Archives: Speakers

Ratan Ratnesh is a Director and Head of Clinical Outsourcing at Otsuka Pharmaceutical. He received his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, India and an MBA from University of Louisiana. Ratan has broad experience in strategic sourcing, clinical outsourcing, operations and supply chain improvements in Fortune 500 and growth companies. He started his career in management consulting specializing in supply-chain across different industries and moved to clinical outsourcing in early 2000. In Pharmaceutical industry he worked at Wyeth and Novartis prior to joining Otsuka and he has managed different categories related to clinical outsourcing.

Pharmaceutical professional with over 20 years of experience in clinical research, operations, outsourcing and vendor relationship management. Diverse experience in multiple therapeutic areas and various clinical trial phases. Experience leading large cross functional teams and developing supplier governance models.

Associate Director at Merck & Co., Inc. in the Portfolio Sourcing and Relationship Management group within Global Clinical Trial Operations. Currently manages Strategic Functional Service Providers within eight Clinical Development Business Units (areas have included Statistics, Regulatory, Data Management, Global Clinical Monitoring, Clinical Sciences, Medical Writing and Clinical Trial Operations). Began my career as a Study Coordinator for the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Earned a Masters of Public Health from DREXEL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (formerly MCP HAHNEMANN UNIVERSITY), Philadelphia, PA and a duel Bachelor’s degree from Villanova University.

Pierre Corvisier is Global Director of New Services at Hillebrand, the global leading service provider in the forwarding, transport and logistics of wine, spirits, beer and other products that require special care. True wine lover, he has over 35 years of experience in the beer, wine and spirits industry. He held several business development positions in the company, first for France and then at a corporate level for 90 offices. He is now developing logistics solutions with a strong focus on innovation, beverages integrity in shipping and compliancy in sustainability.

Joy Carson is the VP of Clinical Development and Operations at Asklepios Biopharmaceutical (AskBio), where she leads the design and implementation of clinical protocols across indications, and oversees the AskFirst Patient Advocacy program.  With more than 30 years of experience in the design and implementation of clinical trials, she began her career in the Behavioral Neuroscience laboratory at MIT, and has split her experience among academia, sponsors, and CROs.  Currently focused on opportunities using viral vectors in the delivery of gene therapy and vaccines, she also has extensive experience in oncology drug development.  Her experience spans first-in-human through post-registration studies, with study sample sizes from 3 – 500,000.

Ryan Hovda, Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing at Novan, Inc., has ~13 years of Pharmaceutical Industry outsourcing, contracts management, and client/service provider relationship management experience.  Mr. Hovda has represented both service provider and sponsor organization negotiations, beginning his career at Parexel as a pricing analyst and culminating in a contracts departmental leadership position during his tenure there.  Making the switch to sponsor side representation, Mr. Hovda has held leadership roles within the clinical development contracts/vendor management teams at Biogen, Array Biopharma (acquired by Pfizer), and Bioverativ (acquired by Sanofi).  In his current role at Novan, he is responsible for both clinical development outsourcing (encompassing CRO/vendor outsourcing, clinical site contracting, and related financial/relationship management oversight), and also supports pre-clinical, CMC, and other business related contracts and outsourcing activities. Mr. Hovda holds an undergraduate degree in finance, and a MBA from National University.

For 30 years, I have been a serial entrepreneur, starting multiple tech companies. Today, I am adviser to startup companies and venture capital funds, including startups originating at universities. I am a partner in Spectacular Health Ventures, a newly forming venture firm and fund in 2020 that applies advanced technology and modern trends to disruptive health ventures. I am active on the boards of startup companies. I am Chairman of Cloud Pharmaceuticals, a leader in Artificial Intelligence based drug development, located in Research Triangle Park.

I am also a part-time adjunct professor/lecturer of Entrepreneurship, Product Management and Engineering. To that end, my goal is to motivate engineering students to find their passion and create breakthrough products and ventures.

I advise a number ventures including Drug Logic, Parallel Profile, and PolarisQB, as well as some emerging new starts that are under wraps. My approach to venture work is unique. I work for long periods of time incubating new venture projects, but I only work on high quality, promising opportunities.

With a technical background in Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics and Software, and a business background in Life Sciences, Healthcare and SaaS, I started 7 companies, funded 5 of them and exited 3. I have twice been named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by different organizations. I have advised 7 venture capital funds and over 20 early stage ventures. I am a frequent public speaker on entrepreneurship, innovation and new venture work, as well as on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. I have an interdisciplinary technical background acquired through grad school, teaching at universities and advising technical startups. It includes AI, IT, bioinformatics and genomics, HPC, parallel and distributed computing, quantum computing, IoT and drug discovery. The Covid-19 period has shifted my focus to telemedicine, more AI-based drug discovery, and new methods of capital raising.

I hold a BSEE from Virginia Tech, two MS degrees from Johns Hopkins, an MBA from Duke University, and an ‘online’ law degree from Concord Law School at Perdue University. I completed a sabbatical year at MIT in Artificial Intelligence. This eclectic educational background along with my multi-industry experience is uniquely suited to the entrepreneurship, innovation, startup and venture capital worlds, as well as university and industry roles in managing design, innovation programs, and partnerships. I stay current by reading approximately 500 pages per day.

I have worked in the industry for 15+ years, and joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 2011. During my tenure at BI, I managed multiple pivotal Phase 3 trials within the Metabolic, CNS, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory therapeutic areas. In 2018, I took on the role of Global Clinical Operations Integration Lead for Decentralized Clinical Trials. This position coordinates with all other supporting trial enabling functions, as well as, facilitation of educational and change management activities for BI’s clinical research ecosystem.

Tormey has more than 44 years of Sales and Marketing, and Executive experience in the global pharmaceutical market. 2017-2020, Mr. Tormey held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Kibow Biotech, where the company developed product a novel treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease.

Prior to Kibow, he was a Member of the Board, and Vice-Chairman of Prevention Pharmaceuticals Inc, where he previously held the position of President/CEO beginning July 2010.

From 1985 to 1990, Tormey lead Medical/Hospital/Industrial Sales with Wyeth. From 1990 to 2003, Tormey was with Nelson Communications Worldwide. First, as VP at PDN, and then as President of The Medical Phone Company®, and later as President/COO of Nelson Communication’s flagship company, Nelson Professional Sales (later known as Publicis Selling Solutions), Publicis, S.A., Paris.

From 1976 to 1985, Mr. Tormey held Sales & Sales Management positions at Ortho Pharmaceuticals, and then as Director of Sales Staff Management with McNeil CPC (Johnson & Johnson).