Claire Biot is Vice President, Life Sciences Industry, Dassault Systèmes, where she is responsible for helping companies digitally transform their approach to scientific innovation by using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to catalyze the next generation of therapeutics. Claire was also recently appointed to the Board of Directors at Mauna Kea.
Previously, she was the manager of industrial methods at the biopharmaceutical company LFB, then head of the division, health product pricing, and reimbursement at the French Ministry of Health. Most recently, she was managing director of Agence générale des équipements et produits de santé (AGEPS), France’s central agency for health products and technologies, and a subsidiary of Greater Paris University Hospitals (AP-HP).
In addition to engineering degrees from France’s Ecole Polytechnique and the Corps des mines program, Claire Biot earned a Master of Science degree in life sciences from the Watson School of Biological Sciences in New York, and a doctorate in immunology from the Institut Pasteur. She has also been an active member of several World Health Organization working groups.
Glen de Vries is co-CEO and co-founder of Medidata, the most-used platform for clinical trials around the world. Medidata has powered tens of thousands of clinical trials, with millions of patients and billions of patient records. In 2019, in one of the largest health care technology acquisitions in history, Medidata became part of Dassault Systèmes. Glen has been driving Medidata’s mission since the company’s inception in 1999, “powering smarter treatments and healthier people” by advancing pharmaceutical business transformation with technology, non-traditional ways of thinking, and industry collaboration. Glen’s publications have appeared in Applied Clinical Trials, Cancer, The Journal of Urology, Molecular Diagnostics, and other journals. He serves as a trustee of Carnegie Mellon University and is the author of The Patient Equation (de Vries & Blachman, 2020).
Glen received his undergraduate degree in molecular biology and genetics from Carnegie Mellon University, worked as a research scientist at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and studied computer science at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematics.
Mr. Preston currently runs a venture capital fund that focuses on breakthrough technology solutions for sustainability. Preston spent most of his career, 30 years, at M.I.T. managing the interface between researchers and industry including responsibility for the commercialization of intellectual property developed at M.I.T. This led to the creation of hundreds of new technology-based companies as well as the negotiation of thousands of licenses with existing companies. Oversaw many complex negotiations including the creation of the U.S. standard for high definition television, while representing M.I.T. on the HDTV Grand Alliance. Also taught entrepreneurship at M.I.T.
Awarded the rank of “Knight of the Order of National Merit of France” by French President Mitterrand. Awarded the “Hammer Award for Reinventing Government” by Vice President Gore. Chaired President George H.W. Bush’s conference announcing the President’s technology initiative. Co-chaired a conference for HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales Technology Awards Conference. Advised the Clinton White House in preparation for the Kyoto Summit on climate change and he spoke at President Reagan’s White House Conference on Superconductivity. Testified before Congress seven times as an expert on technology innovation and has been on advisory boards for many government agencies.
Recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award, given to the leading American in technology transfer and the Renaissance Engineering and Science award from Stevens Institute of Technology. Honorary Alum of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Served on several company boards including Clean Harbors (1993 – present) and as Board Advisor to Mars Incorporated and Chairman of the Technology Committee of Mars Board.
B.S. in physics from the University of Wisconsin and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University.
Kevin Law became President and CEO of the Long Island Association in September 2010. He has been a key strategist and advocates on all matters impacting Long Island and its business community, and he helped secure more than $4 billion in infrastructure investments for the Long Island region.
Previously, Law was President and CEO of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPS), the second-largest public utility in the country. Before that, Law served as a LIPA Trustee and was appointed by Governor Eliot Spitzer as Chairman of its Board beginning in January 2007. During his tenure at LIPA, Law was a member of the Large Public Power Council, a national organization of the largest municipal power supply companies.
Law launched the largest energy efficiency program for any public utility in the country, procured the largest solar energy project in New York State, created an offshore wind collaborative with Con Edison and the New York Power Authority, and introduced “smart meters” to the region. Law also brought rates down to a five-year low and secured LIPA’s first bond rating increase.
Previously, Law served as Chief Deputy County Executive for Suffolk County.
Before his tenure in Suffolk County, Law was the Managing Partner of the Long Island office of Nixon Peabody LLP, an international law firm, and was a member of the firm’s Energy and Environment Practice Group.
Before he joined Nixon Peabody, Law was the Director of Real Estate for the Suffolk County Department of Law, where he administered the Pine Barrens, Open Space, and Farmland Preservation and Acquisition programs. Earlier, Law was the Assistant Suffolk County Executive for Planning, Housing, and Environmental Affairs. He also coordinated the County Executive’s environmental initiatives and affordable housing programs.
Prior to his initial tenure with Suffolk County, Law worked for the New York State Assembly as a legislative assistant to the Sub-Committee on the Long Island Economy.
Most recently, Law served on the transition team for Attorney General Letitia James, was the Chairman of the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board, and served on the Fix NYC Advisory Panel.
In 2011, Law was appointed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo as Co-Chair of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council. In 2009, Law was appointed by Governor David A. Paterson as Chairman of the Stony Brook University Council (and in 2016, he was reappointed as Chairman by Governor Cuomo for another seven-year term). Law is also the Chairman of the Long Island Housing Partnership, a not-for-profit developer of affordable housing, and Chairman of Accelerate Long Island, a consortium of Long Island’s top research institutions collaborating on converting world-class research into start-up companies. He also sits on the Boards of the Advanced Energy Research Technology Center, Energia, and the Association of Council Members and College Trustees. Earlier in his career, Law served as a Trustee to the Long Island Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and Suffolk County Community College. He was also formerly a member of the Board of Ethics for the Town of Smithtown.
