Amgen’s Isma Benattia Joins KGI’s Board of Trustees

Dr. Isma Benattia, MD, MBA, Vice President of Research & Development Strategy & Business Operations at Amgen, has been added to the Board of Trustees at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), a biotechnology and healthcare education leader.

“I am thrilled to join such an innovative and diverse team, and I look forward to collaborating, learning, and contributing to shaping the future leaders in life sciences.”  

In her role at Amgen, Benattia focuses on integrating the vast array of data and analytic resources into the planning and execution of Amgen’s research and development programs, transforming their work’s speed, efficiency, and impact.

She is very passionate about patient involvement in the Research & Development of innovative medicines, the life-cycle management of marketed products, and is working extensively with various stakeholders to accelerate access to medicines. In addition, Benattia is knowledgeable and skilled in Big Data application in life sciences.

“Dr. Benattia is a wonderful addition to our board of trustees, and her experience and vast knowledge of the pharma and biotech spaces is unrivaled,” said KGI President Dr. Sheldon Schuster.

“We look to her contributions and discussions to move the Institute forward.”

Before her current role, Benattia served as the VP of Medical Affairs of Europe, Latin America, Middle-East, and Canada (ELMAC) regional Headquarters and affiliate Medical Teams across all therapeutic areas, where she built capabilities and partnerships which have contributed to the success of Amgen’s European business. Before that, she was responsible for advancing Amgen’s expertise and leadership in Global Patient Safety & Labeling.

With more than 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, she has held various roles with increasing levels of responsibility in different organizations. Prior to joining Amgen, she served as Vice President and Head of Safety Surveillance and Risk Management at Sanofi Genzyme and Executive Vice President with Pfizer Consumer Health Care. She has also worked in Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, and Executive Management at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly France.

Benattia earned a Master of Business Administration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management and a Master in Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her medical degree in Psychiatry from Faculte de Medecine d’Alger and Faculte de Medecine Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (Faculty Pierre et Marie Curie).