Team - Aquest Consulting | Commercial Strategy for Global Biopharma

Michael Schlamp, Principal

Mike has more than 20 years of experience in biopharma commercialization and business development on both the industry side (Actelion, Genentech, Acologix) and the consulting side (ZS Associates). He has experience in commercial strategy, market research, forecasting, launch planning, and reimbursement planning for a range of programs from in-line to pre-IND. He has assisted companies ranging from Fortune 100 Big Pharmas to private biotechs across a wide range of therapeutic areas (including oncology, CNS, pain, cardiology, pulmonary hypertension, immunology, asthma/ COPD, nephrology, neurodegenerative disease, gastroenterology, and ultra-orphan). Mike has a BS from MIT and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

Alan Aimi, Principal

Alan has more than 20 years in biotechnology commercial strategic planning, commercialization and business development. He has worked at Actelion, Genentech and Hyperion Therapeutics in the areas of launch planning; launch execution, life cycle planning and market assessments/in-licensing. Alan has successfully led launches in immunology and ultra-orphan diseases and has experience in numerous other therapeutic areas including oncology, neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, nephrology and rheumatology. Alan has a B.S. from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Queensland, Australia.

Reid Bengard, Principal

Reid started conducting market research for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in 1997. His experience spans qualitative and quantitative studies across dozens of therapeutic categories, including actinic keratosis, anemia, bone fracture, breast cancer, CRC, diabetes, NSCLC, hemophilia, lymphomas, multiple myeloma, MS, neutropenia, prostate cancer, pain, psoriasis, and RA, among others. Prior to starting Aquest, Reid held senior positions at ZS Associates and Ziment. Reid has a BS from the University of California at Davis and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Kay Chin, Principal

Kay has over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical marketing and drug discovery, especially synthesizing complex data into actionable recommendations and marketing solutions. Her expertise includes market analytics, market research, new product planning, competitive intelligence, and co-promote brand launch in the therapeutic areas of respiratory, pain, gastrointestinal, and antibiotics. Kay graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BSE (Marketing concentration) from the Wharton School and a BAS and MSE in Bioengineering.

Jim Thompson, Principal

Jim has more than 20 years of international pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical strategy consulting experience. His areas of expertise are business planning, launch planning, market research and business development and has worked across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including autoimmune disorders, nephrology, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, pulmonology and infectious diseases. Before joining Aquest, Jim was a Director with Navigant Consulting’s Life Science Strategy Practice. Prior to his role at Navigant, he was a Partner at Front Line Strategic Consulting and was instrumental in its growth and sale to Navigant Consulting. Jim has an MBA from U.C. Berkeley and a BA in molecular biology from San Jose State University.

Stephen Jones, Engagement Manager

Stephen has 18+ years of experience in Lifesciences research and strategy consulting experience. Stephen earned a PhD at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focused on nanoparticle drug delivery to tumors before going to the University of California San Francisco for an American Cancer Society sponsored postdoctoral fellowship. Following his postdoctoral work, Stephen transitioned to management consulting with an ~3.5 year stint at ClearView Healthcare Partners prior to joining Aquest. Stephen has deep subject matter expertise in oncology, immunology/ inflammation, pulmonology, and infectious disease along with experience in leading consulting engagements related to due diligence, opportunity assessment, indication prioritization, revenue forecasting, competitive intelligence, etc..

Matt Voghel, Consultant

Matt has five years of experience in biopharma market research and commercial strategy consulting. His past work experience includes Ipsos, ZoomRx, and Boehringer Ingelheim. He specializes in both quantitative and qualitative market research, with a focus in oncology but experience in a wide range of therapeutic areas (including cardiology, neurology, immunology, vaccines, women’s health, and gastroenterology). Matt has an MBA and Pharm.D from the University of Connecticut.

Hailey Brighton, Consultant

Hailey has 14+ years of combined life sciences research and consulting experience. She began her research career at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in La Jolla, CA. Following her PhD from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Hailey worked on preclinical development of small molecule inhibitors for oncology at an early stage biotech company. From there, she did a postdoc at Duke University where she performed sarcoma research, designed supportive nonclinical oncology studies for a company in Phase II clinical trials, and she worked as a Project Manager for an interdisciplinary team developing technologies for plastic bioremediation. She has significant drug development experience with a focus on preclinical design, study management, and analysis.

Alexandra Dubinin, Analyst

Alexandra has six years of Lifesciences research and consulting experience. Alexandra is a full-time medical student at the University of California San Diego and a part-time analyst for Aquest. Alexandra graduated from University of California at Berkeley with highest honors in molecular biology and won the Paoloa S. Timiras Memorial Prize for Undergraduate Research. Alexandra has research experience at the Buck Institute and University of California San Francisco. Alexandra has significant disease area expertise in oncology, rheumatology, and hematology. Alexandra is pursuing a medical specialization in pediatric rheumatology.

Lindsey Davis, Analyst

Lindsey has 3 years of experience in biopharma consulting and business strategy and analytics. Before coming to Aquest where she graduated from our internship program, she completed an internship in Global Oncology at Daiichi Sankyo. Her previous experience is focused in oncology market research and product launch. She has a Masters in Biomedical Science from the School of Medicine at the University of South Carolina and a BS in Honors Biology from Southeastern University.

Russel Degener, Analyst

Russel is a seasoned analyst with extensive experience distilling large datasets into decision-ready analysis. With Aquest, Russel applies this skill most often for market and competitive intelligence, project management, and software development. He drives consultant deliverables ranging from competitive landscape to market evaluation and market research to client-tailored databases and data visualization. Russel has a BS in Enology with a concentration in Managerial Economics from the University of California at Davis.

About The Team

Our commercial and scientific backgrounds give us a comprehensive view of what it takes to succeed in the industry. Our experience spans biopharma, diagnostics, and medical device clients, from start-ups to the major players, across dozens of therapeutic areas.