University at Buffalo School of Management

10 Buffalo Business | AI AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS SOCIAL IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT BUSINESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE INNOVATION, ENTREPREURSHP AND LEADERSHIP "I'm not a scientist or a physician, but I can read data, including manufacturing data, and know immediately whether we are making the right decisions," says Luther. "To be a successful leader, you need analytical horsepower." He also says leaders must have laser focus, relentless execution and persistence, and he strives to pass on these traits to the next generation of leaders. One UB student inspired by Luther and Ernexa's mission is Olivia Mullen, BS '24, and current MBA candidate. Mullen joined Ernexa as an intern, thanks to BizLink, the online career management system exclusively for School of Management students used by the Career Resource Center. In addition to working with Luther, Mullen had the oppor- tunity to work with an all-women finance team. "Each week, Sanjeev would send articles on the biotech industry to help interns stay well-informed," says Mullen. "The internship was an empowering learning experience, and it opened my eyes up to future opportunities in biotech." Where technology drives innovation While researchers chase the next biotech breakthrough, finance professionals find funding, and CEOs unite teams around a shared vision, IT leaders like Ryan Snyder, MBA '98, are creating the digital foundation that acceler- ates discovery. As chief information officer at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Snyder leads the company's global digital and IT organization. Thermo Fisher delivers innovative technol- ogies and services to help custom- ers advance life sciences research and bring life-changing therapies to market, while also operating the largest contract pharmaceutical manufacturing organization in the world. In his current role, Snyder oversees everything from applications and infrastructure to cybersecurity, auto- mation, e-commerce and artificial intelligence — and safeguards the sensitive data that drives discovery and manufacturing. Aer more than two decades at Thermo Fisher, in roles across various business units, he has seen how technology leadership has rapidly evolved. "If you use the metaphor of sitting in a car: IT leaders used to be in the back seat, as enablers of the strategy," Snyder says. "I've seen us move from the back seat to the front seat, sitting side by side and viewed as a strategic partner. Now, in the last 24 months we are being pushed into the car out front and being asked to lead. It's changing incredibly fast and leaders are looking to their technology partner asking 'what should we do next?'" Senior scientist Navneet Momi in a lab at Ernexa Therapeutics� Photo: Dipmoy Nath Innovation is created at the intersection of business and science. JOHN BORGESON, BS '83 CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, KODIAK SCIENCES Snyder

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