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Chamber's Diplomatic & Commercial Officers Group visits Grifols for Southern California bioscience sector briefing

July 23, 2019

by Center for Global Trade & Foreign Investment

Members of the Chamber’s Diplomatic & Commercial Officers Group received a briefing on the Southern California bioscience sector, organized in partnership with Southern California Biomedical Council (SoCalBio) and Chamber member Grifols, a leading global health care company. The greater L.A. area is home to 1,000 bioscience firms and employs 90,000 bioscience professionals. The session included expert overviews of bioscience hubs in the region by executives from key pharmaceutical companies, who also discussed growth prospects/trends and opportunities for international collaboration. Ahmed Enany, president of SoCalBio, noted, "Going global is not an option [for bioscience firms], it is a necessity even for emerging companies." SEE THE PHOTOS. The Diplomatic & Commercial Officers Group provides the infrastructure and venue where members of the consul corp. and trade offices can develop their own trade strategies and programs as they perform their professional responsibilities. To date, more than 40 countries are represented in the initiative. LEARN MORE.

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Would have liked to be a fly on the wall during this conference. As the CFO and Sr Vice President of Alpha Therapeutic, I participated on the acquisition team to purchase a 50% share of Grifols of Barcelona in the early 80's. Alpha was a divestiture of Abbott Labs' human plasma sector to a Japanese parent - Green Cross of Osaka. I was on the leadership team for that acquisition too. The acquired Grifols later purchased Alpha, the parent. The building where the conference was held, I helped lead the development in the late 70's Three of the CEO's for the company, I personally hired - one from a major Accounting firm who spent over 10 years as Co-President of the Spanish company in Barcelona and two others out of the Alpho Finance/Administration departments which I directed. There are many stories about the companies. It is good to know the sector is thriving in the LA area.
Posted by: Ken Martinet @ 2:34:17 pm