BIO International Convention, Panel: Innovative Approaches to Advancing Healthcare in Emerging Markets

Thomas Cueni

Director General, IFPMA

Thomas B. Cueni is Director General of IFPMA since 1 February 2017. Prior to joining IFPMA he was Secretary General of Interpharma, the association of pharmaceutical research companies in Switzerland. For many years Thomas Cueni has been involved in the work of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, EFPIA, where he most recently served as Vice-Chair of the European Markets Committee and association representative on the Board. He represented the industry on the EU High Level Pharmaceutical Forum, was Chairman of EFPIA’s Economic and Social Policy Committee and Chairman of the EFPIA Task Force on the EU Commission’s Pharmaceutical Sector Inquiry. Thomas Cueni also represented Interpharma, which he successfully transformed from the association of Swiss Rx companies to the association of pharmaceutical research companies in Switzerland, on the Council of IFPMA. Prior to his appointment with Interpharma, Thomas Cueni had a career as a journalist, inter alia as London correspondent for the “Basler Zeitung” and “Der Bund”, and he served as a Swiss career diplomat with postings in Paris (OECD) and Vienna (IAEA, UNIDO). He studied at the University of Basle, the London School of Economics, and the Geneva Graduate Institute for International Studies, and has Master degrees in economics (University of Basel) and politics (London School of Economics, LSE).

Catherine Mellor

Executive Director, Global Health Initiative, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Catherine Mellor is the executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Initiative on Health and the Economy (GIHE). In this role she leads the organization’s work in advocating for improved health care policies as a tool for advancing economic growth and prosperity. Mellor joined the Chamber in 2006 and spent nine years working in the International Division’s Asia Department where she managed the efforts in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Prior to her work at the Chamber, Mellor was a research officer in the Trade Division of the Australian Embassy in Washington during the successful negotiation and ratification of the AUS-US Free Trade Agreement. Mellor is a native Australian and began her career working for U.S. Representative, Darrell Issa of California. She is a graduate of the University of Queensland.

Cesar Rengifo

SVP & Area Director, Latin America and Caribbean, GSK

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Cesar started his career in the pharmaceutical sector over 20 years ago. He joined GSK in 1996 in Marketing and assumed increasing responsibility roles within commercial area, from Product Manager to Regional Head for Latina & Caribbean leading interactions with key stakeholders, like local and regional medical societies, Ministers of Health and PAHO (Pan-American Health Organisation) delegates. His +15 years experience as General Manager includes varied countries like Colombia, Puerto Rico and Brazil, where Cesar gained experience within complex business environments and healthcare systems, ranging from strong FDA patent laws to low price, highly competitive generic markets. This posed him with wide view to become Senior Vice President and Area Director for GSK Pharma business in Latin America & Caribbean in August 2015, position he actually holds. During his career, Cesar led groundbreaking and multi-stakeholders projects to increase access to innovative products in the region, from massive inclusions in Universal Mass Vaccinations schemes across Latin America with local and regional authorities, to innovative collaboration models with the government in Brazil to transfer technology in Brazil for Vaccines and HIV products impacting 200 million people. Cesar represented Brazil at GSK Global Respiratory Franchise Board during 2 years. Cesar also has led intense networking agenda during his career. He was always part of local pharmaceutical chambers and even led them, like the seven years as Board Member for Interfarma, R&D Pharma Industry Chamber in Brazil. Cesar actually represents GSK Emerging Markets region at PhRMA* International Section Executive Committee (ISEC) to set direction and strategy for PhRMA’s International Program. Cesar holds a Business Administration (BA) degree from the EAN University; and a Master degree in Marketing from the Los Andes University. He is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French.

Dr. Jennie Ward-Robinson, PhD

President and Chief Executive Officer, PAHO Foundation

Dr. Jennie Ward-Robinson, President and CEO, has over 15 years of public service within nonprofit and for profit communities. She has served as Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs of the Alzheimer’s Association, was the founding CEO and Executive Director of the Institute for Public Health and Water Research and an Associate Professor at The School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University. In addition, she has served on various Boards including the EPA’s National Drinking Water Council, as a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine, the Alliance for Water Efficiencies and the Illinois Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Dr. Ward- Robinson holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has completed numerous executive and leadership training programs from leading institutions that include the Center for Creative Leadership and the Kellogg School of Nonprofit Management.