Executive Night 2025

Program Agenda

5:00 pm – 6:00 PM Networking

6:00 – 6:10 PM ISPE LA 2025 Plan and Board Introduction

6:10-7:40 PM Presentations

1. Babak Haghiri– Takeda
2. Mike Alston – Avid Bioservices
3. Frank Luh – Sino-American Cancer Foundation

Meet the Speakers

Babak Haghiri is the Site Head at the Los Angeles, CA manufacturing facility. Before he was appointed Site Head, Babak was Head of Site Engineering in Los Angeles. He also serves as a member of Takeda’s Plasma Innovation Committee, representing the Global Engineering function. Babak has 19+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Prior to joining Takeda in 2018, he held roles of increasing responsibility in engineering and manufacturing with organizations such as Aventis Pasteur, Sanofi, Advent Engineering, Bayer Health Care and BioMarin Pharmaceutical. His formal education includes a Masters in Chemical Engineering from University of Toronto.

Michael Alston Jr. currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for Avid Bioservices and is responsible for cGMP manufacturing operations, facilities, engineering, environmental health and safety, sustainability, and operational excellence.

Mr. Alston has nearly 20 years of cGMP operations experience in the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, and food manufacturing industries. This includes leading all phases of process and facility design, development, and optimization. He received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and a graduate certificate in Project Management from Lehigh University.

Prior to this role, Mr. Alston held positions of increasing scope and responsibility for ConAgra Foods, Merck & Co., Inc., Unilever, and Sterogene Bioseparations in manufacturing, engineering, continuous improvement, and maintenance. Additionally, he led Avid’s $150+ million capital investment portfolio for expansions at its Tustin and Costa Mesa facilities.or as the Vice-President of the HBA Brussels chapter, she’s equally invested in empowering others to get where they deserve to be in their careers.

Dr. Frank Luh currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Sino-American Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that supports and accelerates cancer research, drug discovery, and medical education. Prior to SACF, he was a co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Theragent Inc, a contract development manufacturing organization to deliver advanced cell therapies for patients and biopharmaceutical companies across the globe. While at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Luh focused his research on cancer metabolism, translational medicine, and small molecular drug design. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Luh holds a medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and research affiliations with USC Keck School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, and Beaumont Cancer Center Hospital.