Erica Whittaker

Erica is Vice President & Head of UCB Ventures, a €150 million strategic corporate venture fund which was set up to invest in innovative, longer term and higher risk therapeutic and digital health opportunities beyond UCB’s current focus areas. She is Chair of the Board of Rinri Therapeutics, and on the Board of Directors of two other UCB Ventures’ portfolio companies, StrideBio and Ally Therapeutics.

Prior to joining UCB, Erica spent 10 years as a top-ranked biotechnology equity analyst for Merrill Lynch in London (1999-2009). Erica received BA degrees in Biology and in Comparative Literature from Brown University (Rhode Island USA). She obtained a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Edinburgh, and later an MBA from Heriot-Watt University Business School in Edinburgh.

She enjoys running, cycling & family holidays, especially spending time with her two daughters, aged 13 and 16 years.