ABFO 2019 National Conference Expands Roster of Keynote Speakers

Mr. Justin Renz currently serves as Correvio’s Chief Financial Officer, with responsibility for overseeing Correvio’s finances and investor relations. Mr. Renz was most served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Karyopharm Therapeutics from August 2014 to April 2017, where he led core business and finance functions. Prior to Karyopharm, Mr. Renz was Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Zalicus Inc. (formerly CombinatoRx, Inc.), which he joined in September 2006. He oversaw multiple rounds of equity and debt financing and led the company’s asset monetization strategy and two reverse mergers, culminating with the sale of Zalicus to Epirus Pharmaceuticals in July 2014. Prior to Zalicus, Mr. Renz served in senior finance and accounting roles at Serono, Inc. and Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Inc.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Renz held increasingly senior finance positions at ArQule, Inc. and Millipore Corporation. Mr. Renz began his career with Arthur Andersen LLP in 1993. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting from the College of the Holy Cross, a Master of Science in Taxation from Northeastern University and a Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University.

Former NFL defensive back, Solomon Wilcots has served in many roles across the landscape of broadcast television and radio including studio host, anchor, analyst and reporter. He joined CBS Sports in March 2001 as a game analyst, giving viewers first-hand game insights on the network's marquee sports brand, THE NFL ON CBS. He also has served as a live game analyst, sideline reporter, and field reporter for major sporting events including the network's coverage of Super Bowls XLI, XLIV and XLVll [2007, 2010, 2013]. and the NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Championship 2003-2005.

Solomon served as a Studio Analyst, reporter and contributor for the NFL Network. Joining the network at its inception in 2003, through 2016. First appearing as the host of the NFL Network program, Playbook, which had previously viewedacross all platforms, including NFLN's daily, signature show, Total Access. Solomonhosted TNF Storylines, which appeared on NFL Media's digital platforms being one of the first and only interactive in-game analyses in the NFL that integrated social media.

Wilcots was also a weekly contributor for NFL.com during their Thursday Night Football broadcasts, and previously wrote
columns for them.

Solomon joined CBS Sports after working for ESPN as a Bureau Correspondent and Sideline Reporter for its national coverage of Sunday Night NFL games, where he received an Emmy Award in 2000 for his live reporting. He also covered the PGA's U.S Open Qualifying Tournament, NBA Finals & Western Conference Finals, and Major League Baseball Games for the cable network. Before ESPN, he served as the weekend sports anchor for WLWT-TV in Cincinnati [1994-20031. In addition, Solomon also worked as studio anchor for Fox Sports Net's college football show.

Solomon played four seasons with the Bengals [1987-90]. One with the Vikings [1991land finished his six-year career with the Steelers [19921. He was drafted in 1987 as an eighth-round pick after starting for two years at cornerback for Colorado while attending school in Boulder; he majored in English literature and studied in the school of Journalism. He also helped lead a program turnaround, which led the team to two consecutive bowl game appearances.

Solomon is currently employed by Sky Sports Broadcasting in the U.K where he serves as a NFL Analyst on their weekly PreGame show teaching American football to a rapidly growing fan base in the U.K. In addition, Wilcots is currently the Team Leader for the newly formed Sports-Health Division of a New York based Public Relations firm, Russo Partners LLC which serves Bio Tech and Pharmaceutical companies both in the U.S and in the U.K. In June 2017, his contributions to the "Huddle Up For New Alzheimer's Treatments" earned Russo Partners the "Big Apple Award" which led to a record setting enrollment of over 1,400 patients in 11 months for a clinical study led by Axovant Sciences . He currently serves as Project Manager for Aethlon Medical who recently launched its Clinical Study to test for the TauSome Biomarker which could lead to the detection of CTE in living patients. During his 2 years with Russo Partners, Wilcots has led initiatives to enroll patients in clinical trials, creating educational based video content to highlight innovative technologies and treatments for Bio Tech and Big Pharma.

As President and CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, Bob’s mission is to advance Massachusetts' leadership in the life sciences to grow the industry, add value to the healthcare system and improve patient lives. Over the last decade, Bob has truly become a champion for patients by ensuring innovative companies have the best environment possible to research, develop, and commercialize breakthrough therapies and cures for people around the world who need and deserve them.

