Athena at the Rady School, UC San Diego Announces New Board Members

Leaders in Life Science and Technology Join Board of Women's Membership Organization

Media Contact: Keri Peckham, 858-534-0855 or kpeckham@ucsd.edu

June 26, 2007

ATHENA at the Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego today announced the election of four new board members, Anita I. Busquets, Nancy L. Conyers, Magda Marquet and Susan Snow. ATHENA is a membership organization for executive women in the San Diego life sciences, healthcare, technology and business communities. The ATHENA board is responsible for setting the direction and providing oversight for the organization.

In order to become an ATHENA board member, one must be nominated by a member, vetted by the board affairs committee and then elected by the entire board. Board members’ terms last three years and may be renewed once.

“Women in the science and technology industries in San Diego are well served by ATHENA,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, who is an organic chemist. “We are fortunate to have ATHENA on the UC San Diego campus and I am grateful for the new board members’ commitment to leadership.”

“ATHENA is an integral part of the Rady School, with its members serving as mentors to Rady MBA students who are interested in the life science and technology industries,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. “The new board members are leaders in these emerging industry sectors and will play an important role on ATHENA’s board.”

“We look forward to welcoming our new board members,” said Lisa Haile, current president of ATHENA. “The board is responsible for creating educational and career opportunities for our members and these dynamic women will help determine our strategic direction for the benefit of all members.”

The new board members are:

· Anita I. Busquets is president and COO of NCE Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an agricultural biotech company focused on antifungal and antibacterial compounds and technologies. In her last position, Busquets served as chief financial and administrative officer of Salmedix, Inc., a San Diego drug development company. At Salmedix, she was responsible for all aspects of administration including finance, accounting, human resources, information technology and facilities. Busquets was responsible for corporate strategy, business planning, seeking financing and implementation. She successfully assisted the CEO in raising $82.6 million in less than four years, filed with the SEC to go public and helped sell the company to Cephalon, Inc. Busquets holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Simmons College Graduate School of Management.

· Nancy L. Conyers joined Marsh, the insurance broker and strategic risk advisor, in 1984. She serves as managing director and life science practice leader and provides property and casualty insurance broking, consulting and risk management services to biotech, medical device and pharmaceutical companies and their subsidiaries worldwide. Conyers has also been responsible for employee technical training and quality control. She has extensive experience working with life sciences companies and has helped them identify and manage risks from the development phase through product launch. Conyers has also provided strategic advice through events such as an IPO, merger or acquisition and bankruptcy. She has an associate’s degree in risk management.

· Magda Marquet is founder, co-president and co-CEO of Althea Technologies, a San Diego-based pharmaceutical services firm that provides critical manufacturing and development services to support researchers worldwide in their advancement of novel therapies and efforts to apply new genomic information. Her accomplishments include raising $27 million in capital, achieving profitability in 18 months, growing business to revenues of $25 million in 2006, establishing collaborations with leading academic centers (NIH, NCI) and contracts with over 200 companies worldwide. Prior to Althea, Marquet held leadership roles at Amylin and Vical, Inc. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from the University of Toulouse, France.

· Susan H. Snow was elected to the MAXIM Systems Board of Directors in May 2003. As chief financial officer, her responsibilities include finance, treasury, contracts, human resources and MIS/IT. Prior to joining MAXIM Systems, Snow was CFO of Network Insight, a telecommunications company and CFO of AP Labs, a defense contractor. She has also served as CFO of Desalination Systems and Nimbus Water Systems. Snow began her career at KPMG. She has a bachelor’s degree in music from the College of Notre Dame, a master’s in music from Boston University and a master of science degree from Northeastern University. Snow gained her CPA in Massachusetts.

In July 2006, ATHENA joined the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego as one of its special membership programs. Comprised of women (and men) in the San Diego technology, life sciences and healthcare business communities, ATHENA creates unique educational and motivational programs, as well as professional and social networking opportunities, to foster the personal and professional growth of its members. With a mission to empower women in these industries and mentor the next generation of women leaders, ATHENA's incorporation into the Rady School is a natural fit.

The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego educates global leaders for innovation-driven organizations. A professional school within one of the top-ranked institutions in the U.S. for higher education and research, the Rady School offers a Full-Time MBA program, a FlexMBA program for working professionals, undergraduate and executive education courses. Our lineage includes 16 Nobel Laureates (former and current faculty) and eight MacArthur Foundation award recipients. The Rady School at UC San Diego transforms innovators into business leaders.