George Golumbeski

Trained as a research scientist (PhD in Genetics), George is an industry leader in biopharmaceutical collaborations & business development. In his nearly 30-year career in this sector, George has worked on many medications that have reached the market and are benefiting patients worldwide. Furthermore, he is known globally within the biotechnology industry for his interest in leading-edge science, and his constructiveness/creativity in forging inter-company collaborations. The impact of George’s work in fostering innovation among biotech companies was recognized in 2014, when Fierce Biotech named George one of the 20 most influential people in the Biotechnology industry.

George was most recently Executive Vice President of Business Development for Celgene Corporation, where he and his team were responsible for the full array of worldwide business development activities (evaluation of opportunities, structuring & negotiating collaborations, M & A, and Alliance Management). During George’s tenure, Celgene became the clear “Partner of Choice” within the Biotechnology industry (based on 2013 & 2015 data from Boston Consulting Group). Finally, his collaboration with Dr. Tom Daniel is recognized as the engine behind Celgene’s well-regarded collaboration strategy and tactics.

Prior to his tenure at Celgene and Novartis, George held leadership positions at Elan Pharmaceuticals and Schwarz Pharma. In these roles, he was wholly focused on neurology and neuropsychiatry therapeutics.

George earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia-Charlottesville and a Doctorate in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He did postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of young biotechnology companies, which are focused on potentially “game-changing therapies”. Finally, George is committed to the conservation of the environment and he serves on the Board of Directors of the National Audubon Society.