NEW YORK, June 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Executive Women In Bio (EWIB), a group of senior leaders committed to promoting, empowering and elevating executive women in biopharma and the life sciences operating within the national non-profit organization Women In Bio (WIB), is pleased to announce 30 board appointments for their Boardroom Ready Program Alumnae. Sharon Ayd, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Ayd BioPharma Consulting Group and 2016 Boardroom Ready alumna, most recently received an appointment as independent director of Reglagene.
“We are thrilled to congratulate Sharon on her directorship and to celebrate a total of 30 appointments of Boardroom Ready alumnae throughout the program’s first three years,” said Elese Hanson, co-chair of the Boardroom Ready program. “The demand for diversity on corporate boards continues to grow and we are very proud that the program participants are fulfilling that need as highly-qualified candidates who are primed for boardroom director positions.”
The Boardroom Ready program is designed to be a foundational resource for executive women interested in serving on corporate boards. Each year 20 women are selected to participate in a five-day boardroom competency-building curriculum held at George Washington University School of Business. The course is designed to refine each candidate’s understanding of the structure, roles, and responsibilities related to serving on both public and private life science boards. Since its inception in 2016, program participants have been appointed to boards on leading public and private life science companies including, Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Gossamer Bio, Seattle Genetics, and Ultragenyx.
Dr. Ayd has significant scientific, pharmaceutical and business experience in startups to multinational corporations. Dr. Ayd began her career as a research scientist at Baxter International, a healthcare company primarily focused on creating products to treat chronic and acute medical conditions. She went on to serve in a variety of executive positions. She is currently the owner, chief executive officer and principal consultant at Ayd BioPharma Consulting Group. In Dr. Ayd’s 30-year career, she has gained experience commercializing pharmaceuticals from discovery to clinical evaluation, expanding core business and transforming business operations.
“We are emboldened to see Boardroom Ready participants frequently appointed as board members,” said Carolyn Brougham, executive consultant at WIB. “Each year we look forward to engaging our network of life science and biopharma executives, supporters and sponsors to continually create robust opportunities for women in science to facilitate a more diverse landscape in life science company boards.”
The 2019 Boardroom Ready participants will be announced in July and will mark the start of the program’s fourth year.
Women In Bio (WIB) is an organization of professionals committed to promoting careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship of women in the life sciences. Each of its 13 chapters hosts numerous events throughout the year, including networking, career development, professional education, and executive level-focused events. WIB also hosts a mentorship program which offers women the chance to mentor or be mentored, a Young Women In Bio program, which offers events and encouragement to middle-school aged girls, webinars, and the support of a large national organization with 13 chapters and growing. As a volunteer organization, WIB offers leadership opportunities at every stage of your career, and a chance to expand your network in a supportive and professional environment. For more information, visit www.womeninbio.org.
Boardroom Ready
In its third year, the Boardroom Ready Program is a cohesive program designed to elevate, promote, and place highly qualified women to corporate boards. Intensive board competency building curriculum at George Washington University, held annually to refine each candidate’s understanding of the duties, responsibilities, and commitments related to serving on both public and private boards, is only the beginning. Boardroom Ready candidates also work with a professional resume writer to craft a board-tailored Curriculum Vitae and biography. In addition, each candidate is partnered with an experienced board mentor to help navigate the path to board service. Throughout the program and following completion, WIB, LifeSci Advisors and other sponsors work to facilitate matching program graduates with companies seeking new board members. For more information regarding the Boardroom Ready program, including cost, the selection process, and application requirements, please visit http://www.womeninbio.org/page/BoardroomReady.
Peggy Vorwald
EWIB Communications Coordinator
pvorwald@cglife.com
858-457-2436