Chris E. Rivera

Chris brings more than 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry. Chris was the Founder and CEO of Hyperion Therapeutics, which was acquired by Horizon Pharma in 2015, the Senior Vice President and head of Commercial Operations at both Tercica, where he led the cross-licensing transaction between Tercica and Ipsen, and Genzyme Therapeutics, where he built and ran Genzyme’s US renal Commercial Operations, he also helped launch Genzyme’s renal division globally. Prior to Genzyme, he helped build Cephalon and Centocor’s initial commercial infrastructures.

From 2009 – 2015, Chris was the President & CEO of the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association (WBBA), where he was responsible for building the biotechnology industry in Washington state. While at the WBBA, he oversaw one of Washington’s largest and fastest growing economic industries, including mentoring more than 400 life science start-up companies, and co-founding WINGS – Washington’s Medical Technology angel network.

He has also been recognized as a state and national leader through his appointments as co-Chair for the Governor’s life science and global health advisory committee, Governor’s Higher Education Task Force, the Washington Global Health Funding Commission, and Chairman, for the national Council of State Bioscience Associations.

Chris holds a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; a bachelor degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University; and studied marketing and management at the Albers Graduate School of Business and Economics at Seattle University.