BIA appoints Steve Bates as Chief Executive Officer

Steve Bates who has worked both in biotech and the highest levels of UK government for 15 years, has now taken up the role of Chief Executive Officer of the BioIndustry Association (BIA).

Steve was Senior Director, External Affairs and Market Access at Genzyme UK and Ireland, during which time he worked on the establishment of the Office for Life Science and was a member of the BIA's Communications Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the industry Steve was special advisor to John Reid MP in his time as Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Health, Northern Ireland Secretary and Defence Secretary and helped deliver policy initiatives as diverse as "Our inheritance, our future: realising the potential of genetics in the NHS 2003" to the implementation of the Serious Organised Crime Act of 2005.

Earlier in his career Steve led the Labour Party media team into the general election of 2001 and was formerly a broadcast business journalist at Dow Jones and ITN. Steve is a Cambridge University graduate.

Tim Edwards, BIA Chairman, said:

"We are delighted that Steve is joining the BIA. I am certain that his experience in the bioscience sector and within government will prove to be invaluable. Steve will work with BIA members to engage government on our policy initiatives, such as the Citizens Innovation Fund, and to ensure that the Coalition government delivers on the Strategy for UK Life Sciences.

"I would also like to express the BIA's gratitude to Glyn Edwards for his contribution to the BIA as interim Chief Executive."