Simon Best
Program Committee Chair
Prof. Simon G. Best, OBE, FRSE (UK) is CEO of Aquapharm Ltd, a marine biotechnology company, and Chairman of the University of Edinburgh’s BioQuarter initiative.
Prof. Best is a serial entrepreneur who built three substantial ventures as founding CEO between 1991 and 2005: Zeneca Plant Science, Roslin BioMed, and Ardana. Between 2005 and 2010 he built a portfolio of chair, board, and advisory roles with biotech companies, investors, and public sector bodies in Europe, the USA, and India. He was the Chairman of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) from 2006-2007 and Vice-Chairman of BIO in the USA from 1994-96.
In 2001, Prof. Best joined the Board of ICRISAT and served as Chair from 2006 to 2008. ICRISAT was rated as “outstanding” by the World Bank in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, Prof. Best was appointed to the CIP Board.
Prof. Best received his Bachelor of Music from the University of York in 1977 and his MBA from London Business School in 1985. In 2004, he was awarded an Honorary PhD from the University of York. In 2007, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE). In June 2008, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and was made an Honorary Professor of Medicine by the University of Edinburgh.
