Chris is currently a member of the Board of Directors of two public life science companies – Jasper Therapeutics and Revance Therapeutics. He has over 40 years of experience in various leadership roles in the profession and in the Life Sciences industry. In addition to serving many of the industry’s premier VC backed and Fortune 100 companies, his former responsibilities include having led the EY Life Sciences Industry Group in the western U.S. He currently serves on both the Executive Committee and Finance Committee (Treasurer) of California Life Sciences organization (CLS, and its predecessor CHI). Chris is a former member of the Board of Directors of Viela Bio (acquired), Ambrx Biopharma and PolarityTE (resigned), and of the Finance & Investment Committee and Emerging Companies Section of BIO (the Biotechnology Innovation Organization). He has testified before Congress (a House Committee) with Dr. Janet Woodcock from CDER regarding the need for FDA reform.
Chris has extensive experience in capital structuring, leading IPOs, assisting companies in making the transition to publicly traded commercial entities, structuring collaborations, and mergers and acquisitions. He has led nearly 20 Life Science IPOs and has been a featured speaker at the annual Davis Polk IPO conference. Through June 2019 he was a member of the Global EY Life Sciences Executive Leadership Group, which establishes policies and operating strategies for EY’s +$2 billion industry practice worldwide. After joining EY in 2001, he was elected by his partners to represent them on the EY Americas Advisory Council, a body that has both governance and advisory roles providing direction to the America’s Executive Board as it relates to Ernst & Young policies and strategy.
Chris was admitted to the Price Waterhouse (now PwC) partnership in 1991 and developed the business plan to establish a Life Sciences practice in the western U.S. Funding and resources were approved, and Chris was appointed the leader of this new practice.
Chris retired from EY in June 2019 and is a CPA (retired) in California.