MassBioEd

Ligia Del Bianco is a multilingual corporate affairs and advocacy leader with two decades of global, U.S. and international healthcare experience.

Ligia is the Executive Director of the Biogen Foundation and Global Head of Patient Advocacy, Corporate Responsibility and Community Engagement. Her remit includes leadership over patient advocacy group engagement, Biogen’s philanthropic efforts, community outreach and partnering with high-impact groups that prioritize health equity programs for the benefit of local communities.

Previously at Biogen, Ligia was the Head of External Communications & Patient Advocacy, leading a global team responsible for internal and external-facing communications as well as patient advocacy group engagements across neurology, rare diseases, Alzheimer’s and mental health. During her decade long tenure in the company, Ligia has helped launch a half-dozen new medicines to help those living with devastating diseases.

Prior to joining Biogen, Ligia worked as a PR consultant in the U.S. and Europe to healthcare companies such as J&J, Sanofi, and Merk. She was responsible for integrated communications including media relations, scientific data reporting, leadership messaging, brand and reputation management.

Ligia was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and International Relations from Boston University and a masters in marketing from London’s Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Marie Muniz is a results‐driven and award-winning leader with 18 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry at companies such as Genzyme, Alnylam, and most recently PTC Therapeutics. With nine product launches throughout her career, she specializes in market development, launch strategy, and business innovation with a focus on rare disease. Marie has held senior roles in global commercial strategy, US marketing, and patient advocacy. Her passion for helping patients drives business success, inspires teams, and fosters collaboration across key stakeholders. Furthermore, Marie is committed to connecting the biopharmaceutical industry and bringing STEM resources to historically under-served communities. Marie co-founded Alnylam’s D&I program, participated in PTC’s Diversity and Inclusion Steering Council, and currently serves Latinos in Bio as a founding board member.

Kelly Pitt is the Vice President, US General Counsel and Head of US Compliance at MorphoSys US. Inc. She joined the organization in 2021, where she oversees the US legal and compliance functions. She has over 13 years of experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry supporting oncology, rare disease, and specialty businesses. Prior to joining MorphoSys, Kelly held roles of increasing responsibility in legal and compliance at Mirati Therapeutics, Sobi North America, Keryx Biopharmacetucals, and EMD Serono. Kelly received her B.A. from Palm Beach Atlantic University and her J.D. from Nova Southeastern University. 

Monique S. Cooper is an equity-minded higher education professional who is passionate about creating and sustaining inclusive campus climates where students from diverse backgrounds can thrive. Her extensive professional experiences include teaching, counseling, advising, and administration at a variety of institutions. Her multicultural and equity-minded philosophy focuses on optimizing holistic development, cultural empowerment and empathy, and career readiness and satisfaction for all students. She possesses a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree in School Counseling from Cambridge College, and a PhD degree in Learning, Leadership, and Educational Policy from the University of Connecticut. Her dissertation focused on examining perceptions and enactment of equity-minded, culturally sustaining career services. She has delivered trainings, keynotes, and workshops nationally on a variety of topics including anti-racist career services, building and sustaining culturally responsive teams, and enhancing DEI efforts in higher education.

Currently, Dr. Cooper is the Assistant Vice Provost for Academic and Career Engagement and Success at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She oversees a team of academic and career advisors and career services professionals who are tasked with implementing a holistic, student-centered advising model. Through collaborative efforts, she has secured over $1M in donor funding to support equitable student outcomes and career success.

As head of employee and community engagement at MilliporeSigma, Melissa Hackmeier leads the development and implementation of employee and community engagement strategy, programs and nonprofit partnerships, as well as communications to raise awareness about the company’s initiatives. She launched the company’s first-ever SPARK™ global volunteer program focused on science education, with employees volunteering more than 112,000 hours to engage 310,000 students in 41 countries to date. She is also responsible for leading MilliporeSigma’s flagship science education programming, including the Curiosity Labs™ program, which educates and inspires students around the globe through hands-on, interactive science lessons led by employees, and the Curiosity Cube, a retrofitted shipping container turned mobile science lab that travels across North America and Europe to spark curiosity in visitors of all ages through hands-on learning.

