Archives: Speakers

Hermann is currently Senior Director Global Logistics capabilities at Bristol Myers Squibb and responsible for the Global Strategy, Digital roadmap and Process and System solutions implementation as well as for the Global SAP S4 HANA implementation. Previously he served as the Region Head of EMEA Logistics for Johnson and Johnson and has more than 25 years of experience within the FMCG and Pharma industry. He designed and implemented multiple Industry leading Supply Chain solutions that had been awarded as industry best practice externally and reset the Supply chain standards within the healthcare industry. He is a strong believer in holistic optimization of supply chains to drive value creation while ensuring the Patient and Customer Experience is at the forefront of everything we do.

• Expert in information management and large language model applications
• Manager, Digital Transformation in Supply Chain Management (Pharma)
• Over 30 years of experience in a global industrial environment
• Extensive international track record across the USA, Vietnam, China, and Europe
• Recipient of the 2017 Supply Chain Breakthrough of the Year Award (Crop area)
• Bicultural: French–German background
• Conference speaker on digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and innovation methods

Chitra Sharma is a high-impact biotechnology executive with over 25 years of experience architecting product lifecycles from early-stage development through successful NDA/BLA approvals. A specialist in CMC and global Quality operations, she has pioneered regulatory and development strategies, working for industry titans including Genentech, Roche Bioscience, Cor Therapeutics and Vivus.
Currently, as SVP of Development at Scribe Therapeutics, she integrates breakthrough innovation with operational excellence.

Chitra’s expertise spans a sophisticated portfolio of CRISPR, Cell and Gene Therapy, Biologics and small molecules. Over 13 years as a founder and consultant, she served as a premier bridge between scientific discovery and commercial viability for both Fortune 500 firms and agile startups.
A pragmatic leader with deep technical mastery, Chitra is defined by her ability to scale global operations and build high-performing, compliant organizations that navigate the complexities of international drug development.

Akvile is a Solution Sales Specialist at Medidata, where she works with executive stakeholders to shape enterprise-level data experience strategies for clinical development, supporting sponsors as they transition from siloed outsourcing models to integrated, evidence-driven operating frameworks. Drawing on experience across academia, Medtech and imaging CROs, Akvile engages at the intersection of platform architecture, data governance, and outsourcing strategy, advising clinical operations leaders how data connectivity decisions influence scalability, oversight, and long-term value creation in clinical development.

Andrea Tassone is Global Head of Sustainable Manufacturing at Pernod Ricard, where he leads the transformation of industrial operations to embed sustainability at scale across the Group’s global manufacturing footprint. With extensive experience in ESG strategy, decarbonization, and operational excellence, Andrea drives initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, enhance resource efficiency, and accelerate circularity from raw materials to finished products.

He works closely with operations, engineering, and R&D teams to translate sustainability ambition into measurable impact, supporting Pernod Ricard’s “Good Times from a Good Place” 2030 roadmap. Passionate about pragmatic and scalable solutions, Andrea focuses on aligning environmental performance with business value, helping shape a more resilient and responsible future for the drinks industry.

Izzy brings together experience in climate and nature, food and drinks systems and agriculture, helping organisations accelerate their transition to a more sustainable future. She is currently the Sustainability Manager at Asahi UK, developing their sustainability roadmap and accelerating implementation across the brewing supply chain.

Prior to that, she worked at the World Economic Forum driving their work on Nature Positive Transitions, identifying priority actions for businesses to address nature impacts and build resilience across value chains, and spent 6 months independently researching regenerative farming in the UK. She started her career at Boston Consulting Group, advising clients on climate and sustainability.

Seasoned professional with a strong background in strategic product and business development. Having collaborated with healthcare professionals and patient communities globally for over three decades, her career spans a broad range of therapy areas in diverse sectors including: Virtual Twin Technology, Clinical Trial Software, Contract Research (CRO), Digital and IT Health, Nursing and Social Care, and Medical Device and Pharmaceutical manufacturing. Currently supporting Medical Device and Diagnostics companies in EMEA taking their innovations to markets worldwide and enabled with Dassault Systèmes Virtual Twin and Medidata Clinical Trial technology and expertise.

John Thomas is Vice President of Clinical Operations and Strategic Delivery at 1MED leading global clinical delivery and operational strategies across medical device and IVD programs. With over 20 years of experience leading early-development, pivotal, and post-market clinical investigations, he supports manufacturers in generating compliant, high-quality clinical evidence aligned with evolving Notified Body and regulatory expectations. John is recognized for his pragmatic, structured approach to clinical governance, execution excellence, and regulatory-focused clinical strategy.

Nebojsa Serafimovic is Head of Unit for Clinical Investigations and Performance Studies at the Austrian Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (AGES/BASG).
In this role, he is responsible for the regulatory oversight and assessment of clinical investigations with medical devices and performance studies with in vitro diagnostics and plays a key role in shaping both national and European regulatory processes related to the implementation of the MDR and IVDR. His work includes active involvement in EU-level coordination and harmonisation initiatives, notably as Lead of the EUDAMED Oversight CA Board (CIPS), Co-Lead of the work package on coordinated assessment under MDR Article 78, and Co-Lead in one of the COMBINE projects, focusing on the interface between clinical investigations of medical devices/IVDs and medicinal products.
Previously, he worked at Philips Austria in medical device engineering and at the Medical Response Center. He studied Biomedical Engineering at Graz University of Technology and at the TGM Vienna.
Nebojsa is an active member of the Clinical Investigation and Evaluation Working Group (CIEPSE) and contributes to several European task forces aimed at further developing and harmonising the regulatory framework for clinical investigations in Europe.