Sernova Corp. announced the appointment of Modestus Obochi, Ph.D., MBA, a veteran dealmaker and strategic leader with 25+ years of biotech and pharmaceutical industry experience, as Chief Business Officer effective September 8, 2023. Based in the Chicago, Illinois area, where he has resided for the last 16 years, Dr. Obochi joins Sernova from Phlow Corp., where he served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development.

In that role, he led the design, development, and execution of corporate strategy and business development plans. He also managed the due diligence, structuring, and negotiations of all transactions, including licensing deals, product acquisitions, partnerships, M&A, and strategic investments. Prior to his role at Phlow Corp., Dr. Obochi held several executive-level commercial and business development roles at leading pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Hospira, and Baxter International, and has previously consulted for several biotechnology companies.

Most notably, in these roles, Dr. Obochi has helped corporations raise significant capital and has successfully structured and closed multiple strategic transactions worth over $5 billion. Dr. Obochi holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and an MBA from the Beedie School of Business of Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. He has published over 30 manuscripts, including journal articles and symposia abstracts, and is an inventor on several patents, including one on cell transplantation.