Hackmeier has extensive experience working on sustainability and social business innovation consulting projects with a variety of companies and organizations, including State Street, Dunkin’ Brands, Praxair, Western Union and Eli Lilly. Prior to her work in sustainability and social business innovation, Hackmeier was an account supervisor at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and Text 100 Public Relations. 

Hackmeier holds a B.A. in English from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from Boston University (BU) Questrom School of Business. She has appeared as guest lecturer in the MBA Social Enterprise and Environmental Sustainability class at BU and at a Marketing Social Change Class at Harvard University Extension School.

She has been involved with Net Impact in some capacity since 2009, and she currently serves on the advisory council of the Net Impact Boston professional chapter. Hackmeier served as president of the Boston chapter in 2013 and 2014, during which time it was named Professional Chapter of the Year.

Johanna C. Jobin is a corporate responsibility leader with deep expertise at the forefront of complex issues that define our time – most notably climate, health and equity.

With global experience that spans all aspects of environmental, social and governance issues, Jobin leads Takeda’s environment and sustainability efforts and ensures the company is making real progress on its ambitious net-zero targets and Planet imperative goals.

Prior to joining Takeda, Jobin led the conceptualization and launch of Biogen’s Healthy Climate, Healthy Lives initiative, which made Biogen the first U.S. pharmaceutical company to join the Business Ambition for 1.5C, with a Science Based Targets initiative-approved net-zero goal. From efforts to advance sustainable drug development to supplier engagement, Jobin helped create actionable roadmaps for environmental progress deeply linked to human health, with a focus on vulnerable communities. She also advanced the company’s commitment to transparency, expanding reporting in line with standards such as the SASB, the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the UN SDGs and the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, published by the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum. Jobin also led Biogen’s global community engagement strategy and served as Executive Director of the Biogen Foundation, with a focus on health equity and inclusive science education through Biogen’s Community Lab, the longest-running hands-on science program in the U.S.

Jobin marries deep sustainability expertise with the distinctive ability to engage internal and external stakeholders to advance corporate goals and communicate impact. Her leadership resulted in Biogen being recognized with the prestigious U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation award for the Best Sustainability Program, honored as one of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas and setting an industry record for leadership on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for ten consecutive years.

Previously, Jobin established the corporate responsibility function in MilliporeSigma, serving 60+ global sites and garnering the Greenest Life Science Company Award from the Life Science Industry Awards (LSIA). There, she developed first-in-industry product take-back and recycling programs for lab and biopharma customers and a Design for Sustainability program driving sustainability across a portfolio of 60,000 products.

Jobin plays an active role advancing sustainability in the industry and broader community, serving on the boards of MassBioEd, Project Green Schools and “e” Inc. Environment & Science Learning. She is also a Corporate Council Member of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, part of the ESG & CSR Board, and an advisor to Duke University’s Business and Environment Council. A frequent speaker at industry events and top universities such as Harvard, MIT, BU, and Duke, Jobin lives in Massachusetts (U.S.) with her husband and two children, who inspire her to help create a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable world.

Heather Connor is a global communications leader with deep experience and expertise across the spectrum of the healthcare and biopharma industries. As Global Head of Healthcare Communications for Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Heather provides strategic leadership in strengthening the global reputation of the company’s Healthcare business; in engaging employees; and in contributing to the vision and values of the organization. She serves as a member of the Healthcare Executive Committee and Business Partner to the Healthcare CEO. She is also a member of the Global Communications Leadership Team.

