Conference speakers
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Patrick Aisher Kinled Holding LimitedPatrick AisherChairman of Kinled Holding Limited
Bio
Patrick is Chairman of Kinled Holding Ltd and Danube BioVentures and sits on the boards of multiple innovative companies. Rooted in a rich commercial history, Kinled has curated a portfolio of over 175 investments culminating in numerous successful exits and 22 IPOs. Kinled is dedicated to identifying and nurturing groundbreaking opportunities in the life science, digital, and financial technology sectors and is based in Hong Kong, with offices in Switzerland and Austria.
Patrick Aisher and Kinled collectively represent more than three decades of life science investing across venture capital, incubators and direct company building. Financial Times’ Sifted has described Kinled as a “patient capital” investor, focused on long-term value creation and recognised as one of Europe’s most active family-owned healthcare investors. Other industry media have characterised Kinled as a hidden champion.
In 2021 Aisher established CEBINA Bridge Capital Limited, trading as Danube BioVentures, to fund DanubeLabs, a BRIDGE (Biomedical Research, Innovation & Development Generation Efficiency) program that combines CEBINA’s academic innovation network with Evotec’s drug discovery expertise, to accelerate academic research projects toward spin-out company formation or pharmaceutical licensing. The programme focuses on therapies, biomarkers and diagnostics addressing infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, oncology and neurodegeneration. After assessing more than 300 projects, ten have received funding, with two already spun out into venture-backed companies. -
Sameh AbadirSameh AbadirProfessor of Leadership and Negotiation at IMD
Bio
Sameh Abadir's fields of expertise are negotiation, conflict management, crisis management and leadership. Before his academic career, he served in the Egyptian Special Forces and was an executive at a large multinational, and his military and corporate experience brings a unique perspective to his teaching.
Abadir says everything is subject to negotiation in the modern business world, so negotiation skills are vital, but many managers often fall into some common traps. These include being overoptimistic, overconfident or arrogant, and going into negotiations believing that you have to reach a deal. People who assume they have to close a deal set themselves up for a poor deal, he argues. Another mistake is to think that negotiation is a zero-sum game in which one side wins and the other loses, which misses the point that the process is about increasing the size of the pie and can therefore have a win-win outcome. Some negotiators also make the error of believing that the other party is out to get them, whereas both sides are quite reasonably looking to create and capture value.
In crisis management situations, leaders need a team with a range of skills, including not just people who are innately smart but also those who have made the behavioural choice to be emotionally smart by being kind and humble. In crisis negotiations, you need a team that is able to combine being confident, humble, smart and kind at the same time, he says.
Abadir believes that the role of a leader has changed fundamentally and that those who fail to grasp are probably wrongly under the illusion that they are in control. Vertical hierarchical organizational structures have given way to complex systems in which people are working in teams in different locations around the globe and communicating in a language that is not their mother tongue, so the old way of giving orders on the shop floor has gone. Leaders therefore have to accept that they cannot control everything and find a new way of managing, he says.
Abadir advises companies on negotiations and runs negotiation workshops in English, French and Arabic. He has recently directed custom programs for Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Jerónimo Martins, ArcelorMittal and Merck, and is Co-Director of IMD's signature Orchestrating Winning Performance (OWP) and Negotiating for Value Creation (NVC) open programs. -
Helen Chen L.E.K. ConsultingHelen ChenGreater China Managing Partner |Head of Asia Healthcare at L.E.K. Consulting
Leveraging “China Speed” to Enhance Pipelines and Accelerate Inflection Points for European Biopharmas
The numbers coming out of China have been staggering: one-third of the global innovative molecules, 2500 annual clinical trial starts, US$1bn of announced China-outbound transactions, just to name a few. The big pharmas and financial sponsors have jumped on this bandwagon, seemingly announcing $7-, $8- or even $9-digit deals every other week.
Instead of competing with this tide, European biopharmas can also tap into this source of innovation to build pipelines and to accelerate the clinical development timelines. Find out what is real and what is hype, and how to get started in evaluating and acting upon the opportunities presented by the built out of the Chinese innovative ecosystem.
Bio
Helen Chen is Global Sector Co-Head for Healthcare, Head of Asia Healthcare and a Greater China Managing Partner of L.E.K. Consulting based in Shanghai. Helen has over 30 years of consulting and industry experience in the U.S. and Asia markets and has lived in China since 2000. She helps companies expand their presence in China and Asia, and leverages Asia’s innovation to improve their global businesses. Helen was named one of Consulting magazine’s Global Leaders in Consulting in 2019.
Prior to joining L.E.K., Helen was an associate director of finance at Genentech (now Roche) and a sales planner at Abbott Laboratories (now Abbvie). Helen has an honors B.A. degree in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University. -
Tim Dyer Addex Therapeutics LtdTim DyerCo-Founder, CEO/CFO, and board director of Addex Therapeutics Ltd
Bio
Tim Dyer is an experienced life sciences executive with over two decades of leadership in finance, corporate development, and company building. He is Co-Founder, CEO/CFO, and board director of Addex Therapeutics Ltd (SIX & Nasdaq: ADXN). Since co-founding Addex in 2002, Mr. Dyer has been instrumental in shaping the company’s growth, leading its IPO and Nasdaq listing, securing major licensing agreements with pharma industry partners. Mr Dyer led the creation of Neurosterix, a neuropsychiatry focused company spin-out from Addex in April 2024 and served as its CEO/CFO until May 2025. Mr Dyer continues to serve as a board director of Neurosterix. Prior to founding Addex, Mr Dyer spent a decade with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the UK and Switzerland as part of the audit and business advisory group. Mr Dyer serves as chairman of Stalicla SA, a private clinical stage precision medicine neurodevelopment disorder company and board director of Multiwave Technologies AG, an innovator in medical imaging. Mr Dyer is a UK Chartered Accountant and holds a BSc (Hons) in biochemistry and pharmacology from the University of Southampton.
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Yue Feng Nomura International PlcYue FengVice President, Investment Banking at Nomura International Plc
The Great Realignment: Navigating Strategic Bifurcation and Ecosystem Activation in Japan’s Healthcare Sector
• Strategic Bifurcation in Japanese pharma industry: globalization of innovative Tier-1 Players vs Localization of Mid-cap & speciality pharma
• Sponsor’s strengthened presence: PE’s entry into innovative landscape & further consolidation of generic industry
• Chemicals’ Healthcare portfolio rationalization
• Institutional Activism: The Role of International Shareholder Pressure in Driving Governance and Value Creation in healthcare industry
• Nurturing the Biotech Industry through Public Private Partnership and the “Japan Bioeconomy” roadmap
Bio
Yue Feng is a Senior Vice President on the EMEA Healthcare team at Nomura International Plc in London. Prior to her current role, Yue spent four years supporting Nomura’s Tokyo Healthcare team, engaging with clients from Japan’s largest pharmaceuticals—including Takeda, Otsuka, and Daiichi Sankyo—to the country’s most dynamic emerging biotech companies. She was a deal team member on the landmark Takeda–Shire acquisition, the largest M&A in Japanese healthcare history.In London, Yue focuses on connecting East and West within the global life sciences sector. She leverages her fluency in Japanese, English, and Chinese, along with a deep understanding of diverse business cultures, to accelerate international partnerships spanning pharma, biotech, venture capital, and academia—with expertise in cross-border M&A, licensing, and fundraising.Yue is deeply passionate about building innovative, collaborative ecosystems that can deliver transformative healthcare solutions worldwide.
She holds a Master degree in Public Policy from University of Tokyo. -
Dr. Marc Gitzinger BioVersysDr. Marc GitzingerChief Executive Officer and co-founder of BioVersys
Bio
Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BioVersys with over 10 years of experience in the biotech industry, having launched a university spin-off in the field of antimicrobial resistance and growing it into a multi-asset clinical stage company. Some of these assets will address significant unmet medical needs in infectious conditions such as tuberculosis and hospital acquired Acinetobacter infections. Marc has raised over $70 mio in equity financing and secured over $30 mio in non-dilutive funding. He has also established several important partnerships with Big Pharma and other development organizations. Multi-award-winning Biotech CEO, having received amongst others the Swiss Technology Award 2011, Venture Kick 2009 and Venture Leaders 2008 and 2017 awards for his work in founding and advancing BioVersys. He is also President of the Board of the BEAM Alliance, a European association representing over 70 European and international SMEs active in antimicrobial research and development and Board member of AMR Industry Alliance. Marc is a young thought leader in the field of antimicrobial research and development. He is passionate about next generation antimicrobial therapies and leads a highly motivated team striving to bring life-saving antimicrobial therapies to patients in need. He is also co-author on several high ranked scientific publications and patents in the field.
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Sophie Paule Kornowski Bonnet Sophiekor InsightsSophie Paule Kornowski BonnetChief Executive Officer, Sophiekor Insights
Some learning on Deal Making
Sophie Kornowski, who has navigated a rich career across geographies, in responsibilities spanning from commercial to partnering, as an investor as well as most recently CEO of a biotech in Boston, will share with us a few key lessons on deal making. She will give us tips on how to best plan and execute deals with success, based on her deep and humbling experience.
Importantly, she will remind us on how to be in the best position to act in face of the non obvious that happen frequently in the life of deals. The goal of her talk is to support attendees to drive their projects to successful outcomes - whether deals happen or not...as we should all remember that a deal is only the beginning. What matters is medicine to patients.
