As Senior Director, Business Development, Mr. Jafari has been involved in many of CDRD’s startups, including Kairos Therapeutics (which was sold to Zymeworks), Sitka Biopharma, and Zucara. In addition he is the Chief Business Officer and interim Chief Executive Officer for Sepset Biosciences. Prior to joining CDRD, he spent eight years in progressive business development and strategic marketing roles at QLT Inc. Prior to QLT, Mr. Jafari worked for Eli Lilly in the Business Development Market Assessment group and provided market evaluations and sales forecasts for licensing and M&A opportunities.   Mr. Jafari also had research roles at Indiana University in molecular evolution and in tumor targeting at Genetic Therapy Inc., which was a gene therapy company that was acquired by Sandoz, now Novartis.

Dr. Rachael Ritchie is an innovation leader with over two decades of hands-on experience in the generation and mobilization of science and technology. Dr. Ritchie has worked in public sector organizations across North America and Europe successfully creating and advancing partnership-driven, solutions-oriented science. Her accomplishments include leadership of Genome British Columbia’s European R&D partnerships, creation of OECD analytical frameworks for science and technology policy, and delivery of molecular biology-based solutions to industry and governments in Atlantic Canada. She is an active participant in regional, national and international innovation system growth and has served on national and international expert panels, working groups and committees.