Jasper Bos, PhD is Vice-President and Head of the Healthcare Fund for Merck Ventures. He joined the previous biopharma fund MS Ventures in 2009. Previously, Jasper was instrumental in the founding of IFHA, a private equity fund backed by large Dutch and international institutional investors. He was responsible for the structuring and capital raise of IFHA and negotiated and managed private equity investments in emerging economies in the healthcare and insurance sectors. Before IFHA, Jasper worked as health economics and strategy manager at the Netherlands Vaccine Institute. He holds a PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Jasper is a member of the Board of Prexton Therapeutics, Executive Chairman of Calypso Biotech, Metabomed, Galecto, ARTSaVIT, an Observer to the Board of Translate Bio, and was a member of the Board of ObsEva (NASDAQ: OBSV) and EpiTherapeutics (sold to Gilead).

André has more than 20 years experience as a Technology Transfer Manager in supporting and advising researchers and young entrepreneurs with respect to intellectual property, licensing and start-up creation, in managing patent portfolios and negotiating license deals. He is the co-founder of the EPFL Technology Transfer Office and leads the enable program at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, which aims at facilitating the path to commercialization of innovative technologies through grants, mentoring and multidisciplinary internships.  He has launched several projects aiming to develop technology transfer, IP policies and strategies within higher education institutions. Passionate about raising awareness about innovation and technology transfer, he is a leading lecturer within the EPFL doctoral school (MINTT course – Management of Innovation and Technology Transfer) and is teaching within the CTI Business Concepts course. Before joining EPFL, André at IBM Research Labs. He holds an MSc in electronic engineering and a PhD in Physics.

Carlos Cordon is a professor of strategy and supply chain management at IMD Lausanne. His areas of interest are digital value chains, supply and demand chain management, digital lean and process management. Carlos is currently developing research and cases in the following areas: the digital journey of traditional companies, digital innovation in value chains, industry 4.0, digital lean and applications of big data in different spaces (healthcare, transportation and FMCG). He is the author of numerous articles and case studies in these fields, and has won various prizes for his publications. He is also a consultant to multinational companies in the electronics, food, chemical, pharmaceutical, car, and other industries. He has designed and directed numerous executive development programs in the areas of digital, strategy journeys, supply chain management and sourcing. Carlos studied civil engineering at the Escuela Politecnica de Barcelona and holds a PhD in Management from INSEAD.

Konstantinos Efthymiopoulos has an international career of more than 25 years in big pharma, biotechnology and VC-backed companies covering research, clinical development, registration and product launch for therapeutic products, drug delivery and diagnostics/medical devices. He is currently the founder and Managing Director of PLUS Life Sciences Consulting Sàrl which provides strategic advice and management support to life sciences organisations. He is also the Chairman of the Board of SynAffix BV, a VC-backed Dutch company. Most recently, he was the Chairman of Eporgen (a private Italian holding company with a portfolio of 11 life sciences start-ups), and the CEO of Funxional Therapeutics (a Cambridge, UK, based VC-backed inflammatory diseases company). He has also been an Advisor to Index Ventures, the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D of Eurand (Italy) and the Corporate VP-Head of Dermatology of Serono based in Geneva, Switzerland. Earlier appointments were in Glaxo/Glaxo Welcome in the UK, and Head of Pharmacokinetics in Farmitalia-Carlo Erba in Italy. Konstantinos previously held positions as Visiting Professor and Senior Lecturer in the Universities of Strasbourg, France and Padua, Italy. He is the author/co-author of over 60 scientific publications and presentations in international scientific meetings and of four patents. He graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Athens, Greece and holds a PhD in Pharmacokinetics and MSc degrees in Pharmacology and in Industrial Pharmacy from the University of Strasbourg, as well as an MBA from the London Business School.

Stefan Kohler is the head of PACTT, the joint technology transfer office of the University and the University Hospital of Lausanne since 2009. During the nine years before taking on this role he held various management positions in medical affairs, marketing and sales in the pharmaceutical industry on national and international level. He is an alumnus of the University of Lausanne where he obtained a PhD in biology and an MBA. Convinced that Earth is the best planet we will ever get, he is passionate about innovation that makes it a better place for all. He is therefore engaged in the board of organisations supporting innovation such as Innovaud, and the Foundation for Technological Innovation (FIT). Currently he also serves as president of the Swiss Technology Transfer Association (swiTT).

Nicolas Mermod is Professor of Biotechnology at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne, and a co-founder of Selexis SA, a biotech company. Nic completed his PhD at the University of Geneva in environmental biotechnology, followed by post-doctoral studies at the University of California at Berkeley, USA, in the laboratory of Professor Robert Tjian. Nic then joined the University of Lausanne as an Assistant Professor of the Swiss National Science Foundation, to become full Professor and the director of the Institute of Biotechnology. Nic heads the Laboratory for Molecular Biotechnology at EPFL, which has gained global recognition in the field of gene expression in biotechnology by publishing over 100 papers in peer reviewed renowned journals. Besides his scientific publications, Nic has authored a number of patents on epigenetic regulatory elements and gene expression, and he has acted as a consultant to many biotech companies and as member of the board of directors of Selexis SA for over 10 years.

Nasri Nahas brings to Biopôle over 20 years of experience in the life sciences sector through roles in applied research, business development and general management. In Switzerland he was CEO of Geneva Bioinformatics and Spinomix, while in France he worked as a research engineer at Genset and Valigen. Nasri has a significant track record in defining and implementing strategy, leading dynamic teams of experts, and building long-term relationships with industry and academic partners. He holds a Masters of Engineering in bio-industry and enzymatic engineering from the University of Technology of Compiègne, as well as an MBA from the University of Geneva and a diploma in Health Management from the University of Lausanne.

Jeffrey Petty is a professor of entrepreneurship and the Academic Director of the HEC EMBA at UNIL. He has a doctorate in management and an MBA in international management and his primary research interests include venture capital decision making, new venture financing, and opportunity exploitation. Jeffrey has taught courses on entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, corporate strategy, innovation management, and knowledge management. He has worked with entrepreneurial organizations globally over the past 20 years, ranging from start-ups to international corporations, in a variety of roles and has participated in all phases of the firm lifecycle, including concept development, commercialization, and exit. Jeffrey is also an accreditation assessor for the Association of MBAs and is currently a member of the Executive MBA Council’s Board of Trustees.

Pierre-Jean Wipff holds a PhD in Bioengineering from the EPFL. He is co-founder of ExCellness Biotech SA a company dedicated to develop advanced cell culture systems. From 2009 to 2012, Pierre-Jean was Innovation Coordinator at the Geneva University Hospital (HUG) where he supported doctors and healthcare providers to set up innovation strategies for their inventions. Since 2013, he joined Innovaud, the hub for innovation in the canton of Vaud, to support local health tech companies.