Senior Executive
Conference
May 3–5, 2026
Boston, MA
The Mandarin Oriental
Senior Executive
Conference
May 3–5, 2026
Boston, MA
The Mandarin Oriental
Click on the calendar and advance it to May for availability.
Join your ALDA community at the 2026 Spring Senior Executive Conference for a strong mix of strategic content and the unparalleled networking that defines ALDA’s meetings.
The conference will explore The New Era of Proteomics, as improvements in sensitivity, scale, and data quality reshape how the life science and diagnostics sectors understand biology. These developments are helping move proteomics from a specialized research area to a core platform for discovery, translational work, and potential clinical applications.
The program will focus on the strategic importance of this shift for member companies. We’ll take a close look at how proteomics can improve R&D productivity, support next-generation diagnostic approaches, and create new opportunities across instruments, tools, consumables, and data-centric solutions.
This meeting is designed to help senior leaders understand where the field is today, how it is evolving, and how these changes can inform long-term planning and competitive strategy. In addition to the program, the conference provides a trusted space for thoughtful conversations with fellow leaders from across ALDA’s membership.
ALDA’s semi-annual conferences are for C-suite and full-time senior executive employees of ALDA member companies, directly involved in the daily strategic management of their organizations. Please view the Attendance Guidelines for more details.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Sunday, May 3
Welcome reception and dinner with guest speaker:
Rahm Emanuel
Former White House Chief of Staff and US Ambassador to Japan
We’re pleased to welcome Rahm Emanuel as our opening dinner speaker. Emanuel brings a rare combination of domestic political leadership and global diplomatic experience to the ALDA Senior Executive Conference. Having served at the highest levels of US government, including as White House Chief of Staff, US Ambassador to Japan, and Mayor of Chicago, he offers a deeply informed perspective on today’s political climate and America’s evolving role on the world stage.
Drawing on decades at the center of consequential decision-making, Emanuel will explore what effective leadership looks like in a period of geopolitical realignment, economic competition, and institutional change, and how choices made today will shape the next chapter of American leadership globally. His insights are particularly relevant for senior executives navigating uncertainty, long-term risk, and the intersection of policy and global markets.
Monday, May 4
The New Era of Proteomics Programming.
Proteomics at an Inflection Point: Capital, Platforms, and Market Signals
Proteomics is entering a decisive moment as scientific progress, capital deployment, and platform maturity converge to reshape the life science and diagnostics landscape. In this session, Puneet Souda will provide a market-level overview of where proteomics stands today, drawing on investment trends, platform evolution, and adoption signals across research, clinical, and commercial settings.
The discussion will highlight which segments of the proteomics ecosystem are the most attracting capital, where technological differentiation is emerging, and how proteomics is beginning to influence adjacent markets including drug discovery, diagnostics, and precision medicine. This session will set the strategic context for the proteomics program by framing why this moment matters, where value is being created, and how leaders should think about proteomics from an investment, partnership, and portfolio perspective.
Speaker:
Puneet Souda
Senior Managing Director, Life Science Tools and Diagnostics
Leerink Partners
From Precision Proteomics to Platforms: Advancing Toward Precision Medicine and Real-World Impact
Proteomics is entering a new phase, one in which advances in protein-level biology are beginning to connect more directly with translational research, platform development, and real-world application. In this combined session, Neil Kelleher and Chris Whelan will offer complementary perspectives on where the field is headed and why this moment matters for senior leaders across the life science and diagnostics ecosystem.
Neil Kelleher will explore the importance of proteoforms and top-down proteomics in advancing a more precise understanding of biology, disease, and therapeutic opportunity. Chris Whelan will then examine how next-generation proteomics is evolving into a broader translational and commercially relevant platform, with growing implications for research, diagnostics, and product development.
Together, the session will connect scientific innovation with platform and market evolution.
Speakers:
Neil Kelleher
Walter and Mary Elizabeth Glass Professor of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and Medicine
Northwestern University
Chris Whelan
Founder, UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project
Adjunct, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Founder & Principal, Ignition Scientific
Speaker Bios:
Neil Kelleher is a Professor at Northwestern University and a leading figure in proteoform science and top-down proteomics, including his leadership in advancing the Human Proteoform Project, and brings a perspective that connects foundational biological insight with real-world translational impact. For ALDA attendees, his work is directly relevant to the evolution of proteomics platforms, instrumentation, and diagnostics as the industry moves toward protein-level precision medicine.
Chris Whelan is Founder of the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project and an Adjunct at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, with expertise spanning proteomics, neuroscience, and precision medicine. Based in Boston, he founded Ignition Scientific and works with biopharma, non-profits, and venture-backed incubators on strategies involving multi-omics, biobanks, and emerging technologies. Chris offers valuable perspective for executives assessing where proteomics is headed from an innovation, investment, and product-platform standpoint.
Proteomics Through the Pharma Lens: Where It Matters Now and Where It May Go Next
As proteomics capabilities continue to advance, biopharma companies are increasingly evaluating where these tools can make a meaningful difference across discovery, translational research, and development. In this session, current pharmaceutical executives will share how they view proteomics from inside the organization: where it is already proving valuable, where expectations still exceed reality, and what will be required for broader strategic impact.
The discussion will explore how proteomics is being used to better understand disease biology, support target discovery and validation, strengthen biomarker strategies, and improve decision-making across R&D.
Ashok Dongre, PhD, is Senior Scientific Director and Head of Proteomics within Discovery & Development Sciences at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he leads proteomics innovation supporting disease biology and biopharmaceutical research.
