Susan Desmond-Hellmann

Susan Desmond-Hellmann is president, Product Development. In this role, Hellmann is responsible for Genentech's Development, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Compliance, Product Portfolio Management, Alliance Management, Business Development and Pipeline Strategy Support functions. Hellmann is a member of Genentech's executive committee.

Hellmann joined Genentech in 1995 as a clinical scientist and she was named executive vice president, Development and Product Operations in 1999, and chief medical officer in 1996. In addition to her work at Genentech, Hellmann is an adjunct associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Hellmann is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and completed her clinical training at UCSF. In March 2004, Hellmann was named to her current role as president, Product Development.

Prior to joining Genentech, Hellmann was associate director of clinical cancer research at Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pharmaceutical Research Institute. While at Bristol-Myers Squibb, she was the project team leader for Taxol.

Hellmann has also served as Assistant Professor, Hematology-Oncology at UCSF. During her nine years of training in internal medicine and oncology, Hellmann spent two years as visiting faculty at the Uganda Cancer Institute studying AIDS and cancer. She also spent two years in private practice before returning to clinical research.

Hellmann was named the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association's "Woman of the Year" for 2006. She was named to FORTUNE magazine's 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2001 "Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list. In 2005 and 2004, The Wall Street Journal listed Hellmann as one of its "Women To Watch." In 2005 she was elected to the American Association for Cancer Research Board of Directors, and in 2001 she was named to the board of directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Hellmann received her Bachelor of Science in pre-medicine and her medical degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley.