Bio Supply Management Alliance to Present Industry Leaders at Third Annual Conference

Aug. 30, 2010 - PRLog -- The largest conference for biotech supply chain professionals announces its initial slate of speakers which includes leaders from industry, academic, and consulting sectors.  The biotech supply chain has become increasingly complex and the demands of the market require greater collaboration between biotech vendors, manufacturers, distributors, and customers.  The theme of the third annual biotech supply chain academy conference is "TRANSFORMING THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR END-TO-END VISIBILITY & QUALITY PATIENT CARE."

The panel on end-to-end supply chain solutions consists of the leading supply chain officers from their respective companies:  

Allison Moore, Vice President Corporate Manufacturing, Amgen
Andy Ramelmeier, Vice President, Manufacturing and Process Development, Bio-Marin
Chris Horan, Vice President, Supply Chain, North America, Genentech    
Elizabeth Sheridan, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Owens & Minor
Jason Birnbaum, CIO, GE Global Supply Chain, GE Healthcare    
Vance Moore, President and CEO, Resource Optimization and Innovation (Sisters of Mercy)    

The panel on supply chain risk management includes leading industry professionals involved in identifying and managing risk:

Lew Kontnick, Director of Brand Protection, Amgen                                      
Yingming Yue, CPIM, Associate Director, Nektar Therapeutics                                
Thomas Smith, Director, Supply Chain, Shire Pharmaceuticals
Ron Bone, Senior Vice President, Distribution Support, McKesson
Chris Sam, Executive Director, Craig Shannock
Bill Coakley, Senior Director, Supply Chain Management, SciClone Pharmaceutical

The panel on strategic sourcing consists of leading purchasing professionals:

Mark Buck, Global Procurement and Supply Leader, Bio-Rad
Mike Mitchell, Director, Global Supply Chain Management, SAFC Bioscience
Dale Dwier, Strategic Sourcing Manager, Bayer Healthcare
Paul Anderson, VP Global Sourcing, Life Technologies

The panel on Cold Chain Distribution consists of leading cold chain professionals:

Ed Church, Executive Director, ISTA                                      
Jim Cox, CEO, TempTRIP, LLC                                                                          
Paul Harber, Associate Engineering Consultant, Eli Lilly
Gary Hutchinson, Director, Global Transportation, Amgen          
Ted Prusik, Senior Vice President, TempTime
Gordon L. Johnson II, Head of Strategic Innovation, LifeConEx

Additional speakers include the following supply chain leaders and their respective companies:

Karen Conway, Director - Industry Programs, Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC
Wayne McDonnell, Research Director, Healthcare & Life Science, Gartner  
Thomas Panzer, Vice President Global Supply Chain PS-Biotech, Bayer Healthcare
Keith Launchbury, CFPIM, Past President, APICS The Association for Operations Management
Muffie Dalton, CPIM, Team Leader, Drug product Plan Scheduling, Genentech
Dr. K. V. Subramanyam, President & CEO, Reliance International Life Sciences
Arun Kumar, Industry Head - Life Sciences, Infosys Technologies
Bruce Sawyer, Senior Director, Johnson & Johnson, Process Excellence                    
Pramod John, Vice President, IT Strategy and Innovation, McKesson      
Robert Celeste, Director, GS1 Healthcare US
David Windsheimer, Vice President, Global Logistics, Life Technologies            
Rod Derifield, President, Envirocooler

"The biotech industry requires a makeover in how it meets the evolving demands of the market," says Tim Salaver, Founder and EVP, Operations and Technology, Bio Supply Management Alliance.  "The industry lags in keeping up with the processes, systems, capabilities, and talent that exist in more mature industries.  The Biotech Supply Chain Academy is one forum that will enable these leaders to collaborate and cooperate with each other.  We have worked very diligently to bring the very best speakers with the practical knowledge to move the industry forward on many different fronts."

The Academy is the only conference specifically for bio supply professionals and evokes discussion and promotes dialogue.  The third annual Biotech Supply Chain Academy will be held at the Embassy Suites in South San Francisco, on October 26.  Steering committee leaders and members will be holding working sessions on October 25.  A conference welcome reception will be held the evening of October 25.  Discounts are available to members of APICS, BAYBIO, ISM, CSCMP, ISPE, PMI, WERC, WIL, WIT, and students.  The Biotech Supply Chain Academy  is produced in association with the APICS Golden Gate Chapter.

For more information about the Bio Supply Management Alliance and to register for the conference, go to the website, www.biosupplyalliance.org.  Speakers are subject to change.

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The Bio Supply Management Alliance was born out of the need to create a worldwide community of operations and supply chain management leaders and professionals in the biotech, biopharma, and biomedical device industries. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to more than 600 bio firms, the Alliance provides a forum for collaboration, learning and best practice sharing of practitioners, executives and thought leaders in these uniquely demanding industry sectors.

Founders Tim Salaver and Devendra Mishra have forged relationships with key industry leaders and defined initiatives with a vision to create process, people, procedure and policy improvements in this vital sector.