James E. Foley, PhD, began his career in the pharmaceutical industry in 1977 at the Squibb Institute of Medical Research (E. R. Squibb and Sons). In 1989, he joined the Department of Licensing and Business Analysis at Squibb and relocated to Tokyo to further establish the company's worldwide pharmaceutical licensing activities in Japan and relationships with Japanese R&D-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Dr. Foley joined SmithKline Beecham's Worldwide Business Development Team in 1991 as Vice President and Director, Business Development- Japan/Asia, and remained based in Tokyo. He was a member of the International Management Committee representing the company's worldwide licensing interests in Japan, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand.

He returned to the United States in 1995, where he continued his responsibilities based in Philadelphia.

In 2002, Dr. Foley returned to Bristol-Myers Squibb as Vice President, Business Development- Japan/International, focused on the identification of strategic R&D collaboration and product licensing opportunities from the Japan, Asia and Australia/New Zealand regions. After retiring from BMS in 2006 through February 2008, he was President and CEO of SMART Biosciences, an early-stage discovery biotechnology company focused on neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Foley joined Aqua Partners, a corporate and business development advisory firm focused on strategy development, licensing, M&A and finance for early-stage biopharma companies worldwide, with a special expertise in Japan/Asia R&D, cross-border relationships and partnering.

He serves or has served on the Board of Trustees of St. Peter's School, Philadelphia, the Boards of Directors of SFJ Pharmaceuticals, Traxion, Sosei and Company (Tokyo), the Japan-America Society of Greater Philadelphia and the New York Pharma Forum, and the Advisory Boards of the Haub School of Business (St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia), the Marshall School of Business Global BioBusiness Initiative (University of Southern California, Los Angeles), and Sc Capital I (University City Science Center, Philadelphia). He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Institute of Basic Biomedical Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Jim co-chaired the TransPacific Health Sciences Dialogue, an annual policy meeting held in Philadelphia addressing healthcare issues/solutions in the U.S., Japan and Asia for 15 years.

A member of the Licensing Executives Society (LES), Dr. Foley was honored by the organization with the Frank Barnes Mentorship Award. He was designated a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP™) by LES in 2008. He holds a PhD in Physiology from Thomas Jefferson University College of Graduate Studies and received a BA in Biology/ Chemistry from Rutgers University.

Dr. Foley was a NIH Post-Doctoral Fellow (Hematopharmacology) from 1975 to 1977 in the Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine.