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Bioscience Industry News

The biosciences are a growing and vibrant sector of the U.S. economy, with more than 40,000 businesses employing 1.2 million people in all 50 states. States and regions across the country are working to develop and promote the growth of their bioscience bases. Additionally, each bioscience job in the U.S. generates 5.7 additional jobs in affiliated industries.

BIO 2006, held in Chicago last month, was a spectacular success. A record-breaking number of business leaders met, negotiated and exchanged ideas in the business forum. With a dominant presence at the conference, Pennsylvania Bio, led by Mickey Flynn (President) did an excellent job in promoting PA as the home to the continuum of the biosciences. Philadelphia is currently vying to be the host city for BIO 2011.

Alliance with NJ Center for Biomaterials

Ashton Tweed is pleased to announce an exciting alliance with the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials (NJCBM). NJCBM is dedicated to improving patient care and public health through the development and commercialization of future generations of biomaterials. It is one of the most successful academic-based biomaterials research consortia in the nation.

The alliance of our two organizations brings the ability of the NJCBM to access the Ashton Tweed Executive Talent Bank to help find highly qualified scientific and executive staff to assist the NJCBM in its mission. The alliance gives Ashton Tweed access to many of the excellent NJCBM programs.

The NJCBM was founded in 1997 by Professor Joachim Kohn, NJCBM director and Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Under Dr. Kohn’s leadership, NJCBM has built a nationally recognized resource in biomaterials science, with a major emphasis on industrial interactions.

NJCBM’s scientific focus is the design, synthesis, characterization and fabrication of new biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery, key areas of regenerative medicine. NIH-funded grants support the development of new biomaterials technologies and postdoctoral research training in the application of those technologies.

NJCBM has a successful model for academic-industrial collaborations, effective mechanisms for rapid negotiation of industrial contracts, and a creative approach to technology transfer, which has attracted substantial industrial participation since the center’s establishment. The National Science Foundation has recognized NJCBM with a “Partnerships for Innovation” award that supported a four-year program of evaluating new models of academia-industry collaboration for developing under-utilized intellectual property.

The Department of Defense supports NJCBM’s Center for Military Biomaterials Research, a multi-disciplinary effort to develop practical, leading-edge innovations in biomaterials and tissue regeneration that are aligned with the most critical military healthcare requirements.

In addition to research and development projects, NJCBM has an active outreach program that centers around industrial membership for companies, and research dissemination for academic participants.

Every two years, NJCBM organizes the New Jersey Symposium on Biomaterials Science, which will take place this year from November 8-10 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, NJ.

Further information about the 26 invited talks, and the contributed oral and poster sessions, is available at the NJCBM website at www.njbiomaterials.org/symposium2006. Participation in the Symposium is the ideal opportunity for exposure to NJCBM’s large academic-industrial-military network.

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New Jersey Center for Biomaterials

Upcoming Life Science Industry Events

June 1, 2006
8th Annual Temple University International Venture Fair
Temple University Main Campus Student Activities Center
Room 200
1755 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA

June 9, 2006
Life Sciences Partnership Breakfast Briefing
Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC)
737 Constitution Drive
Exton, PA
Click here for more info

June 12-14, 2006,
Bio Venture Forum East
Hyatt Regency
on the Hudson,
Jersey City, NJ.
Click here for more info

NJCBM organizes the November 8-10
New Jersey Symposium on Biomaterials Science
Hyatt Regency
New Brunswick, NJ. Click here for more info

“It is what we make of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”

Nelson Mandela

Interim Executives

“Interim employment is the fastest growing trend in executive employment.”

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.

Interim Employment - "The Time is NOW!"

While interim employment is not new, the demand for seasoned, high-level managers to serve as interim or temporary executives is fast-growing at companies in all stages from small to large organizations.

“The landscape for temporary executives ... is pretty robust,” says Joseph Daniel McCool, editor-in-chief of New Hampshire-based newsletter Executive Recruiter News. Some firms that specialize in placing interim executives say their business grew 50 percent from mid-2003 to mid-2004, according to Los Altos, California-based Staffing Industry Analysts. “The demand has increased substantially over the past year,” says Marybeth Fraser, an Alexandria, Virginia-based consultant who sometimes serves as an interim marketing executive.

At Ashton Tweed, we are delighted that our Life Sciences clients, and the community in general, are supportive of this unique concept of “just-in-time” executive talent. We are pleased to report that our placement of interim executives is a confirmation that this trend is indeed a reality.

Risk reduction is one of several reasons why many employers choose to hire an interim executive for several weeks or even up to a year. “Companies are growing once again, but now they are less willing to take a chance,” McCool says, adding that “they don’t want to have to pay severance if there’s a bad hire; an interim vice president or director lets companies explore new business opportunities.” A company may seek a permanent executive, but for the first time, may be more willing to try out the interim executive and consider the interim-to-hire option.

Moreover, some companies may need an executive interim employee for just one project. A smaller company may require the part-time services of an executive such as a chief financial officer to oversee a scaling-up of the business, for instance. An employer looking to clean house may want a hired hand to act as the “bad cop,” making difficult changes, and then depart.

When executives complete an interim assignment, they often have another offer waiting that has been secured by Ashton Tweed. Proven executive talent, especially the kind that get things done, will always be in demand. Contact us to discuss what Interim Executives can do for your organization.

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An Interim Snapshot

Technology Asset Assessment

A large fine chemical manufacturer developed some new technologies that have direct application to some very specialized medical device and pharmaceutical therapeutics.

To help this client assess the asset value of this intellectual property, Ashton Tweed secured the interim employment of a skilled senior marketing/ management professional with global experience in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, clinical development, patient recruitment, reimbursement, and research products.

Executive Recruitment

"We often begin the conversation talking about a possible interim placement and wind up filling a permanent position."

Jim Rudman, CEO
Ashton Tweed


Strong Market for Executive Search

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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What We're Looking For:

A sample of our existing searches includes:

A COO for a large construction company who is adding a layer of leadership to help expand and build a rapidly growing business

A Regional Sales Vice President for a large European Pharmaceutical company

A Finance Director for an information services organization

A CEO for an emerging biotech firm

VP Sales and Marketing for a specialty pharmaceutical company.

Click here to contact us.

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