Beyond the AI Hype:
The Beginning Of Smarter Science

Becky has served as President of the Pistoia Alliance since 2022 and is a long-time champion of pre-competitive collaboration to drive innovation and new breakthroughs in life sciences R&D. Under her leadership the Pistoia Alliance has grown to include around 200 members from across the global biopharma ecosystem and a diverse and award-winning portfolio of over 20 projects and communities focused around four strategic priorities: Delivering Data-Driven Value, Harnessing AI to Expedite R&D, Sustainability-Driven R&D and Accelerate Late-Stage R&D. Becky is passionate about creating value for members, strengthening relationships with regulators, and driving the life sciences industry forwards by supporting the adoption of emerging technologies and standards and through the delivery of education, training and change management initiatives. She regularly speaks at a number of high profile industry events. Prior to the Pistoia Alliance, Becky held senior positions at VWR (now part Avantor) where she worked for over a decade in sales, business development, and scientific services, before becoming Managing Director at scientific instrumentation and analytical services company Pion. Becky was previously a Project Manager and Chief Portfolio Officer at the Pistoia Alliance, before re-joining the Alliance as President after holding a Director role at Impellam Group where she led the company’s STEM services strategy. Becky has a PhD in Biochemistry from Imperial College and an MBA from Cranfield University.

Matthew Mikell is Head of Marketing at LabConnect, where he leads strategic initiatives in technology innovation and clinical trial services. Matthew Mikell is Head of Marketing at LabConnect, where he leads strategic initiatives in technology innovation and clinical trial services. With a 20-year career spanning healthcare technology, business intelligence, and AI-driven solutions, Matthew Mikell brings a dynamic blend of global expertise to LabConnect. He currently serves as Head of Marketing, driving global campaigns, public relations, and advertising that elevates LabConnect’s position as a leader in central laboratory services for clinical trials. His previous work with IBM Watson focuses on integrating generative AI, cloud platforms, and data analytics to enhance operational efficiency using the Internet of Things. Prior to LabConnect, Mikell held leadership roles at bioMérieux, where he championed IT and cloud solutions for infectious disease diagnostics. His thought leadership includes published insights on the future of AI in healthcare, chatbot therapy, and talent transformation in the age of automation. Mikell’s background includes international marketing, product management, and corporate communications, with a strong emphasis on B2B technology and partnerships. He is known for his ability to bridge technical complexity with compelling storytelling, making him a sought-after voice in healthcare marketing. He spent five years in Heidelberg Germany leading all channels and alliances as part of the leadership team in SAS International GmbH. Now residing in the Raleigh-Durham area, he spends his free time managing horses, chickens, and cats.

Mike Hampton is the Chief Commercial Officer at Sapio Sciences, where he leads global commercial strategy and operations, including marketing, solution consulting, customer success and sales. He brings over two decades of international experience in life sciences, spanning commercial leadership, digital business transformation, and customer success. Mike’s focus is on accelerating growth by developing strong partnerships with pharma and biotech and strengthening Sapio’s position as the industry leader in AI-native lab informatics. His career includes senior leadership roles at IDBS, a Danaher company, where he successfully scaled commercial teams and helped lead IDBS’s acquisition in 2017. Most recently, he served as Chief Revenue Officer and President of Field Operations at Causaly, where he partnered with top biopharma organizations with AI-powered solutions to empower scientists in achieving breakthrough discoveries. With deep expertise in R&D digital transformation, customer relationship development, and value-based engagements, Mike is passionate about helping customers accelerate the entire drug development lifecycle.

Rob Brown is Global VP and Heads up the Sapio Scientific Office. He was previously at Dotmatics where he was Head of Global Presales, Product Marketing & Product Management. Earlier in his career he ran product marketing teams at Accelrys, SciTegic and MSI. Rob started his career as a postdoc and later research scientist at Abbott Laboratories (now Abbvie). He received his PhD in Cheminformatics from the University of Sheffield, UK.

Gordon McCall is the Chief Operating Officer at Sapio Sciences, overseeing global operations, customer delivery, and satisfaction. As the bridge between Sapio’s strategy and execution, he drives operational excellence and customer success. Formerly Sapio’s CFO until May, Gordon has held multiple CFO roles across the industry, including at Dotmatics, where he supported significant growth. His leadership continues to strengthen Sapio’s mission to advance scientific innovation through technology.