving as General Manager of MOVE (Hijos de Rivera / Estrella Galicia), where he drives new business models across eCommerce, AI, and at-home consumption. He has led global initiatives at companies such as Amazon, including the largest international sales day in the company’s history. A cum laude PhD in digital economy and member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors, he combines strategic vision, technology, and consumer psychology to help companies and leaders become truly irreplaceable in the age of artificial intelligence.
26 years of experience in conducting and leading global Phase II-IV studies in different therapeutic areas with the past 5+ years in Oncology space and working with small to medium sized Biotech’s in leading studies in Phase-I / FIH. Extensive experience in driving study deliveries, third party vendor management, portfolio level partnerships, and people management.
