Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
 

Agenda subject to update before Conference Dates

For the most current version of the Conference Agenda, please refer to the Conference App.

6:00 - 8:30 pm Welcome Cocktail Reception
 
7:30 - 8:50 am BREAKFAST
8:50 - 9:00 am Welcome | Day One Introductions and Announcements
  2023 Conference Co-Chairs Martyn Webster, Chief Financial Officer, RefleXion Medical
Amy Bachrodt
, Vice President, Finance, Maze Therapeutics
9:00 - 10:00 am KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Joe Quinlan, Managing Director & Chief Market Strategist, Merrill Wealth Management, Bank of America, "Economic Overview"
  Joe’s presentation will highlight key drives of growth, critical secular trends, and the potential risks to growth and earnings in the medium-term. Key global trends affecting the US economy and capital markets will also be examined.
10:00 - 11:00 am BREAKOUT SESSIONS, Day One: Select One
  A. Targeting Your Message in Presentations  
    Moderator: Cara Hale-Alter, Author, Founder, "Speech Skills,"
  B. Venture Debt Financing in Today's Market  
    Panelists: Marc Belsky, Chief Financial Officer, Kezar Life Sciences, Inc., ABFO Board Member
Brian Stephenson, PhD, CFA,
Chief Financial Officer, BridgeBio, Inc.
  C. Insurance Market Update: Cybersecurity, D&O & More  
    Moderator: TBA
  D. Procurement Processes and Systems  
    Moderator: TBA
11:00 - 11:15 am Break
11:15 - 12:10 pm ROLE ROUNDTABLES - Select One
 

These role-level roundtables will be facilitated by individuals experienced at the relevant level with the aim of stimulating a forum for thoughtful discussion of the issues relevant to each role. Please check your conference app for the location of each roundtable.

  CFO  
    Moderator: Herb Cross, Chief Financial Officer, Atreca, Inc., ABFO Board Member
  Controller's Function  
    Panelists: Eldar Bolsakov,Vice President, Corporate Controller, Invitae
Robert Lopez,
Controller, Intuity Medical, Inc.
Veronica Sanchez,
Corporate Controller, Lyell Immunopharma
  FP&A and IR  
  Panelists: Nadeesha Pinto, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Intuity Medical, Inc.
Ryan Froelich, R&D Finance, Denali Therapeutics, inc.
Allison Richards, Sr. Director, Financial Planning & Analysis, Maze Therapeutics, Inc.

12:10 - 1:05 pm LUNCH
1:05 - 1:15 pm Afternoon Introductions and Announcements
1:15 - 2:15 pm KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Cara Hale-Alter, Author, Founder, "Speech Skills,""Projecting Credibility"
   
2:15 - 3:15 pm PANEL PRESENTATION: CFO Panel
 

Panelists:

William Le, Director, Active Disclosure & Global Capital Markets, Donnelley Financial Solutions

3:15 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 4:30 pm BREAKOUT SESSIONS, Day One: Select One
  A. Targeting Your Message in Presentations  
    Moderator: Cara Hale-Alter, Author, Founder, "Speech Skills,"
  B. Venture Debt Financing in Today's Market  
    Panelists: Marc Belsky, Chief Financial Officer, Kezar Life Sciences, Inc., ABFO Board Member
Brian Stephenson, PhD, CFA,
Chief Financial Officer, BridgeBio, Inc.
  C. Insurance Market Update: Cybersecurity, D&O & More  
    Moderator: TBA
  D. Procurement Processes and Systems  
    Moderator: TBA
4:30 - 5:00 pm Tribute to Past ABFO History
    Host: David Tucker, Chief Financial Officer, Anacora Heart, Inc. ABFO Board Member
5:00 - 5:10 pm Closing Remarks
 

 

6:00 pm Evening Social Event: "Cocktails and Conversation" Depart at 6:00 - 6:15

7:30 - 9:00 am BREAKFAST
ABFO Regional Coordinators' Meeting
9:00 - 9:10 am Welcome | Day Two Introductions and Announcements
9:10 - 10:10 am KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Christie Pearce Rampone, International soccer star, multiple gold medal-winning Olympian, former Captain, US National Team, coach and sports broadcaster
10:10 - 11:00 am BREAKOUT SESSIONS, Day Two: Select One
  A. Clinical Trials: Best Practices for Finance  
    Panelists: Jennifer Kyle, CPA, Co-founder, CEO, Condor Software
  B. Investor Relations: Building for the Long Term  
    Panelists: Celia Economides, Chief Financial Officer, Gritstone Bio
Caroline Corner, PhD,
ICR Westwicke, Partner, SF Medical Technology Diagnostics
Gloria Tang,
Managing Director, Global Advisory/Capital Markets Advisory/Equity Capital Markets, Evercore
  C. From CFO to Board Member  
    Panelists: J. Christopher Griffin, President & Chief Operating Officer, Bench International Search, Inc.
  D. Building a World-class Finance Team  
    Panelists: Leslie Boudreaux, Sr. Managing Partner, Founder, BVOH
Amy Hann Walker,
Founding Partner, BVOH
Nick Roberts, Managing Director, Financial Officers & Private Equity Practices, Russell Reynolds Associates
 