Bio
Dr. Sophie P. Kornowski is an accomplished global healthcare executive and board-level leader with over three decades of experience spanning biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, health tech and healthcare investment. She has held senior executive positions at Merck & Co., Roche, Gurnet Point Capital, and Boston Pharmaceuticals, and has played a pivotal role
in numerous global transactions and partnerships advancing innovative therapeutics from discovery through commercialization. In 2009, she was awarded the Legion d’Honneur by Valerie Pecresse, Ministry of Research in France, for her contribution to the advancement in Research, as CEO of Roche in France. -
Katharina (Nina) Kreymborg Curie.BioKatharina (Nina) KreymborgSVP, CSO Partner Team at Curie.Bio
From Idea to Value: Building Biotechs in a More Competitive World
While capital markets remain selective and geopolitical uncertainty continues to shape decision-making, the most profound ongoing shift in biotech is structural: global competition has intensified, with China setting new benchmarks for speed, cost, and clinical execution.
This is changing how investors evaluate opportunities and how companies need to be built. Capital is still available, but it flows to programs with clear differentiation, disciplined execution, and a credible path to meaningful clinical data—the currency of the biotech industry.
Partnering has always been earned, but this is especially true in the current environment. The strength of a biotech company’s asset defines the quality of the partnership. Programs with clear differentiation that are tightly focused and designed to deliver meaningful clinical activity create optionality and attract the best partners.
From a U.S. investor and company creation perspective, this session will explore how biotech companies can navigate this rapidly evolving landscape—and what it takes to build assets that attract both capital and partners. It will highlight why the companies that win are not those with the most ambitious stories, but those with the clearest path from idea to value.
Bio
Katharina (Nina) Kreymborg is an experienced drug discovery scientist, biotech company builder, and venture investor with more than 15 years of experience translating innovative life science concepts into drug discovery programs and venture-backed companies. Her professional passion is turning exciting scientific ideas into therapies that can make a difference for patients.
Nina trained as a cancer immunotherapist in Jim Allison’s lab and subsequently joined Pharma Research and Early Development at Roche. At Roche, and later at MorphoSys, she led and supported multiple programs from target assessment and validation through drug discovery and early clinical development, focusing on cancer immunotherapy, immunology and oncology.
As a venture investor at Versant Ventures and now at Curie.Bio, Nina identifies and evaluates promising therapeutic concepts and builds biotech companies from inception. She works closely with founders to shape scientific strategy, define development plans and value inflection points, and support seed and Series A financings—translating novel ideas into scientifically exciting, financially profitable, and operationally sound companies.
Nina serves on the Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation Board and is an Innosuisse expert in life sciences. -
Orlando Oliveira Zenas BiopharmaOrlando OliveiraChief Commercial Officer at Zenas Biopharma
Bio
Orlando Oliveira is the Chief Commercial Officer of NASDAQ listed biotech Zenas Biopharma since July 2024. Prior to joining Zenas, Mr. Oliveira served as Senior Vice President, Head of International at Mirati Therapeutics (acquired by Bristol Meyers Squibb) from March 2022 to April 2024. From August 2019 to June 2021, he served as SVP, Head of International at Agios Pharmaceuticals and as SViP & GM of International at TESARO from August 2015 to July 2019. Mr. Oliveira has served as a member of the board of directors at Oncolnvent AS, a Norwegian public clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company since April 2024. Mr. Oliveira received his B.S. degree in pharmaceutical studies from the Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal) and completed a post-graduate degree in Medical Marketing Management at the Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and a post-graduate degree in Drug and Pharmacy Law from Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal).
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William Pay HK WinHealth Pharma GroupWilliam PayChief Investment & Strategy Advisor to the Chairman at HK WinHealth Pharma Group and Venture Partner, Pappas Capital
Asia Rising, Europe Bridging
Asia, Europe, and the Future of Global Biopharma during the Trump Tariff Era: From Fragmentation to Collaboration
Bio
William Pay is the Chief Investment & Strategy Advisor to the Chairman of HK WinHealth Pharma Group, where he advises on global investment strategy, cross border partnerships, and long term innovation initiatives. He also serves as a Venture Partner/Advisor with Pappas Capital, supporting early stage and growth stage healthcare companies in advancing transformative technologies and expanding international market access. With extensive experience across healthcare, finance, and international business development, William plays a central role in shaping strategic direction and fostering collaborative growth models across Asia, Europe, and the United States. He has worked for multinational pharmaceutical companies including but not limited to IQVIA, Pfizer, JNJ, Takeda, Bayer across three continents, advised emerging biotech firms, and investment institutions on portfolio strategy, market entry, and partnership development. William is a frequent speaker on healthcare innovation, investment trends, and the future of cross border collaboration.
