Jackie Hunter

Professor Jackie Hunter is the Chief Executive Officer at Benevolent Bio and Director of BenevolentAI. She has over thirty years of experience in the bioscience research sector, working across academia and industry including leading neurology and gastrointestinal drug discovery and early clinical development for GlaxoSmithKline. In that role she oversaw the entry of over 20 compounds into clinical studies and the conduct of 17 Proofs of Concept. She has served on numerous academic, industry and government Boards and panels in both Europe and America e.g. in the establishment of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), a 2B euro public-private partnership between the pharmaceutical industry and the European Commission. She served on the IMI Board and was Chair of the EFPIA Research Directors Group.

She founded OI Pharma Partners in 2010 to support the life science sector in harnessing the power of open innovation working with a variety of organizations, including the establishment of an Open Innovation Strategy for the Cyprus Presidency of the EU. For 3 years she was the CEO of the BBSRC which distributes approximately £500M p.a for bioscience research and its translation. She holds a personal chair from St George's Hospital Medical School, which was awarded in recognition of her contribution to bioscience research. She was also awarded a CBE in 2010 for Services to the Pharmaceutical Industry.