Retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral William McRaven will deliver a keynote address at the 2024 BIO International Convention in San Diego, CA.
As a world-renowned leadership authority, McRaven will sit down with John F. Crowley, President & CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). They’re expected to discuss current global challenges and how biotechnology can impact national security.
“We are on the cusp of a golden age of biotechnology, and Admiral McRaven will highlight why it is a strategic imperative for the United States to bolster our biotechnology capabilities and foster innovation in order to safeguard our nation and global society,” said Crowley.
Who is Admiral McRaven?
McRaven’s distinguished military career helped him acquire insight into the threats the U.S. is facing and how to overcome them.
“For more than a century, the United States has been the medicine chest to the world, providing life-saving vaccines, antibiotics, and therapeutics, saving millions of lives. In the face of diverse global threats, maintaining a robust biotech industry is paramount for safeguarding both the nation and our allies,” Admiral McRaven said.
McRaven’s thought leadership has been recognized by a number of organizations and publications, both national and global. He was the first runner-up for Person of the Year by TIME Magazine in 2011. He was also named one of the U.S. Top 10 Foreign Policy Experts and one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine.
Currently, McRaven serves as a Chancellor of the University of Texas System, overseeing 14 institutions that educate 221,000 students and employ 20,000 faculty and more than 80,000 healthcare professionals, researchers, and staff.
Admiral McRaven will speak on Wednesday, June 5, at the BIO International Convention in San Diego. His famous “Make Your Bed” speech at the University of Texas Austin 2014 commencement gives a clue of what to expect.
What else is on at BIO 2024
The BIO International Convention is one of the top events for biotech experts and leading innovators and companies from all over the globe. The event is a chance to gather and exchange ideas, form partnerships and collaborations, meet with sponsors, and more.
Last year’s BIO International Convention in Boston brought together over 20,000 attendees from academia, biotech, and other industries who held more than 57,000 meetings.
Emily Longvall, Manager of Industry Research and Education at BIO, shares how BIO offers companies the opportunity to increase visibility and meetings with potential partners via a company presentation.
“Historically, presenting companies scheduled twice as many partnering meetings as companies that did not present,” says Longvall. “In both 2022 and 2023, we had record numbers of in-person company presentations. Last year, there was a total of 265, which meant we were sold out and had a waitlist.”
There’s also the BIO One-on-One Partnering™ System, allowing companies to seek partnerships by sharing their company profiles and scheduling meetings.
