LESLIE WILLIAMS, VENTURE PARTNER 

Recognized in 2006 as one of the top 100 leaders in life sciences by PharmaVOICE magazine, Leslie has more than 20 years of industry experience in healthcare, management, commercial product development and marketing.

Her two decades-plus career runs the gamut from nursing to corporate executive leadership positions, including president and chief executive officer of Ventaira Pharmaceuticals 

Leslie joined the specialty pharmaceutical company in 2003 in the dual roles of vice president of business and commercial development, and chief operating officer. She quickly moved up to the top positions, which she held from 2004 to 2007. Under her leadership, the company became a significant player in the pulmonary-drug-delivery market and the company was sold the end of 2007.

Prior to Ventaira, Leslie was director of marketing for INO Therapeutics, Inc., where she played a significant role in the NDA submission for INOmax (nitric oxide) for inhalation, a drug for treating pulmonary hypertension.

Responsible for the commercial aspects of INOmax’s U.S. market introduction, from setting objectives and strategy to developing key constituency groups and expert advisory boards, as well as representing INO Therapeutics on Capitol Hill, Leslie also assisted with expansion of the INO-therapy platform into the European marketplace. (The company was acquired by Ikaria Holdings in 2007 for some $670 million.)

Leslie’s prior pharmaceutical industry experience includes commercial positions at Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, and drug-delivery and -monitoring experience at Datex-Ohmeda (formerly Ohmeda, Inc.). 

As a Battelle Ventures venture partner, Leslie assists early-stage technology companies with strategy, management and business development. She serves on the Board of CDI Bioscience, a Battelle Ventures portfolio company that has developed an innovative technology for increasing the yield of bioproducts.

Leslie holds an MBA from Washington University, John Olin School of Business, and a B.S. degree with honors in nursing from the University of Iowa. Before entering industry, she was a critical-care nurse at Duke University, Medical College of Virginia and at the University of Iowa.