Benjamin Lakin, PhD
President

Ben leads the innovation and technology team at Cambridge Innovation Institute (CII) to usher in new products, strategies, software, and work-flow improvements. He has been with CII since 2018. Prior to joining CII, Ben worked as a Scientist at Smith & Nephew, where he helped launch several bioresorbable implants to repair knee, hip and shoulder pathologies, and he also led the development and characterization of new polymers/biocomposites and wearables for enhanced healing. Ben received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine, worked as a Process Engineer for Procter & Gamble, and then earned his MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University. He has authored over 10 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 20 conference presentations.

Naila Ganatra, MEd
General Manager, Barnett International

Naila Ganatra is responsible for the oversight and management of Barnett International, including the training consulting, live seminars, web seminars, eLearning and publications business lines. She has planned and overseen numerous training events that have been attended by thousands of industry professionals and has played an instrumental role in the development of Barnett’s training consulting and virtual learning programs. Prior to joining Barnett in 1996, Naila held positions with major medical centers and training providers, including Cedars Sinai Medical Center, the Harvard School of Public Health/Beth Israel Hospital, Baystate Medical Center, and International Business Communications. Naila holds a Master’s in Education from the University of Toronto.

Janette Mandile-Harper
Vice President, Meeting Planning

Janette Harper is involved with the strategic management of CII and daily operations of the meeting planning department. She has been in the meetings industry for over 25 years and with CII since 1998. Prior to CII, she held a position as a Meeting Planner for (NMHCC) National Managed Health Care Congress and had previously held many other positions in the hotel and restaurant industry. Janette earned a Bachelor of Science and Associates of Science degrees in Hotel/Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire.

Jim MacNeil
Vice President, Marketing

Jim is responsible for the strategic direction of all aspects of CII’s marketing. He places a priority on the customer experience and strives to have strategies backed by analytical data. His current responsibilities include managing a department of over 30 marketing, design and database professionals, as well as the marketing strategy behind CII's 100+ conferences and corporate brand. He also oversees a team of data scientists who are focused on building CII’s future capabilities. Jim has been with Cambridge Innovation Institute since its inception in 1992 and has extensive knowledge of audience development strategies, promotion planning, and database building. Prior to joining CII, he worked on marketing initiatives for the World Economic Development Congress. Jim received his BS/BA with a concentration in marketing from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Edel O' Regan, PhD
Vice President, Conference Production

As Vice President of Conference Production for CII, Edel oversees the team who creates and manages the technical content for a wide portfolio of topics including, molecular diagnostics, IT, protein engineering, drug discovery, energy storage and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and internet of things. With a PhD from University College Cork and background in biology and cancer research, she enjoys growing the CII portfolio in its core space serving biotech and pharma sectors and more recently exploring new topic areas like energy storage and AI. CII has been a dynamic and fun place to work for the past two decades, and she looks forward to what the future brings with the company.

Ben Patel
Chief Financial Officer

Ben Patel is CII's Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for all of the company's finance functions, including accounting and control, financial planning and analysis, treasury and tax, corporate-level strategy, and M&A. He has been with CII since 2004. Ben received a degree in Economics and Finance from the University of London, England.

Patty Rose
Director, Sales and Business Development

As Sales Director, Patty manages the business development organization at CII and is responsible for sales strategy and motivating sales teams to deliver CII key customer value propositions. These solutions include customized in-person and virtual thought leadership sponsorships, branding, exhibit, lead generation, and digital advertising solutions that help biotechnology, diagnostics, clinical trials, information technology, consulting, and energy storage solutions and services providers achieve their sales goals and cultivate long-term relationships that generate growth and innovation. Before joining CII, Patty held various sales management and business development positions with other companies delivering healthcare and life sciences industry events including Informa, World Congress, DCI, Key3Media, and National Managed Health Care Congress. Patty holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Boston University.

Shauna Samson, SPHR, sHRBP, MSW
Vice President, Human Resources

Shauna oversees CII’s human resources department and collaborates with senior management in the areas of recruitment and retention, compensation and benefits, performance management, legal compliance and policy implementation. Prior to joining CII in 2000, Shauna was a staffing specialist at North Shore Medical Center, where her responsibilities included recruiting healthcare staff and conducting diversity training. Shauna holds a Master of Social Work degree from Boston University and Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese Studies from Wellesley College. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and strategic Human Resources Business Partner (sHRBP).