Session 108
Building a Data-Driven Alliance Operating Model

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals conducted a reputational survey asking its partners and its own alliance personnel and stakeholders to assess Dicerna's strengths and areas of opportunity to become an even better alliance management partner. The data that came out of this survey serves as the foundation for the development of Dicerna's operating model. As a science-driven organization, it is important to Dicerna that its operating model for collaborations be fit-for-purpose and based on data.

The principles that drove the creation and implementation of this survey were based on truth-seeking and belief in the value of strong data. Dicerna partnered with key experts to collaborate on this process, including Vantage Partners, which worked with Dicerna to develop, field, and analyze a broad partnering survey, and Letizia Amadini-Lane of LAL Group, who helped to develop the operating model.

The speakers will share the process that was followed and the rationale for the approach, as well as considerations for others who want to understand what their organization does well and what can be done to continue to evolve the alliance management function and add value.

Participants will leave the session with an understanding of:

Speakers:

Nancy Griffin, CA-AM
VP, Alliance Management
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals

Nancy Griffin is Vice President of Alliance Management at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., responsible for alliance portfolio management for each of the company's discovery development collaborations, with a focus on building effective and constructive strategic alliances to exceed operational goals and demonstrate valuable differentiation. Prior to her role at Dicerna, Nancy held alliance leadership roles at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Novartis AG, Novartis Oncology and Bayer Healthcare. With more than 20 years of international experience in the pharmaceutical sector, Ms. Griffin has worked across business development, licensing, business intelligence and drug development, including clinical operations, regulatory and clinical trial management.

Ms. Griffin is a board member of EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), a non-profit focused on scientific research and global alliances addressing pandemic prevention. She joined the EHA board in 2018 and, since then, has taken on additional responsibilities as Board Secretary and Chair of the Audit Committee.

Ms. Griffin has an undergraduate degree in Nursing Science from the University of Toronto, an MBA from Quinnipiac University and an MPH from George Washington University.

Jessica Goodman, PhD, CA-AM
Senior Director of Alliance Management
Dicerna

Jessica Goodman, PhD, CA-AM, is currently the Senior Director of Alliance Management at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals where she is responsible for establishing and maintaining successful, value-generating R&D pharmaceutical alliances by supporting productive working relationships, removing non-scientific barriers, and identifying ways to minimize risk. Prior to joining Dicerna, Jessica led the Corporate Alliances team at Harvard's Office of Technology Development (OTD), where she used alliance and project management to maximize the value of early stage research alliances. Before OTD, Jessica held multiple alliance, project, and program management positions including at a small ALS non-profit, Prize4Life, and at Biogen. Jessica holds a PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University and was a NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellow at the Whitehead Institute.