BIO Fills Top Executive Posts, Including Government Relations VP

The Biotechnology Industry Organization completed its reorganization under new President Jim Greenwood by formally naming five top executives April 28.

Among the new execs is VP-Federal Government Relations Brent Del Monte, who will set BIO's legislative agenda and strategy. The position has been vacant since Sharon Cohen left in May 2004.

Prior to joining BIO, Del Monte was a senior manager at Washington Council Ernst & Young. Before that, he served as majority counsel for the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

Greenwood was a member of Energy & Commerce when he was a congressman and chaired the committee's Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee. He took over as BIO's head in January (¹ (Also see "BIO Will Build “World Class Advocacy Organization” Under Greenwood" - Pink Sheet, 10 Jan, 2005.), p. 13).

BIO's new Exec VP-Health Amit Sachdev also was a former majority counsel for Energy & Commerce. Sachdev joined BIO from FDA, where he was deputy commissioner for policy. At BIO he is responsible for managing policy development and execution.

Two other new hires - Chief Operating Officer Scott Whitaker and Exec VP-Advocacy & Operations Alan Eisenberg - also have Capitol Hill experience.

Whitaker was on the staff of Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) for 10 years. He later joined HHS, where he was chief of staff under Secretary Thompson. At BIO, Whitaker will have general responsibility over all areas of the organization.

Eisenberg was on Greenwood's congressional staff before joining BIO in October 2004. He also held staff positions on the Senate Health Committee's Public Health Subcommittee and in Rep. John Shadegg's (R-Ariz.) office.

Eisenberg will coordinate BIO's advocacy and communications programs. He will also run the board's operations and lead BIO's political action committee.

A fifth new exec, VP & General Counsel William Lucas, comes to BIO from Pfizer, where he was senior assistant general counsel in the legal external affairs group. Lucas also held positions in the general counsel offices at Pharmacia and AstraZeneca.