BIO is pleased to welcome our distinguished keynotes to this year’s BIO Convention in China.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013
9:15 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.
Auditorium 

Governor Jay Inslee Washington State

Jay first became involved in public service in 1985 when he and Trudi helped lead the effort to build a new public high school in Selah. Motivated to fight against proposed funding cuts for rural schools, Jay went on to represent the 14th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. He continued serving communities in the Yakima Valley when he was elected to Congress in 1992. The Inslees later moved back to the Puget Sound area where Jay was elected to Congress in 1998, serving until 2012. During his time in Congress, Jay became known as a forward-thinking leader, especially on issues of clean energy and the environment. As governor, Jay's top priority is growing Washington's innovative industries such as clean energy, IT and life sciences, and strengthening existing industries such as aerospace, agriculture, maritime and military. 

Gary F. Locke Ambassador of the United States of America to the People’s Republic of China

On March 9, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Gary Locke to be the 10th Ambassador of the United States of America to the People’s Republic of China. He was confirmed by the Senate on July 27, 2011 and was sworn in on August 1, 2011. He assumed duty as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People's Republic of China on August 13, 2011.

Previously, Ambassador Locke served as the Secretary of Commerce where he helped implement President Obama's ambitious agenda to turn around the economy and put people back to work. As the administration’s point person for achieving the President’s National Export Initiative, he presided over a 17 percent increase in exports from 2009 to 2010, while exports to China saw a 32 percent increase. Ambassador Locke also oversaw a significant first step in the president’s export control reform effort that strengthens national security, while making U.S. companies more competitive by easing their licensing burden for exports to partners and allies.

Bian Zhenjia Assistant Minister China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA)

Mr. Bian Zhenjia currently is the Assistant Minister of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and is one of the nine Party Group members of CFDA. Bian started serving this position since March 2013. Prior to this, Bian was the Deputy Commissioner of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), a position he has served in since March 2009.

He had been working at SFDA more than 20 years including various positions as DG and DDG of Drug Safety Administration, DDG of Science and Education. Prior to the post in SFDA, he had been working at Institute of Materia Medica (IMM), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences for many years. He served as Deputy President, Director of Science development division, deputy director of science and research, deputy director of general office etc.

Mr. Bian graduated from Beijing Medical College majored in Medicine in 1977. From August 1996 to February 1997, Bian studied public health management in the University of North Carolina in the U.S. Mr. Bian born in 1953, Lishu City of Jilin Province.

Zhao Yajun Director General China Center for Pharmaceutical International Exchange

Mr. Zhao Yajun has been the DG of CCPIE since 2002. Prior to that, he was the Division Director of the International Cooperation Department of State Food and Drug Administration.

Mr. Zhao Yajun has worked in international cooperation and has a significant experience in international regulatory exchange.

James C. Greenwood President and CEO Biotechnology Industry Organization

James C. Greenwood is President and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) in Washington, D.C., which represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. Since his appointment in January of 2005, he has markedly enhanced the trade association’s capacity – increasing both its staff and budget by nearly fifty percent. BIO is now a world class advocacy organization playing a leading role in shaping public policy on a variety of fronts critical to the success of the biotechnology industry at the state and national levels as well as internationally.

Mr. Greenwood represented Pennsylvania's Eighth District in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 1993 through January 2005. A senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he was widely viewed as a leader on health care and the environment. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Greenwood served as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation with oversight authority over issues in the full Committee's vast jurisdiction. He led hard-hitting investigations into corporate governance at Enron, Global Crossing and WorldCom; terrorist threats to our nation's infrastructure; and waste and fraud in federal government agencies. Prior to his election to Congress, Mr. Greenwood served six years in the Pennsylvania General Assembly (1981-86) and six years in the Pennsylvania Senate (1987-1992). Mr. Greenwood graduated from Dickinson College in 1973 with a BA in Sociology. From 1977 until 1980, he worked as a caseworker with abused and neglected children at the Bucks County Children and Youth Social Service Agency. Mr. Greenwood is married with three children and resides in Upper Makefield, Pennsylvania.