Bob has spent his career in both the public and private sectors. Before joining MassBio, he served as the Undersecretary of Economic Development within Governor Deval Patrick's administration, where he prioritized both healthcare and economic development issues and was a strong advocate for the life sciences industry in Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was elected as State Representative to the 11th Norfolk district for three terms. Bob has also held senior executive positions in the environmental services, capital management and venture capital industries.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Bob is an active member in the community. He is a past board member of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, and is currently serving on the board of directors for The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare and Aridis Pharmaceuticals. He also is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Boston Children’s Hospital, and has served as the honorary chairman of the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walk since 1996. In years past, he co-chaired the Children’s Hospital Boston signature event, Champions for Children’s and the Schwartz Center’s Compassionate Healthcare Dinner.

In 2011, the American Diabetes Association honored Bob with their Father of the Year Award. In 2012, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation honored Bob with the CF Foundation Volunteer Leadership Award and in 2013 he received the Boston Irish Business Award from the Boston Irish Business Association. In 2014, he was awarded for his leadership in Biotechnology by the Massachusetts Society for Medical Research. He received the NTSAD advocate of the year in 2015 and was named to the Boston Business Journal’s Power 50, Top 50 Most Influential Bostonians. In 2016, he was honored with the Boston Biotech CEO Lifetime Achievement Award. His latest honors include the first-ever awarded Governor Paul Cellucci Fatherhood Award from the Children’s Trust and the Breath of Life Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (2017).

He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy where he majored in Marine Engineering, and served as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve.

He brings passion and energy to all of his endeavors.

Millions of Americans remember Mike Eruzione as the captain of the US Hockey Team that beat the odds to win the Gold Medal at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. It was his decisive winning goal that beat the Soviet team and stunned the world. That victory against the Soviets advanced the US Hockey Team to the gold medal game where they beat Finland.

Sarah Larson joined Third Rock in 2017, bringing over 20 years of experience in human resources and leadership development, as well as the building of strong corporate cultures. Sarah is responsible for human resources at the firm and also provides guidance and counsel to the firm’s portfolio companies as they are building their organizational capabilities, focusing on areas of human capital, leadership development, and culture creation. She has played key roles in launching and building some of our portfolio companies, including: Interim chief human resources officer of Cedilla Therapeutics and Senior vice president, human resources at Foundation Medicine.

Previously, Sarah led the global human resources function at CombinatoRx (acquired by Horizon Discovery Group) and worked for several years as a recruiter and account manager at Cambridge Search, a search firm specializing in recruitment within the life sciences industry. Sarah holds a BA in Communications from Rivier College.

Sarah has a passion for refurbishing and rebuilding homes. On any weekend, you might find her ripping down walls or on scaffolding putting up siding. One of her most prized possessions is her tape measure, with fractions.

Joe Quinlan is Bank of America's Private Wealth Management Managing Director and Chief Market Strategist and oversees the development and implementation of macro investment strategies, with a particular focus on U.S. sector strategies, the emerging markets and developed markets.

Joe is the author, co-author, or contributor to over twenty books. His most recent book, “Thirsty Nation: Priorities for India’s Water Sector,” was published in May 2014. He authored “The Last Economic Superpower” in 2010. He has published more than 125 articles on economics, trade and finance that have appeared in such venues as Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s. He regularly appears on CNBC, as well as Bloomberg television, PBS and other media venues.

Jim Frates serves as Chief Financial Officer of Alkermes. Prior to joining Alkermes in 1998, Mr. Frates was a Vice President in charge of the East Coast Life Sciences Practice at Robertson Stephens & Company. He also worked in healthcare investment banking at Morgan Stanley & Company and spent a year teaching secondary school at the Royal Shrewsbury School in the U.K., as the Harvard College Fellow. Mr. Frates served on the Board of Directors of GPC Biotech AG from June 2004 to June 2009 and was a national director of the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers. Mr. Frates serves on the Board of Directors of SAGE Therapeutics and as a Trustee of the Roxbury Latin School. Mr. Frates received a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard College and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.

Rose Mistri-Somers is a key member of the firm’s Financial Officers Practice, based in New York. Rose works with clients on a range of CFO and broader financial officer appointments across sectors, with a focus on pharma and life sciences, and consumer and retail. Her client base crosses a broad spectrum, as she regularly engages with multinational Fortune 500 organizations, in addition to smaller private equity or venture capital-backed companies.

Professional Experience
Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Rose was the Chief of Staff for Serco AMEAA, one of four global divisions of Serco Group, an $8B FTSE-listed company. In this role, she helped deliver the operational and financial goals of the region covering Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. She was also a critical member of the regional executive team responsible for developing and executing divisional strategy aligned with the group’s global strategy. Prior to Serco, Rose spent several years in the advisory practice of Ernst & Young, in both the London and Sydney offices. During her tenure, she was a core member of the capital transformation group within transactions advisory services.

