The Making of a CGT CDMO Builder

In this episode of Molecule to Market, you’ll go inside the outsourcing space of the global drug development sector with Steve Favaloro, Chairman and CEO of Genezen.

Your host, Raman Sehgal, discusses the pharmaceutical and biotechnology supply chain with Steve, covering:

• His deep passion for operations, and how early lessons in hard work and customer service shaped his leadership
• Learning from Mark Bamforth and the entrepreneurial journey at Brammer Bio, culminating in a $1.7bn exit to Thermo Fisher
• Why gaining exposure to every seat at the table was critical in preparing him for the CEO role
• Building Genezen with a focus on strong values, hiring the right people and investing in differentiated capabilities
• How the cell and gene therapy market has evolved over the past decade, and why he remains optimistic about the future of curative medicines
• Why things inevitably go sideways in innovative drug development, and the importance of being prepared to navigate it

Steve Favaloro is an experienced biotech executive, board member, and investor. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Genezen, a best-in-class gene and cell therapy CDMO with specialized expertise in viral vector manufacturing. Steve joined Genezen in 2023 and has built up a team of almost 300 employees, supporting gene and cell therapy innovators from early-stage, growth-oriented biotechs to established industry leaders. He is an executive advisor at Ampersand Capital Partners, a leading healthcare investor, and serves on the board of Biologos. He also serves on the board of advisors of Life Science Cares Boston.

Prior to Genezen, Steve was CFO at Arbor Biotech, a next-generation gene editing therapeutic company. Steve also served as CFO at Arranta Bio, a leading CDMO for mRNA, from its founding in 2019 to its successful exit to Recipharm in February 2022. 

Prior to this, Steve was a finance leader and ultimately CFO at Brammer Bio, where he oversaw a period of rapid expansion and capital deployment from 2016 to 2019 – leading up to its successful sale to Thermo Fisher Scientific in May 2019 for $1.7B. Before joining Brammer, Steve held finance roles of increasing responsibility at MilliporeSigma, Merck KGaA, and Bruker Corporation. Steve received his MBA and Master of Science from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Steve also received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Boston College.

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