Register by April 30th to get the Discounted Rate for Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference - San Diego

SAN DIEGO, April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuesday, April 30 is the last day to secure a discounted rate for registration for the 2013 Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) National Conference, the premier conference for bioscience financial officers, which will be held May 28-31 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

"We are rapidly approaching the national conference and have a great lineup of industry leaders who will be discussing a number of topics that are of interest to financial leaders," said Brandi Roberts, Chief Financial Officer of Mast Therapeutics, Inc. and the 2013 National Conference Chair. "More than 100 attendees have already registered, and we hope that others can take advantage of the early registration discount by April 30."

Approximately 175 financial leaders from life sciences companies are expected to attend the conference to network and discuss how they can create and capture value for their respective organizations. The conference includes keynote speakers and breakout sessions all with a focus on value beyond just the areas of finance and accounting, encompassing operational excellence, business development, regulatory expertise and team building.  

Through keynote addresses and breakout sessions, ABFO will welcome numerous speakers, including:

• Michael Abrashoff, Former Navy Commander and Author
• Brian Baker, Senior Finance Consultant, Cleave Biosciences
• Robert Baltera, Former CEO, Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Daniel Bradbury, Former CEO, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• David Conway, Sr. Director Clinical Operations, Halozyme Therapeutics
• Brian Culley, CEO, Mast Therapeutics, Inc.
• Jim Datin, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Safeguard Scientifics
• Karin Eastham, Board Member – MorphoSys AG, Trius Therapeutics, Illumina, Crosswalk Press LLC, Geron
• Jorgine Ellerbrock, Sr. Vice President, Operations, Hologic | Gen-Probe
• Mark Foletta, Former CFO, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Koji Fukumura, Partner, Cooley LLP
• Carol Gallagher, Former President and CEO of Calistoga Pharmaceuticals
• Greg Guarasci, Sr. VP of Clinical Operations, PRA International
• Hans-Peter Guler, Sr. VP Clinical Development, Endocrine & Cardiovascular, INC. Research
• Kent Hawryluk, CEO, Tall Ship Group, LLC
• Robert Hoffman, Senior Vice President, Finance and CFO, Arena Pharmaceuticals
• Gary A. Holden, Director of Information Technology, Vical Inc.
• Jason Kent, Partner, Cooley LLP
• Moisha Platto, VP Proposals & Finance, PRA International
• Dr. Stanley Rockson, Chief of Consultative Cardiology at Stanford University School of Medicine
• Killu Sanborn, Oxford Finance
• Tamara A. Seymour, CFO, HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Armen B. Shanafelt, Ph.D., Venture Partner, Lilly Ventures
• Larry Smith, FASB Member
• Phil Schneider, Former CFO, IDEC Pharmaceuticals
• Lisa Thompson, Associate Director of Lean Enterprise Center of Excellence, Hologic | Gen-Probe
• Will Waddell, Sr. Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Oncomed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Robert Williamson, Acting CEO, BrainCells, Inc.
• Troy Wilson, President and CEO, Wellspring Biosciences LLC
• Jerry Wright, Senior Vice President of Lean and Enterprise Excellence, DJO Global

Registration can be completed online at www.abfointernational.org/conference through May 15, 2013.  The cost to attend the conference is $1,200 through April 30, increasing to $1,300 on May 1, and up to 18 hours of continuing education credits are available.  For more information about the conference, contact Brandi Roberts at [email protected].

Sponsors of the event include AON, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Brinson Patrick, Ernst & Young, Oxford Finance and Cooley LLP.  The conference is also supported by Russo Partners, PR Newswire and BioCentury.

About the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers

Formed in 1989, the Association of Bioscience Financial Officers has eleven chapters that serve as forums for the exchange of information about the industry and networking. Regional chapters are based in top bioscience concentrations to allow for face-to-face meetings and discussion of hot topics of interest to bioscience financial officers. The regional chapters meet annually for the ABFO National Conference for extended networking. For more information, visit www.abfointernational.org.

SOURCE Association of Bioscience Financial Officers