PRINCIPALS OF THE FIRM

MARK RAVERA

As a principal and managing director of the firm, Mark leads engagements on R&D strategy and planning, as well as many of the engagements concerning commercialization and market entry strategies.

Previously, Mark worked as a Senior Consultant for Defined Health, a consulting firm focused on franchise strategies. In this role, he led projects in a number of therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, diabetes/metabolic disease, women's health, dermatology, rheumatology and CNS. Projects within these therapeutic areas involved commercial and scientific due diligence of licensing opportunities, revenue forecasts, competitive evaluations and projections of future market conditions. Mark's clients included biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical and large pharmaceutical companies based in the US and Europe.

Prior to Defined Health, Mark worked as an analyst on Wall Street for Mehta Partners, where his coverage included all large-cap pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe , as well as several biotechnology companies. He was also active in the firm's strategic advisory practice and worked closely with senior management of companies based in the US , Europe and Asia . Engagements included R&D strategy development as well as product commercialization and market entry strategies.

Mark has extensive R&D experience both in large pharmaceutical companies and in small biotechnology start-ups. This broad-spectrum industry experience allows him to understand and appreciate the different R&D challenges faced by companies of differing sizes and stages of development.

Mark's industry perspectives have been widely cited in the media. He has been interviewed by publications such as Business Week, The Financial Times and The Los Angeles Times. He has also appeared as a guest commentator on CNNfn, CNBC and Public Radio's ?Market Place?.

Mark received his BS in Molecular Biology with honors from The Florida Institute of Technology and his PhD in Genetics from The George Washington University. He received his MBA from Rutgers University , where he was a Dean's Scholar, with concentrations in both marketing and in strategic management.

BASKAR VENKATRAMAN

As a Principal of the firm, Baskar brings expertise in strategic financial activities, with extensive experience in mergers & acquisitions as well as in alliances and joint ventures, both in the international markets and in the domestic Indian market. His financial acumen is backed by the strategic vision to work with clients of all sizes to identify, negotiate and conclude acquisitions, divestures and alliances.

Before joining the Strategic Pharma Consulting Group, Baskar was Vice President of Finance for Nicholas Piramal India Limited, the third largest pharmaceutical company in India. In this role, he was responsible for M&A activities that expanded the company's presence in established business areas. His efforts in the acquisitions of the Indian divisions of large multi-national corporations added significantly to Nicholas Piramal's top line .

Baskar also led the financial initiatives that allowed the company to enter new business areas, including contract clinical research and genomics research. When Nicolas Piramal decided to establish a national chain of pathology labs, Baskar executed the business entry strategy and led the business division for four years, building it into one of the three largest pathology lab organizations in the country.

In addition, Baskar played a key role in driving Nicholas Piramal's strategic initiative to enter international markets and to establish partnerships with pharmaceutical firms in Latin America, Europe and the US.

Baskar earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry from Madras University. His Indian financial qualifications include being a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India. He has also passed the Certified Public Accountant examination in the US .