Archives: Speakers

Michaela Appelbee-Miedl

Michaela holds a Dipl.-Ing. degree Brewing and Beverage Technology from the Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephan and a PhD in Brewing from Heriot Watt University, Scotland. Michaela is finalizing her EMBA Master thesis “Exploring success factors of Women in Leadership”. She received the Institute of Brewing and Distilling ‘Young Brewer of the Year Award’ in 2008 and the ‘IBD Cambridge Prize’ in 2010 for “outstanding academic achievements in brewing science”. Following internships and academic exchange programs at UC Davis (USA), Griffith University and Carlton United Breweries (Australia) Michaela commenced her brewing industry career in the UK with Molson-Coors as Innovation Manager and then as Supply Chain lead for the Molson-Coors International business. In 2011 she joined SABMiller to lead the regional technical Innovation agenda in Europe. In 2016 Michaela joined AB-InBev as Global Director leading the technology development for non-alcoholic beer and beverages, by-product valorization and various start-ups within the AB-InBev business. Since July 2020 Michaela leads the AB-InBev Zone Innovation and Technology Center with responsibility for product, process, and packaging optimization and innovation for beer and beyond beer in Europe. Since 2015 Michaela is the Chair of the IBD International Section and has developed the IBD Masterclass format to provide trusted knowledge to IBD members across Europe

William De Vijlder

William De Vijlder is the Group Chief Economist of BNP Paribas. He began his career in the Economic Research Department at Belgium’s Generale Bank in 1987 and became Chief Investment Strategist in the Asset Management division in 1989. He was subsequently Managing Director and Global Chief Investment Officer at Fortis Investments. When Fortis Investments merged with BNP Paribas Investment Partners in 2010, he became a member of the Executive Committee of BNP Paribas Investment Partners as CIO Partners and Alternative Investments and subsequently CIO Strategy and Partners. In September 2013, he was appointed Vice Chairman of BNP Paribas Investment Partners. Since September 2014 he is Group Chief Economist of BNP Paribas.

Kathlyn Tilley

Kathlyn Tilley is Director of Business Development for Nucleus Network, Australia’s largest Phase 1 clinical research organization and the only Phase 1 specialist globally with facilities in the USA and Australia.  She has over 15 years of experience working in the CRO industry, supporting clinical development efforts in the US, China, and Australia.  Kathlyn has successfully served clients in biotech, pharma, and academic institutions to discover the strategy and tools they need to reach their clinical development milestones.  Kathlyn holds a BS in Biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and MS in Clinical Research Management from Drexel University.

Tommaso Bonciani

Tommaso is an industrial biotechnologist with a PhD from the University Modena and Reggio Emilia where he researched intraspecific hybridization to produce novel winemaking yeast strains. After several years of research into the practical aspects of biotransformation, including aroma and flavour development, in alcohol, lactic or acetic fermentations, and a string of peer-reviewed papers behind him, he joined the AEB Group, in 2017. The focus of his responsibilities today is leading AEB’s NEXT business unit to drive eco-biotechnologies in cross-category beverage innovation. These include new ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol beverages with enhanced taste, novel fermented drinks, and functional RTDs, as well as low and no alcohol, less sugar, and fewer calorie variants.

Helen Yeardley

Helen Yeardley is Global Clinical Operations Head at ICON. In this role, she oversees the timely and quality delivery of a team of approximately 4,000 staff in areas including clinical and hub monitoring, clinical risk management and trial master file services. With over 25 years’ experience in monitoring and managing clinical trials, in both CROs and large pharma companies, Helen has held numerous senior positions in the areas of feasibility, site identification and start-up, clinical trial management and project management. She started her career as a CRA, and her therapeutic background is oncology as well as internal medicine.

Helen is also actively involved in ICON’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging operations, with a particular focus on the company’s Disability Awareness Network, DAWN. DAWN is one of ICON’s community groups and is focused on developing and fostering a mind-set towards creating an inclusive workplace and working environment where everyone is treated equally with respect and dignity, irrespective of any visible or hidden disabilities.

Brittany Maley

Brittany Maley has more than 16 years of experience in customer service, instructional design, and research, working in the pharmaceutical industry for the last seven years. Along with her experience in gathering insights to enhance recruitment and retention, she uses her degrees in education and educational technology, and instructional design to bring the patient voice to clinical trials using creative and innovative methods.

Stephen M. Brandao

Steve Brandao has spent more than 30 years in research and development.  His experience includes time with a major pharmaceutical company, work with two leading SMO’s, and business development positions with large global CRO’s, a medical device CRO, and an EDC technology company.  He is currently the US Regional Director of Business Development for Novotech, an Asia-Pacific centered CRO with global capabilities.  Steve has a graduate degree in psychology and worked as a psychotherapist before starting his career in biopharma research and development.