11:00 - 11:15 am Break
11:15 - 12:15 pm PANEL PRESENTATION - Analyst Panel
    Moderator: Caroline Corner, PhD, ICR Westwicke, Partner, SF Medical Technology Diagnostics
Tim Lugo, Partner, William Blair & Company, LLC
12:00 - 1:00 pm LUNCH
1:00- 1:05 pm Afternoon Introductions and Announcements
1:05 - 2:05 pm COMPANY ROUNDTABLES - Select One
 

These company roundtables will be facilitated by experienced individuals from each of the company stages/types with the aim of providing a forum for thoughtful discussion of the issues relevant to each. Please check your conference app for the location of each roundtable.

  Pre-commercial Biotech Companies  
    Moderator: Hector Casab, Vice President, Finance, Lyell Immunopharma, ABFO Board President
  Commercial-stage Biotech Companies  
    Moderator: Joy Berberich, Head of Finance, Roche Sequencing Solutions, ABFO Board Member
  Medical Devices and MedTechs  
    Moderator: Martyn Webster. Chief Financial Officer, RefleXion Medical, ABFO Board Member
2:05 - 3:05 pm ERNST & YOUNG LLP Technical Update
  Update on the latest accounting developments that are expected to impact bioscience companies. EY will share their insights on how the matters are being interpreted, what bioscience companies should be focused on, and how the various regulatory bodies view these areas.
    Moderators: Michael Formolo, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
TBD
3:05 - 3:20 pm Break/Transition
3:20 - 4:20 pm KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Marckus Renschler, MD, President and CEO of Cyteir Therapeutics
4:20 - 5:10 pm BREAKOUT SESSIONS, Day Two: Select One
  A. Clinical Trials: Best Practices for Finance  
    Panelists: Jennifer Kyle, CPA, Co-founder, CEO, Condor Software
  B. Investor Relations: Building for the Long Term  
    Panelists: Celia Economides, Chief Financial Officer, Gritstone Bio
Caroline Corner, PhD,
ICR Westwicke, Partner, SF Medical Technology Diagnostics
Gloria Tang,
Managing Director, Global Advisory/Capital Markets Advisory/Equity Capital Markets, Evercore
  C. From CFO to Board Member  
    Panelists: J. Christopher Griffin, President & Chief Operating Officer, Bench International Search, Inc.
  D. Building a World-class Finance Team  
    Panelists: Leslie Boudreaux, Sr. Managing Partner, Founder, BVOH
Amy Hann Walker,
Founding Partner, BVOH
Nick Roberts, Managing Director, Financial Officers & Private Equity Practices, Russell Reynolds Associates
5:10 - 5:30 pm Announcements, Closing Remarks
   
  60 Minute Break Before Evening Special Event
6:30 pm Wednesday Night "Mystery Event"
 
7:30 - 9:15 am BREAKFAST
9:15 - 9:30 am Welcome | Day Three Introductions and Announcements
  Introducing 2024 ABFO Conference Chair - 2024 Boston
9:30 - 10:30 am KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Meredith May, Award-wining journalist, fifth-generation beekeeper and best-selling author, "We are Stronger Together Than Apart: How Bees Teach Us To Be Better Humans"
 

Best-selling author and fifth-generation beekeeper Meredith May will take you into the heart of a beehive to discover how one of the oldest creatures on earth has survived by perfecting the art of social living. Using stories drawn from her childhood memoir, The Honey Bus, and examples from her beekeeping adventures in Big Sur and on the San Francisco Chronicle rooftop, she will discuss how honeybees rely on family, democracy, humility, and altruism. She will offer ways everyday people can use these same values to reverse the plight of the honeybee, a creature that pollinates one-third of the foods we eat.

10:30 - 11:30 am PANEL PRESENTATION: Diversity and Inclusion in Life Sciences: 2023 and Beyond"
    Moderator: Killu Sanborn, Managing Director, Oxford Finance LLC
Bonnie Hyun, US Head of Capital Markets at NYSE
Sharon Tetlow, Managing Partner, Potrero Hill Advisors
Jennifer Kyle, Co-founder, CEO, Condor Software
11:30 - 11:45 Closing Remarks and Raffle - Conference Concludes
       
       
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