Education
Rose received a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney and a Master of Commerce from the University of New South Wales.

Kristin works directly with the senior legal and underwriting leadership with our insurer partners on manuscript policy language and Aon exclusive contract terms. She is directly involved with the brokering/[policy negotiation of many of our Fortune 500 D&O accounts. She serves as a senior legal resource advocating for our client on complex corporate claims. Kristin also is the national leader on the exclusive endorsement of Aon as the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (“Bio”) broker offering an executive liability business solution for Bio and it’s state affiliates’’ member base.

Kristin has over twenty years of legal experience, primarily insurance defense and particularly directors’ and officers’ liability. Previously she practiced in the litigation department at one of Boston’s oldest and largest law firms where she worked in the firm’s litigation department on complex Directors’ and Officers’ coverage and liability actions, as well as, cases involving securities and employment law. Her practice included work with both for profit (public and private) and not-for-profit companies across the country. Her D&O liability experience also includes over 10 years of advising clients on IPO placements and risks. She has advocated for clients on hundreds of class action securities litigation and regulatory investigations. Her work has also included providing legal advice to directors’ and officer’ on the subject of corporate governance.

In June 2016, Kristin was named by Insurance Business America as one of the “Elite Women” in the industry. Kristin speaks often at national and global industry events on numerous D&O related topics ranging from Securities Litigation, D&O Marketplace Trends, IPO Preparedness and Contract Certainty.

Kristin held a similar position with Boston-based regional insurance broker.

• College of the Holy Cross
• Suffolk University Law School.
• All American and Academic All American honors in Track & Field. Dean’s List, National Constitutional Law Team and the Moot Court Board.
• She taught Legal Research, Writing and Advocacy at Boston University Law School for 10 years.

• Admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
• Member of the Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
• She is also a member of the Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS).

Kevin Gillis joined Third Rock Ventures in 2008 and is a successful financial leader with more than 25 years of financial leadership and management experience. Kevin is partner and COO at Third Rock, leading the firm’s non-investment activities, which include running internal operations, overseeing the firm’s finance, legal, communications and administrative functions. He also leads fundraising activities and manages the firm’s limited partner relationships. Kevin has also assumed leadership roles in our portfolio companies:
• Former board member of Warp Drive Bio
• Former board of directors observer at Alcresta
Before joining Third Rock, Kevin served in a number of senior finance roles at Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, and The Coca-Cola Company. Kevin holds an MBA in finance from Bentley University and a B.A. in history from Brandeis University.
Kevin’s first job was scooping all 31 flavors of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins.

Dr. Cissy S. Young co-leads Russell Reynolds Associates' Diversity & Inclusion practice and is a senior member of the Global Biotech & Pharmaceuticals Practice. She specializes in talent acquisition and transformative leadership, serving clients undergoing growth and change with innovation. Cissy advises Boards, CEOs and senior executives on strategic recruitment, succession planning, executive assessment and talent benchmarking. Her clients span the full spectrum of the life sciences industry, including life sciences venture capital firms, emerging growth biotech companies, and global large-cap pharmaceutical companies. As a leader of the Diversity & Inclusion Practice, Cissy advises clients on implementation of D&I initiatives, taking an action-oriented approach to building an inclusive culture and ensuring growth and development of diverse talent.
Professional experience
Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Cissy led business development in several emerging growth biotech companies backed by blue-chip venture capital investors. As a member of the management teams, Cissy contributed to building the companies from their early days by advancing partnership collaboration opportunities, supporting multiple rounds of venture capital raise, and contributing to product development strategies.
Education
Cissy received her B.A. in biology from Brown University, her Ph.D. in cancer biology from Columbia University, and her M.B.A. in entrepreneurship and strategic management from The Pennsylvania State University.
Professional affiliation
Cissy served on the Board of Directors of Community Rowing Inc. (CRI), one of the largest rowing clubs in the United States, advancing the mission of Rowing For All. She led the Annual Fund on the Development Committee and transformed its fundraising strategy, resulting in tripling the size of its campaign. Cissy is a member of the Healthcare Business Women's Association (HBA) and served as a mentor in the Boston Chapter Mentoring Program. She is also a member of the Brown Alumni Association and a volunteer on BrownConnect, mentoring young alumni on career development opportunities.