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Ashton Tweed Participates in Regional Event

"The Greater Philadelphia life sciences cluster ranks among the elite centers in the country. Its life sciences industry is a clear potential source of competitive advantage for the region’s economy over the long term and it ranks among the largest clusters in the country."

From the Milken Institute
The Greater Philadelphia Life Sciences Cluster: An Economic and Comparative Assessment
Ross DeVol, Rob Koepp, Lorna Wallace, Armen Bedroussian and Daniela Murphy

June 2005

"The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.”

Helen Keller

Pennsylvania Bio Dinner

On the evening of February 22nd, Ashton Tweed had the pleasure of attending one of this year’s premier gala events, the Pennsylvania Bio’s Annual Dinner.

According to Mickey Flynn, President of PA Bio, "Our annual dinner was a spectacular event, bringing together our largest crowd yet to celebrate what is unique about our community. It was a night that will be remembered by everyone in attendance."

The biosciences community in Pennsylvania drew more than 650 professionals to the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. Frank Baldino, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Cephalon was honored at the event. Dr. Baldino is the first recipient of The Hubert J.P. Schoemaker Leadership Award that recognizes an outstanding leader in the biosciences community who best exemplifies the spirit of innovation, demonstrated visionary leadership for the industry, and a vision for improving the lives of patients.

At the Ashton Tweed reserved table, our invited guests included Patrick Berdoz (CEO of Precimed, Inc.), Jim Datin (EVP of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc.), Tony Koblish (CEO of Orthovita, Inc.), Jim Sharpe (former CEO of Astralis, Ltd. and past president of PA BIO) and David Tierney (CEO of Valera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). As you can imagine, the discussions during the dinner were lively and very engaging, to say the least.

There were ample networking opportunities throughout the evening, and we were fortunate to engage in discussions with Joe Scodari (Group Chairman of Pharmaceuticals, J & J), Frank Baldino (CEO of Cephalon, Inc.), Jim Greenwood (CEO of BIO), Mickey Flynn (President of PA Bio) and Dennis Yablonsky (Secretary for the Dept. of Community and Economic Development for the Commonwealth of PA), just to name a few.

We continue to receive encouraging support and validation for our Interim Employment concept and the creation of the region’s first Executive Talent Bank. During the past 30 days, we met with many new clients and we have been engaged or have proposals pending for more than a dozen interim assignments and permanent employment placements. There is clearly an unmet need for “interim” senior executive talent in the life sciences community. Ashton Tweed is grateful for the support we continue to receive from Pennsylvania Bio and the opportunities that it has created to help us increase awareness of our services to all of its members.

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Presenters at the PA Bio Dinner, from left to right, Mickey Flynn, Frank Baldino, Joe Scodari, and Anne Schoemaker

Upcoming Event:

Pennsylvania Bio Breakfast Series: Meet the Biotech Media and Learn How to Get Press Coverage for Your Company
sponsored by Ballard Spahr Andrews and Ingersoll

March 29, 2006
7:30 am - 10:00 am Desmond Hotel and Conference Center
Malvern, PA

Good media relations can help your company and products awareness in your industry and local community and could be the solution to finding funding, a partner or a buyer.

Today's journalists and newsrooms are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of press releases and phone calls each day. They're looking for news and information of interest to their unique readers, viewers or listeners. Learn from our panel of experts how best to pitch your company's story to both the local, trade and national press. Panelists include:
John Sterling, Editor, Genetic Engineering News
Peter Loftus, Reporter, Dow Jones News Wire
John George, Health Care, Biotech/
Pharmaceuticals Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal

Moderator: Lee Marshall, Vice President, Business Wire

Interim Comes "Out of the Box"

"Interim Executives are no longer just brought in to fill a box on an organizational chart. They are adding real value to organizations by taking on assignments that go beyond the scope of the everyday running of the business."

Jordan Warshafsky
Partner, Ashton Tweed

Interim employment offers four strategic advantages to the corporation:


Companies can now apply “just-in-time talent” to any problem or to fill a sudden gap.


Interim makes it possible to hire the best.


Companies can find precisely the skills needed for a project or corporate transition.


Interim talent turns a fixed cost into a variable expense.

Assignments for Interim Executives on the Rise

Companies are faced with numerous challenges just trying to keep the business going forward everyday. How do they find the time and the right people to make decisions about new projects or activities? How do they get perspective on some of their internal processes? What do they do with technology that isn't a clear match with their own business strategy?

In the past, consultants have played a major role in such assignments. Today, however, companies want to work with experts who have a vested interest in their success. This is an area where Interim Executives are taking on a larger role.

For example, recently Ashton Tweed placed an interim executive with a small pharmaceutical company that had recently been through an IPO. The CEO was concerned about the company's sales strategy and whether or not the sales force could deliver the best performance results. They hired a sales executive on an interim basis to perform a thorough evaluation of the sales team and make recommendations for improvements. Although not a permanent employee, the interim executive was dedicated to the success of the company.

In another case, a major chemical company had a number of medical device technologies in its portfolio. Although the devices didn't fit into their core business strategy, the management of the company felt that there was an opportunity to reap some benefit from these products. They hired two interim experts to evaluate the technologies and manage the out-licensing process of the devices in a way that had a positive impact on their bottom line.

And in yet another case, we assisted a Biotech company that was looking for new investors. They had products but needed to get their regulatory submissions into the FDA to begin the approval process. In order to attract investors it was necessary to have a regulatory strategy in place. They hired an Expert on an "interim" basis to develop an approach plan for the regulatory process. The key success factor here, was finding a person with knowledge of the compliance process required for both devices and pharmaceuticals.

"We are excited to have such success stories in our portfolio," says Jordan Warshafsky. "It highlights the real value that Interim Executives can bring to Life Sciences companies with situations that don't fit within ordinary organizational structures."

Ashton Tweed offers a full range of services from Problem Resolution teams, to Interim Talent and Executive Search from our Life Sciences Executive Talent Bank. The Ashton Tweed Associate Program harnesses the networking efforts of all candidates in the Ashton Tweed family. Ashton Tweed sharpens their networking skills with advanced networking and search techniques.

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Regional Support for Life Sciences Entrepreneurs

In a speech last spring, Frank Baldino, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Cepahlon said, "Imagine the wisdom of a state government, a governor, who utilized $100 million of the tobacco settlement to create three Greenhouses across the state to focus on developing life science enterprises. Most governors of other states used the tobacco settlement to balance their budget, or to pave their roads. Our governor had a more enduring purpose in mind – one that would transform the economic direction of the state."

Recent articles in the Philadelphia Business Journal indicate that in addition to housing offices for over 75% of the established Life Sciences companies, Philadelphia is becoming a center for nurturing entrepreneurs in the Life Sciences.

On February 10, 2006 they wrote that the "Science Center" in University City is embarking on a major $600 million development plan that would add 1.85 million square feet of space and more than double the amount of space it currently maintains. The ambitious plan aims to firmly establish the Science Center as a premier urban research park on the East Coast that can accommodate and cater to fledgling biotechnology, high-tech and other early-stage companies and give them a place to grow into thriving businesses."

Executive Recruitment

"In today's world, it feels to me like one of the key lessons learned by those who aspire to senior or executive level jobs is that if you are smart, you will not wait for the world to happen to you. Indeed, ... nearly 70% of our membership is made up of executives who were currently employed but who were keeping both their eyes as well as their options open."

Dave Opton, CEO and Founder, Execunet

Rebounding Business Services Industry Emerges As A Leader In Executive-Level Job Creation

Ashton Tweed is actively involved in a number of interesting and unique executive search assignments. According to Jim Rudman, the economy and executive search market are strong in many sectors. Life Sciences in particular is growing rapidly, including positions in sales, marketing, clinical, regulatory, human resources and finance. Real estate development and construction businesses are also exploding. Commercial real estate companies are expanding and seeking leadership at all levels, particularly experienced senior managers.

"We have two types of clients: those that come to us on a regular basis, who understand that their core skill is not recruiting, and those who have exhausted other avenues on their own," says Jim Rudman. "They come to us because each of our partners offers a "hands-on" approach to every search. The critical work involved in developing and nurturing relationships with our candidates is not passed down to a junior consultant. We stay directly involved from the beginning of the interviewing process through to closing the assignment." Ashton Tweed's expertise is in fully comprehending the client's business objectives and sourcing the appropriate talent for the role.

Ashton Tweed's business model is not in the traditional Executive Search mold. "When we first engage with a client we take the time to grasp their business completely before we launch a search. We meet with the potential hires’ direct reports, peers and managers. Our in-depth analysis of all the personalities in the business assists us in ensuring a cultural fit."

Ashton Tweed also prides itself in focusing on the candidate and understanding them completely. "While our client companies pay our fees, we feel that time spent with all our candidates is most valuable, even if we don't ultimately place them. We enjoy helping those in transition and in turn often find that many enjoy helping us in return!"

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www.execunet.com – March 3, 2006 – With the unemployment rate falling to a four and a half year low and the economy on track for robust first-quarter growth, ExecuNet's Recruiters Confidence Index (RCI) remains at all time highs, as those on the front lines of the job market expect the demand for executive talent to soar in the months ahead.
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