David Karakas

David Karakas has a strong background in strategic sourcing, procurement, and supplier management. David is currently the Senior Director of Strategic Sourcing & Procurement at Tessera Therapeutics. Prior to that, they held similar roles at Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. and bluebird bio. David has also served as the Director of Procurement at VCA Animal Hospitals and as a Senior Supply Chain Manager at Kite Pharma. David has experience in strategic account management at Roche and was the Head of Procurement Solutions at Biogen. Before entering the biotech industry, David worked as a Principal Partner at Belvaros Group and as a Senior Category Manager at Amgen. David started their career as a Lead Consultant at QP Group.

David Karakas holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, obtained in 2005. David also has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Political Science and Government from the University of San Diego, which they completed in 1999. Additionally, David has obtained certifications in Analytics and Sourcing from Coupa Software in February 2024. David also holds a certification as a Strategic Advisor from Labviva, obtained in 2020.