Law holds an associate’s degree from Suffolk County Community College; a B.A. from SUNY, Stony Brook University; an M.S. from the Graduate School of Urban Affairs and Planning at CUNY, Hunter College; and a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. He is admitted to the Bar of the State of New York.
Dr. Kimberly R. Cline became the 10th president of Long Island University (LIU) in July 2013 and assumed leadership of one of the largest and most comprehensive private universities in the country. Dr. Cline has led the nearly century-old institution through a transformational process to provide students with an exceptional education that emphasizes experiential learning and excellence in teaching and research.
Dr. Cline’s tenure has seen dynamic new schools, centers, and career-ready programs launched at LIU to increase retention and graduation, attract high achieving applicants, and improve philanthropy while exposing students to high-demand academic programs led by innovative leadership. Headlined by the School of Computer Science, Innovation and Management Engineering in the AACSB International-accredited LIU Post College of Management, LIU has opened the Global Institute, the Steven S. Hornstein Center for Polling, Analysis, and Policy, the Generations Institute, one of the first in the country aimed at studying Generation Z, and the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. These centers and programs complement new degree offerings in healthcare, education, and business. In addition, LIU is the first private college in the region to be selected to participate in the START-UP NY initiative, with a newly-renovated business incubator designated for use by fledgling high-tech businesses.
Dr. Cline has also spearheaded the establishment of the School of Arts and Communication at LIU Brooklyn, an exciting collaboration with RXR Realty selling rights that will allow historic investments in the LIU Brooklyn campus and a groundbreaking partnership with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to restore the legendary Brooklyn Paramount Theatre at the campus. These initiatives reinforce LIU’s prominent role in the renaissance of Downtown Brooklyn, providing unique opportunities for the entire LIU community in all areas of study.
A recognized leader in education, Dr. Cline has been named to the Long Island Press Power List of the 50 most influential people on Long Island, was named to the inaugural Long Island Power 50 by City and State, and was named one of Brooklyn’s Women of Distinction. Dr. Cline is a past chair of the Board of Trustees of the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities and a past member of the board of the Center for Creative Leadership. She currently serves as Chair of the Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education (LIRACHE) and as a board member of the Long Island Association. Along with a Bachelor in Science in Industrial Relations, Dr. Cline also holds a Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctor, and Doctor of Educational Administration. She previously served as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer of the State University of New York system and President of Mercy College.
Randy Burd, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, LIUDr. Randy Burd is a senior academic leader who has headed major strategic efforts to advance excellence in academia by working alongside faculty on strategy development—including building, as well as scaling— of academic and research programs around the globe.
Trained in molecular and cellular biophysics, Dr. Burd’s research centers on improving tumor radiation response by regulating tumor cell function via a genomics-based method. Dr. Burd has advanced numerous academic research and funding initiatives, which led to senior leadership roles in international academics and research innovation.
Dr. Burd received his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics in 1998 from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. As a faculty member at Thomas Jefferson University, in 2002, he was appointed director of Pre-Clinical Therapeutics, and in 2005, was recruited to the University of Arizona (UA) to establish a Nutrigenomics program to identify new bioactive food compounds, that could be developed into pharmaceuticals. In 2012, Dr. Burd assumed the role of Assistant Vice President for Program Innovation and soon after served as Associate Vice President for Research for UA’s Global Research Alliances.
Currently, Randy is Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Long Island University (LIU) specifically overseeing LIU’s academic and research mission; he also maintains an active nutrition research program incorporating the use of technology and innovation to provide nutrition security via bioactive food compounds.
Reza leads the portfolio strategy group for the BIOVIA brand at Dassault Systèmes. BIOVIA builds and delivers solutions to accelerate materials & formulation innovation for a number of industries including life sciences, pharma, and aerospace, and defense. Prior to joining DS as CTO of MSC Software, he was responsible for the entire product portfolio, product management, and the company's development organization.
Reza has over 15 years of teaching graduate-level courses in applied mechanics and engineering. He has served on a number of advisory boards and councils, among them US DOE and The Council for Competitiveness.
Representative Tom Suozzi, trained as an attorney and CPA, is the Congressman representing the Third Congressional District in New York. He is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing committee of the House of Representatives, serving on both the Oversight and Tax Policy subcommittees. Congressman Suozzi is also the Vice-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and Co-Chair of the bipartisan Long Island Sound Caucus. In May of 2019, he was appointed to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Prior to his assignment on Ways and Means, the Congressman was a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Armed Services Committee.
Congressman Suozzi previously served as mayor of his hometown, Glen Cove, NY from 1994-2001, and as Nassau County Executive from 2002-2009. As a reformer and a problem solver, in 2004 Suozzi created FixAlbany.com, exposing and rooting out corruption in New York state politics. In 2005, he was honored as Governing magazine’s “Public Official of the Year.” In 2007, he was appointed by the Governor to lead a state commission that proposed the first property tax cap, which has now become law. In 2008, the New York State League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) named him “Environmentalist of the Year.”
In 2010, Suozzi returned to the private sector as a senior advisor to investment banking firm Lazard and as of counsel at Harris Beach law firm. Prior to his time in elected office, Suozzi worked as a litigator for Shearman & Sterling, law clerk to the Chief Judge of the Eastern District, and an auditor for Arthur Andersen & Co.
Congressman Suozzi resides in Glen Cove with his wife Helene, and their three children Caroline, Joseph, and Michael.
