Cesare is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Oncoheroes Biosciences Inc., a Boston-based biotech company focused on pediatric oncology drug development. Cesare has more than 20 years of experience in the drug development field, in both scientific and commercial roles. Previously, he held senior positions at AMRI, Aptuit Laurus, ThalesNano and Auxiliis. Cesare started his career as research scientist in a pharmaceutical company (Eisai, London) and in academia (Institute of Enzymology, Budapest).
Following the death of his first daughter Laura to cancer, Cesare set up aPODD Foundation, a London-based charity focused on accelerating paediatric oncology drug development. As aPODD’s chairman he is actively involved on a pro-bono basis in drug repurposing projects, advocacy efforts and research collaborations.
Cesare holds an MSc in Applied Molecular Biology and a PhD in Neurosciences from UCL, University of London, as well as an MBA from the Central European University, Budapest.
For the past 27 years, Darren has developed a well-rounded knowledge and experience with all level of Governments, Industry and First Nations. Starting with working with the Alberta Government from 1998 to 2010, Darren had focused his career in land management, wildfire management, Consultation and Indigenous Litigation. Darren then worked for Cenovus Energy in Stakeholder Relations in 2010, developing an understanding of the oil and gas industry until he was seconded and then hired by his First Nation, Cold Lake First Nations, in 2014. Darren worked in multiple roles at his First Nation, including Executive Advisor to the Chief and Council, Chief Administrative Officer, Consultation Director, and the Lands and Resources Director. In October 2022, Darren started managing both his First Nation’s 100% owned environmental businesses, Nu Nenne Environmental LP and co-managing a newly developed partnership company, Nu Nenne Advisian Environmental LP with Worley Consulting.
With 25 years of experience, Elena has supported 100+ resource and energy projects through her expertise in delivering environmental and social services.
Elena is recognized as an influential figure in the sustainability sector, serving on multiple government and industry leading practice steering committees. Her significant contributions to the field were acknowledged in 2021 when she was voted among the top ten women worldwide working in sustainability by the Transition Economy (TE100).
Elena is a seasoned sustainability leader, who is driven by a passion for creating meaningful impact and positive change. She actively collaborates with industry, government, civil society groups, and affected communities to promote responsible energy and resource development. Her areas of expertise include community engagement, Indigenous participation, environmental and social impact management, as well as environmental approvals.
Dr. Lauria is an environmental consultant with 30 years’ post graduate experience – 25 of those years have been working around the world with Worley. Dr. Lauria provides strategic advice to clients across the globe in support of their sustainability planning, enablement of development, community planning and regulatory advocacy. Dr. Lauria has built and led teams across the globe to collaborate and deliver successful environmental outcomes for industrial developments.
Dr. Lauria has extensive experience in structuring and managing large environmental and social teams for industrial sectors in offshore, onshore, and remote locations. Currently Dr. Lauria heads up Worley Consulting’s global environment and sustainability business.
Dr. Lauria has a degree in Marine Biology with Business from the University of London, and her Ph.D was focused on biophysical interactions in estuarine systems at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton UK. She is passionate about the changing definition of success, the importance of diversity of thought and advocates for industrial projects to be developed with a positive impact to community, biodiversity and water.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed is a strategic life sciences executive and early-stage company builder with a proven track record of bridging scientific rigor with capital-efficient business strategies. He currently serves as the Director of Project & Portfolio Strategy at Greenstone Biosciences, where he directs matrixed, cross-functional workflows to advance discovery pipelines to IND readiness and enables venture spin-outs. Additionally, Dr. Ahmed acts as a Strategic Advisor for Accanito Therapeutics, guiding capital strategy and foundational business operations to transition academic oncology assets into company-sponsored clinical trials.
Deeply embedded in the San Francisco Bay Area venture and academic ecosystem, he is also a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, focusing on integrating advanced methodologies into practical drug development. A recognized thought leader in translational modeling, Dr. Ahmed has published extensively on regulatory modernization and New Approach Methods (NAMs)—including “Clinical Trial in a Dish” frameworks—in leading journals such as Circulation and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Toronto.
Rebecca is an organized and results-driven Global Clinical Development Operations Project and Team Leader with extensive experience in managing complex clinical trial projects, programs, and portfolios across all phases, from early-stage to late-stage development. Her expertise in clinical trial budget management, Agile project management, and cross-functional leadership, enables successful execution of clinical programs with a focus on operational excellence, quality, and regulatory compliance.
She has proven success in:
• Leading global clinical trial operations and developing operational strategies to support clinical program objectives.
• Oversight of CROs, vendors, and clinical sites, ensuring compliance with ICH/GCP, local regulations, and organizational SOPs
• Developing and delivering operational strategies, ensuring budget, timelines, and resource management for large-scale clinical trials
• Driving innovation and adopting AI to optimize clinical operations and accelerate drug development.
• Providing mentorship and fostering team development, creating high-performing teams aligned with corporate strategy.
Dr. Shaily Arora is Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at Menarini Stemline. She is a distinguished global leader in oncology drug development and regulatory science, with more than 20 years of experience spanning industry, government, and academia.
Prior to joining Stemline, Dr. Arora was at AstraZeneca, where she played a pivotal role in shaping global regulatory strategy for the breast cancer portfolio, driving integrated clinical evidence plans to maximize asset value and commercial success across diverse modalities, including antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), biologics, and small molecules.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Arora served at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where she held multiple leadership positions, including Clinical Reviewer for breast and gynecologic malignancies. During her tenure, she was instrumental in advancing key oncology initiatives, including Project Orbis and Project Optimus.
A recognized expert in translating complex regulatory frameworks into actionable clinical development strategies, Dr. Arora is committed to accelerating access to innovative therapies for patients worldwide. She has been honored with the 40 Under 40 Award from CSU East Bay and the Early-Career Alumni Award from the University of California, San Francisco.
