Alumni Profile: Senior Manager Ravneesh Sachdev
In just a few short years since graduating from KGI with a Master of Bioscience degree, Ravneesh Sachdev (MBS '06) has become a senior manager in the corporate development group at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of people with cancer.
Sachdev started his career in competitive intelligence-defining, gathering, analyzing and distributing intelligence about products, customers and competitors to advise executives in making strategic decisions for their respective organizations. He worked in the business development and strategic planning group at Pfizer Inc., in New York, before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area to work for Onyx.
The company, in collaboration with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is developing and marketing Nexavar® (sorafenib), a drug that is currently approved for the treatment of liver cancer and advanced kidney cancer.
As part of his current job Sachdev evaluates licensing and merger-and-acquisition opportunities for Onyx, as a key way to grow the company beyond Nexavar®.
In fall 2009, his efforts contributed to Onyx Pharmaceuticals' biggest deal yet with the $851 million acquisition of Proteolix, a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel therapies that target the proteasome for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors.
Sachdev graduated with honors from Claremont McKenna College with a degree in molecular neuroscience and was interested, early in his career, in finding a seamless way to transition from the bench to the business side of the life sciences.
"I realized that KGI would provide a more strategic way to get into the business side of the biopharmaceutical industry than a traditional MBA," said Sachdev.
He's remained connected to KGI, serving as the admissions chairman for KGI's Alumni Board. Sachdev is also affiliated with several professional organizations, such as Licensing Executives Society and BayBio.
"I would encourage prospective students to fearlessly explore a variety of opportunities within the life sciences industry," said Sachdev. "Never underestimate the power of taking the road less traveled; it could surprise you by leading you toward more rewarding and fulfilling career choices."