Archives: Speakers

Clinical Operations and research professional with 5 years of clinical research experience, including greater than one year of experience in the biotechnology sector and multiple years leading trials and teams at academic medical research centers. I leverage my deep understanding of the patient journey and site-level operations to bring a site- and patient-centeric perspective to sponsor-side clinical trial execution, driving high-quality studies delivered on time, on budget, and with meaningful impact.

Steering the helm for biotechs at Danforth Advisors, my strategic procurement proficiency shapes the landscape of clinical development. With a laser focus on sourcing strategy and risk mitigation, my contribution has been pivotal in advising organizations through critical transitions, including mergers and acquisitions. The expertise I honed while advising on operational growth strategies and variabilizing workforces underscores my current mission to optimize our clients’ partnerships and exit strategies.

My tenure as a Senior Director at Danforth Advisors cultivated a deep understanding of clinical sourcing, from preclinical and translational stages to real-world evidence and late-phase data analysis. This comprehensive background facilitates my current role, where I’m committed to advancing sourcing of trials & digital health through robust supplier and stakeholder engagement, thereby empowering the acceleration of our clients’ portfolio growth and fostering strategic partnerships.

Réne Stephens is a biopharmaceutical research and development industry consultant with over 25 years of business operations and outsourcing experience. He has worked within pharmaceutical, CRO, SMO, medical imaging, academic CRO, and EDC companies, and private consultation. Réne understands the critical path of development and has a wealth of experience in outsourcing/procurement strategies, practices and negotiations, vendor relationship management, oversight and governance, clinical operations, finance, contracting, process development and improvement, and technology solutions. He holds a BA in Corporate & Organizational Communications (WKU), and an MSHS in Clinical Research Administration (GWU). While at Astellas Pharma Global Development as Executive Director and global head of Contracts & Outsourcing, Réne also served as the Global Procurement Lead for TransCelerate Biopharma, Inc., acting on behalf of and supporting the 20 biopharmaceutical company consortium for vendor selection, negotiation, and governance. He is the former moderator for the quarterly Linking Leaders Outsourcing Roundtable meeting, where current issues are discussed among development outsourcing heads; and, he is a regular speaker at conferences and symposia on business operations topics as related to drug development, outsourcing, vendor and site contracting, and oversight/governance. Since 2017, he has been supporting biopharmaceutical companies in this function as the Managing Member and founder of Renatus Consulting, LLC.

A business professional who has served as an executive officer in both privately held and publicly traded companies, an investment banker and a corporate attorney. Demonstrated experience in all aspects of financial and business management, strategy and operations including operations management, strategic planning, technology outlicensing, legal, mergers and acquisitions, IPO’s, private placements, finance and accounting, facilities, human resources, IT systems and corporate communications.

Specialties: As CFO raised over $2 billion in equity and debt financings for emerging public and private companies
Designed and executed financial and corporate development strategies
Built and managed operational departments including finance and accounting, human resources, facilities, corporate communications and information systems
Worked as both an investment banker and corporate attorney

Behtash Bahador is the Senior Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships at the non-profit organization CISCRP, and holds a Master of Science in Health Communication from the Tufts University School of Medicine. Since 2014, he has collaborated with a range of stakeholder groups to establish and implement patient- and public-centric initiatives across the life-cycle of drug and treatment development. This has included supporting the development of regulatory and cross-disciplinary best practice guidelines, operationalizing key elements of evidence-based public health programing into research engagement activities, and always keeping the needs of patients, participants and the public at the forefront of his work.

I am interested in acting as an entrepreneur to create companies that can build cultures and products that change the world. I am a versatile player willing to take on many different positions because of my background in both technology (chemistry, biology, software) and business. I prefer the role of visionary and to work to build a team, culture, product, and partnerships. I like the challenge of creating innovative solutions to hard underserved problems.

I am currently focused on my start-up ventures including Graticule (Digital accelerators for Advanced real world data), Courage Therapeutics (medical discovery for eating disorders), and advocacy work towards improving research, treatment, and payment for Anorexia Nervosa.

Molly James is the Associate Director of Strategic Sourcing at Beam Therapeutics. In this role she manages all vendors and leads strategic partnerships for the development organization within Beam. She has over 10 years of experience in strategic sourcing and vendor management within the pharmaceutical industry.