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Daniel Rankin Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AGDaniel RankinSenior Vice President, Head of Strategy and Corporate Development at Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AG
Bio
Daniel Rankin is Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy & Corporate Development at Sobi and a member of the Executive Committee, leading functions including M&A, business development, global market access, and portfolio strategy at Sobi. Since joining in 2017 as Chief of Staff to the CEO and assuming leadership of Corporate Development in 2018, he has played a key role in transforming Sobi into a $3B revenue global rare disease company. He has led over $6B in transactions, including the acquisitions of Novimmune, CTI BioPharma, Arthrosi, Dova Pharmaceuticals, and U.S. rights to Synagis from AstraZeneca, as well as partnerships with Apellis, Ionis, and ADC Therapeutics. Previously at McKinsey & Company, he advised biotech and pharmaceutical clients. A former Swiss National Science Foundation Ambizione Group Leader, he authored 40 publications cited over 4,000 times.
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Martin Slusarczyk Simon-KucherMartin SlusarczykSenior Director, pharma transaction services Lead at Simon-Kucher
Bio
Martin Slusarczyk leads the Pharmaceutical Due Diligence team at Simon-Kucher and is based in the Zurich office. He advises investors and biotech companies on commercial due diligence across global markets.
In 2025, Martin supported 5 of the 30 largest billion-dollar transactions in pharma. Since the introduction of MFN, he has led dozens of commercial and pricing due diligences assessing the MFN impact on U.S. and ex-U.S. revenue potential. He has also supported two top-10 pharmaceutical companies in implementing MFN end-to-end, spanning price metric definition for U.S. reporting, asset- and portfolio-level impact assessments, and adaptations to business development and forecasting processes.
At the conference, Martin will present on “Navigating the Impact of MFN on Dealmaking.”
Prior to Simon-Kucher, he was Commercial Director at a neurology biotech. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Oxford and studied at ETH Zurich and Caltech. -
Markus Staempfli CSL Behring AGMarkus StaempfliVice President CSL Behring AG at Chair EuropaBio
Bio
Markus Staempfli is a purpose driven senior executive with 30 years of international experience in the biotherapeutics industry in startup environments, emerging and mature markets. He has a strong track record of successfully opening and growing 15 new CSL subsidiaries and leading High Performing Teams to achieve sustainable and profitable growth in complex and competitive operating conditions.
Prior to his current role as Vice President, Europe Major Markets & Canada, Markus served as Vice President and General Manager of the Intercontinental Region at CSL Behring. Under his leadership, the business expanded from $100 million to more than $ 1 billion in revenue. Earlier in his tenure, he held responsibility for Sales and Marketing for Europe/Rest of World as well as Global Plasma Procurement at ZLB Behring, a predecessor company of CSL Behring. Before joining CSL, Markus worked at Novartis, where he held several marketing leadership roles.
Markus holds an MBA with distinction from the University of Bern. He currently serves as Chairman of EuropaBio, Europe’s largest biotechnology industry association. In addition, he is the President of CSL Behring Panama S.A. and CSL Behring Chile SpA, and serves as Board Member of CSL Behring AG (Bern), CSL Behring Lengnau AG and several other CSL Behring subsidiaries. -
Ingo Stiller RocheIngo StillerPharma Partnering, Head Chugai (Japan) & Basel Alliance Management
Could the Chugai-Roche alliance model work in China? Lessons from a successful alliance for a new partnership landscape
The Chugai-Roche alliance is often cited as one of the most successful strategic partnerships in the pharmaceutical industry, combining long-term commitment with scientific independence and aligned incentives. But could a model built for Japan be applied to today’s rapidly evolving Chinese biopharma ecosystem? Using the Chugai-Roche collaboration as a case study, this presentation will examine the structural and cultural factors that enabled its success, including governance design, decision rights and portfolio integration. It will then assess which of these elements could realistically be transferred to alliances with Chinese pharmaceutical firms, and where fundamental differences in speed, ownership structures, policy environment, and strategic intent may require new approaches. The discussion will focus on practical lessons for designing resilient alliances in an increasingly multipolar innovation landscape.
Bio
Ingo has been with Roche since 2001. He joined the Roche Pharma Partnering organization at the end of 2021 and is currently responsible for the alliance management team in Basel, which includes Roche's strategic alliance with Chugai Pharmaceuticals in Japan. Before joining Pharma Partnering, Ingo was responsible for Business Development, Supply Chain and Finance in Roche’s Pharma affiliate in Brazil. Prior to that, he had spent time around the world (Colombia, Ecuador, US, Switzerland), growing in his business & finance career in Roche. Ingo holds a Ph.D. from the University of Antwerp, faculty of Business and Economics.