Additional speakers will be added, bringing a broader range of perspectives from across pharma on where proteomics is gaining traction today and where the field may be headed next.
Speaker:
More speakers will be added soon.
Ashok Dongre, PhD
Senior Scientific Director and Head of Proteomics, Discovery & Development Sciences
Bristol Myers Squibb
Proteomics in Action: How Companies Are Turning Vision into Reality
As proteomics moves from inflection point to execution, leading companies are translating scientific and technological advances into real products, platforms, and commercial strategies. In this panel discussion, executives from across the proteomics ecosystem will share how they are applying next-generation proteomics in practice, from platform development and workflow integration to clinical, diagnostic, and research applications.
Panelists will discuss what is working today, where challenges remain, and how organizations are making strategic decisions around investment, partnerships, and product roadmaps. Designed to close the proteomics program, this session brings together real-world perspectives on how the future of proteomics is being built now.
Panelists:
Milad Dagher
Co-founder & CEO
Nomic
Josh Yang
CEO & Founder
Glyphic Biotechnologies
Jennifer Dionne
Co-Founder, Pumpkinseed
Professor, Stanford
Moderator:
Chris Whelan
Founder, UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project
Adjunct, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Founder & Principal, Ignition Scientific
Moderator:
Chris Whelan
Founder, UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project
Adjunct, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Founder & Principal, Ignition Scientific
Tuesday, May 5
Keynote session with guest speaker:
Nicholas Burns
US Ambassador to China (2021-2025)
Nicholas Burns brings a unique, firsthand perspective on the geopolitical forces reshaping global technology, trade, and supply chains. Drawing on his service as US Ambassador to China from 2021 to 2025, he’ll offer ALDA senior executives a strategic view of how US–China relations are influencing market access, technology policy, regulatory environments, and long-term investment decisions for globally operating life science tools and diagnostics companies.
Burns has more than three decades of diplomatic experience serving six US Presidents and nine Secretaries of State. As US Ambassador to China, he led a team from 48 US government agencies across the embassy and multiple consulates and worked on issues spanning security, technology, trade, and human rights.
REGISTRATION FEES
We’re pleased to keep registration rates unchanged from previous years.
First attendee from your company:
$2,795
Additional attendees from your company:
$2,295
CANCELLATION & OTHER POLICIES
No refunds of meeting registration fees will be made for registration cancellations after Wednesday, April 22, 2026; however, if you must cancel, please remember that you are also responsible for canceling your hotel reservations.
Spouse/Partner Attendance: We encourage attendees to bring their spouses/partners to our conferences to enjoy the social aspects of the event. Spouses are welcome to attend the two receptions and dinners, and the Tuesday morning closing keynote speaker. To assist with planning and accurate headcounts, spouses must be registered by Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Spouse registrations received after March 31 will include a fee of $150 per evening event. (Please register your spouse with attendee registration.)
LOCATION & HOTEL INFORMATION
The Mandarin Oriental, Boston
776 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199
Main Hotel Phone: (617) 535-8888
The Mandarin Oriental, Boston combines classic New England elegance with refined Oriental touches to create one of the most distinctive hospitality experiences in the region. A 15-minute drive from Logan International Airport, the hotel connects guests to the city’s finest shopping, cultural venues, and business institutions from its prime location in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay on Boylston Street.
Hotel Accommodations:
ATTENDEES MUST MAKE THEIR OWN HOTEL RESERVATIONS.
We have secured a block of rooms at The Mandarin Oriental, Boston at the group rate of $565.00 per night for Deluxe King or Premiere Deluxe King. We also have a small block of Premier City View King Rooms at the group rate of $665.00 per night. The Premier City View rooms are available on Sunday and Monday only. Rooms are available through Thursday, April 2, 2026, or until our room block sells out. Reserve your room online here (click on the calendar and advance it to May for availability), or you can email Group Reservations, or call (617) 535-8888.
Note: There may be penalties for rooms vacated prior to the scheduled departure date, and “no-show” reservations will be billed to your account for the full dates of the reservation.
FAQs
What can I expect?
Opportunities to make valuable connections, gain strategic insights on emerging trends, and draw inspiration from industry-leading peers.
When is the conference?
The conference begins on Sunday, May 3 at 6 p.m. with a guest speaker and dinner, then wraps up with our keynote speaker on Tuesday, May 5, around 9:15 a.m.
Who should attend?
C-suite and full-time senior executive employees of ALDA member companies, directly involved in the daily strategic management of their organizations. Spouses are also welcome to attend the Sunday and Monday dinners and the closing session on May 5.
Please read more information in ALDA’s Attendance Guidelines.
**This conference is for ALDA members only. If you are interested in attending and are not a member, please contact ALDA staff regarding membership and the necessary next steps.
What is the cost to attend?
- First attendee from your company: $2,795
- Each additional attendee: $2,295
Where can I stay?
Attendees must make their own hotel reservations. ALDA is pleased to offer a room block at the conference host hotel, The Mandarin Oriental. Please book your room here (click on the calendar and advance it to May for availability).
How do I register?
- Sign in to the website with your username and password. If you’re a member, you can reset your password here if needed. Or please contact us for assistance signing in.
- To register only yourself, select “Add Me.” Click “Save/Continue” to proceed through registration.
- Group registration: to register more than one person from your company and use one payment method for all registrants, use “Add Someone Else” to search for records in our system. If any registrant is not in our system, you can add them. Once all registrants are added, click “Save/Continue” to proceed through registration.
I have more questions – who can I contact?
Please email Carol Starke, ALDA Meetings and Administration Manager, or call her at (703) 282-0902 with any questions.