Grant Castle B.S, PhD

Grant Castle is a partner in the London office of Covington & Burling practicing in the areas of life sciences regulatory law, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical and medical device regulation. His advice on general regulatory matters includes: adverse event and other reporting obligations, manufacturing controls, labelling and promotion, and product life cycle management.

He has also advised extensively on EC and national laws governing clinical research, data protection, and the regulatory status of borderline products. Grant's transactional work includes advice on regulatory aspects of mergers and acquisitions, licensing, and collaborative arrangements.

Velo Mitrovich BA MSc

The San Diego native has held an a variety of careers, including 20 years in the US Coast Guard, a senior writer for a Hong Kong newspaper, a UK police spokesperson, and then a fish writer for 10 years, travelling the world writing about aquaculture. Currently he works as a freelance writer for a variety of organisations - including RAFT - and is an award-winning personal and group trainer for those over 75 with balance issues and/or have chronic illnesses.

He has a BA in Journalism from San Francisco State University and an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College. His MSc thesis was in olive myth, culture and cultivation, inspired by a small grove he owns in the mountains of Greece. Hobbies include travelling to anywhere warm, diving, weight lifting, cooking, reading, writing the great American/UK novel, and keeping his wife and two pugs happy.

Richard Pell

Richard Pell is a Human Resources and business consultant who has experience in a variety of sectors. These have included charities, hotels and hospitality, international rail freight, utilities, facilities management, waste management, contracted services and the performing arts.

Following employment in HR and training capacities in the UK, USA, Caribbean and Middle East, he started his consulting business (HRSP) 10 years ago focusing mainly on small and medium sized businesses in London and the South East.

He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Member of both the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Hospitality.

Richard enjoys photography and travel, creative writing and following current affairs.

Anthony Walker PhD

Anthony is a Partner at Alacrita, a specialist life sciences consultancy. He leverages 12 years of building and managing a biotechnology company together with over 10 years as a management consultant to the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Prior to forming Alacrita, Anthony was CEO of Onyvax, a company he co-founded in 1997, raising over £35 million from blue chip life science investors including 3i and S.R. One.

Previously, he spent 10 years as a management consultant, specialising in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He consulted to Big Pharma and biotech, and also produced Expert Reports for five IPOs:

• At Arthur D. Little, he was appointed a European Director, responsible for the London-based pharmaceutical practice
• At The Wilkerson Group, he had responsibility for its UK consulting practice

Anthony Walker holds an Honours degree in Natural Sciences and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge.