Juan Jose Serrano
Juan Jose Serrano is Business Development Manager at Ardena. He brings experience in international business development, market analysis, and strategic account growth across the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors.
Before joining Ardena, Juan Jose held international commercial and trade advisory roles across Europe and Australia, building expertise in global business development and commercial strategy. Over the past four years at Ardena, he has supported global business development activities across multiple regions and service areas, helping identify collaboration opportunities between biotech and pharmaceutical companies and Ardena’s integrated CDMO and CRO platform.
Juan Jose obtained his MBA and brings a strong international and client-focused perspective to strategic partnership development within the pharmaceutical industry.
Ben Vermeulen
Ben Vermeulen, PhD, is Business Development Director at Ardena. He brings a combination of scientific expertise and commercial experience, supporting biotech and pharmaceutical companies across drug development and CMC programs.
Ben joined Ardena in 2016 as part of the Project Management Office, where he guided clients through formulation development, GMP manufacturing, analytical development and validation, and clinical supply activities. He later transitioned into business development and technical CMC sales roles, supporting clients by bridging scientific and strategic aspects of pharmaceutical development. In parallel, he also served as Safety Coordinator, overseeing API safety-related activities at Ardena. His expertise spans immunobiology, clinical development, CMC, safety, highly potent APIs (HPAPIs), and nanomedicine.
Ben obtained his degree in Bio-engineering, specializing in Cell and Gene Biotechnology, and earned his PhD in Virology and Immunobiology from Ghent University. He began his career as a technology developer at a Belgian-Australian biotech start-up before moving into the investment sector, where he evaluated oncology therapeutics for a private investor.
Elena Bilello
Elena Bilello is Global Vice President of CDMO Sales at Ardena. She leads global commercial strategy and business development initiatives supporting Ardena’s integrated CDMO services.
With more than 25 years of experience in sales and business development, Elena has built a strong track record in driving commercial growth, leading high-performing teams, and fostering long-term client partnerships across the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Ardena, she held multiple roles at Catalent, where she led the East Coast North American Business Development team.
Elena is recognized for her leadership approach, commercial expertise, and ability to support strategic partnerships across global pharmaceutical development programs.
James Ngai
James Ngai is Director of Business Development at Ardena. He brings more than 18 years of experience across the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, combining scientific expertise with commercial leadership in support of drug development programs.
With a background in analytical chemistry, James has built extensive experience in commercial growth and strategic client partnerships. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and supporting the Pacific Northwest region, he works closely with clients to navigate CMC development and support the advancement of therapeutic programs.
James is recognized for his ability to bridge scientific understanding with strategic business opportunities across pharmaceutical development and manufacturing programs.
Amber Basinger
Amber Basinger is Director of Business Development at Ardena, focused on building strategic partnerships and supporting biotech and pharmaceutical companies across the Southern United States through Ardena’s integrated CDMO services. She brings more than 11 years of experience in business development within the life sciences industry.
Throughout her career, Amber has built strong relationships with emerging and established pharmaceutical organizations by supporting complex drug development and manufacturing programs. At Ardena, she works closely with clients to align development and manufacturing strategies with evolving program needs, supporting projects from early development through commercialization.
Prior to joining Ardena, Amber served as an Account Executive on Catalent’s Early Phase Small Molecule team, supporting clients across early-stage drug development initiatives.