Through Heather’s tenure with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, she’s led a diverse, global team of more than 70 people, taking pride in working with those around her towards the shared vision of having a positive impact on the lives and well-being of people facing serious disease. Heather is a values-based leader whose passion and purpose-driven approach translate into high performance within her team and results for the overall business. She holds the art of listening and receiving and sharing feedback to the highest regard, with the goal of always assuming good intent to solve problems and deliver meaningful value. Heather is a champion of growth and development within the company, and takes great energy from the accomplishments and successes of those whose career path she has the privilege to impact.

From therapy approvals, to crisis communications, to employee engagement, Heather has led and executed strategic communications across the full portfolio of the global Healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Heather previously served as Head of Global R&D and Business Development Communications, leading the visibility and recognition of the company’s early and late stage portfolio and improving the reputation of R&D efforts across internal and external stakeholders. Heather has been with the company for 18 years in positions of increasing responsibilities. Heather is a working mother, who strives every day to master the art of multi-tasking across many dimensions to a high degree of quality and success—while often the balancing act doesn’t quite work out as planned, her tenacity is ever-present. In order to keep her wits about her even under the toughest of pressures, Heather is an avid runner who finds peace while pounding the pavement. And, she is very happy to be a “hockey mom” to her son and daughter, both of whom love life on the ice.

Tom Snow is currently General Manager, US Oncology at Sanofi. He joined the organization in 2012 as Vice President of Global Commercial Strategy for MS, where he oversaw global marketing, market access, and market intelligence to support the successful global launches of Aubagio and Lemtrada. From 2014-2017, he served as regional Commercial Head for MS in Europe.

Before joining Sanofi, Tom spent 9 years with Merck Serono, both with the US commercial organization in Rockland, MA and global in Geneva, where he was the head of global strategic marketing for Merck Serono’s MS franchise. Tom spent the first half of his career at several marketing and communications agencies, working for both consumer and health care clients, including Schering, Novartis, and Bayer.

Tom received his BA in English and Economics from Amherst College, and his MBA from Babson College, both in the US. In his “spare time,” Tom enjoys tennis, running, listening to music, playing the drums, and reading books. He also publishes a blog about spirituality and business travel (theabsoluteceiling.blogspot.com) which receives tens of unique visitors per month.

Jay Mettetal is a Director in Early Oncology Bioscience at AstraZeneca, leading the preclinical drug combination strategy, and coordinating AZ preclinical efforts on late-stage programs. He initially joined AstraZeneca in 2013 to build a Modelling and Simulation group focusing on translational safety and ADME. The team heavily supported the oncology portfolio with an emphasis on Quantitative and Systems approaches to common adverse events for single agent and combination therapies. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, he worked at CombinatoRx developing algorithms for identification of optimal combinations, and subsequently held positions at Pfizer in the biologics unit as well as Millennium/Takeda where he was modelling and simulation team leader in DMPK. He earned his PhD in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology applying quantitative approaches to problems in population heterogeneity and cellular signaling.

Melissa is the Chief of Staff, President and CEO’s Office at Boston Medical Center Health System. Previously, she held the role of Associate Director of US Corporate Communications at EMD Serono, where she was responsible for positively positioning the company with external and internal audiences, driving the positive reputation of the company through digital, media and advertising support and setting the communications strategy to enable the business to achieve its business and scientific leadership goals.

Prior to joining EMD Serono, Melissa was the Director of Strategic Communications at Boston Medical Center (BMC), New England’s largest safety-net hospital and trauma center. At BMC she managed the media relations and internal communications for the hospital and was responsible for developing and implementing broad, pro-active internal and external communications strategies in support of BMC’s key priorities.

Earlier in her career, Melissa was a Senior Vice President at Rasky Baerlien Strategic Communications, where she managed the firm’s healthcare practice working with a range of high-profile healthcare companies and organizations.

A graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, Melissa also serves on the Board of Healthworks Community Fitness, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality fitness opportunities and health education for women and children in low-income neighborhoods to prevent and treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases, improve health and fitness, and promote well-being and empowerment.