Ray is President of RJP Communications LLC, developing and implementing public affairs strategies and plans to achieve clients’ communications, stakeholder engagement and business objectives. Ray has more than 25 years’ experience in public affairs, including responsibility for advising seven presidents/CEOs at AstraZeneca and Freddie Mac, with proven capabilities in executive communications, speechwriting, media strategies and training, marketing communications, employee communications, change management, advocacy relations and crisis communications.

While at AstraZeneca, Ray led communications for an unprecedented nine cancer medicine launches within 12 months and developed the communications strategy and plan for the largest restructuring in the company’s history. He served five years as Vice President, Corporate Communications, for the company’s US business. While at Freddie Mac, he led executive and employee communications, including overseeing crisis communication strategies and plans following the 9/11 attacks and during federal investigations.

Before leading corporate and marketing communications teams at AstraZeneca and Freddie Mac, he worked for several newspapers, including The Washington Times and The Virginian Pilot, as an editor and reporter. He began his career as a financial analyst for General Electric and Lotus Development.

Ray holds a bachelor’s in Economics and History from the College of William and Mary and a master’s in Journalism from Northwestern University. He has served on the boards of the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware and the AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation.

Board Member

Jack Aiello is a former Silicon Valley high technology executive living in San Jose, CA. Jack was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1995 and has had three transplants for his condition. While the treatments have given him extended survival, he has had disabling side effects. After retiring, Jack has become a leading myeloma support group leader and traveled the US and overseas to attend medical conference, patient forums and inspire advocacy among patients.

Sajjad is a physician, pediatrician and cancer survivor.

More than 20 years ago, Sajjad diagnosed himself with parotid cancer. After extensive surgery to remove the cancerous cells from his parotid gland, Sajjad learned that he had an extremely rare and most malignant type of parotid cancer called Salivary Duct Carcinoma.  He was given a 30% chance of surviving for 2 years.

Because of Sajjad’s medical training and his unwavering sense of hope & determination, he was no ordinary patient.  He decided to take charge of his own treatments, to learn everything he could about his diagnosis and visit multiple experts across the country. Sajjad pushed for more aggressive chemo-radiation in addition to the radiation he was already receiving in hopes of reducing his chances of recurrence. When the cancer returned four years later, he knew the correct drug to keep the cancer cells from growing while he determined the best next steps. Almost two years later, Sajjad proposed Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery after several new cancerous spots appeared in both lungs.

The cancer never returned to Sajjad’s lungs, but instead attacked his bones three years after his final lung surgery. Never one to give up, Sajjad researched his condition and proposed a treatment method for himself that stopped the progression of cancer cells. Although Sajjad is still living with, and still fighting, the cancer, he continues to defy the odds with no end in sight.  He is the longest known survivor with Salivary Duct Carcinoma.

Sajjad’s background includes a medical degree from Pakistan and residencies at New York Infirmary, St. Luke’s Hospital and New York University Medical Center.  Sajjad is now retired from active medical practice and devotes all his time to cancer patients advocacy and support.

To inspire other cancer patients, Sajjad Iqbal has chronicled his amazing cancer journey in the form of a book titled, “Swimming Upstream, My Struggle and Triumph over Cancer and Medical Establishment.”

Scott is currently Head of Patient and Professional Engagement at Alder Biopharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company based in Bothell, WA, dedicated to transforming the migraine treatment paradigm through the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapeutic antibodies.  Scott’s focus at Alder is on leading the development and execution of Alder’s overarching advocacy strategy including developing, implementing and leading both patient and professional advocacy engagement across the commercial portfolio, clinical development and drug discovery.

Before taking the position at Alder, Scott was Head of Advocacy at Juno Therapeutics where he led Juno’s efforts to build and develop the company’s partnerships with external stakeholders including; patient advocacy groups, medical and nursing professional organizations, health policy groups, and community partners.  He was also a member of Juno’s commercial senior leadership team and helped build and leverage strong internal cross-functional partnerships to ensure patient and caregiver voices were heard and included throughout company decision-making processes.

Prior to Juno, Scott held leadership positions in areas of Advocacy, Education, and Patient Access at Food Allergy Research & Education (“FARE”), Synageva Biopharma, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (“LLS”), and Dendreon Corporation.  At Synageva, his role as Vice-President of Global Patient Advocacy also included overseeing the development of the company’s government affairs and public policy functions with a focus on ensuring patient access and the inclusion of rare disease patients’ perspectives as part of policy in healthcare.

Before taking the position at Synageva, Scott was Senior Vice-President for Patient Access, Education, & Advocacy at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, working out of the Office of Public Policy in Washington, D.C.  Scott’s responsibilities for the Society included building a stronger Mission presence for the Society across the country, building and overseeing a team of regional strategic leaders to focus on assessing patient needs and deploying resources to meet those needs, and serving as external Mission spokesperson for LLS in supporting campaign and development initiatives. Strategic resources under Scott’s oversight include patient outreach and engagement, HCP/provider relations, patient and professional education, and advocacy.

Prior to LLS, Scott was Associate Director for Advocacy and Health Policy for Dendreon Corporation, focusing on ensuring patient access to innovative anti-cancer therapies while helping strengthen the organizations he worked with in the cancer advocacy community. His work also included outreach and engagement with payers/insurers and healthcare providers and a special focus on underserved groups disproportionately impacted by prostate cancer, specifically African American and Veteran populations.

Scott’s background includes time as the founder and president of a 501(c)3 advocacy organization focused on health policy, particularly FDA/drug development timelines and processes, as well as a decade of experience consulting with global financial institutions during his time at Morningstar Associates, LLC.  He holds a B.A. in political science from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. with a dual concentration in entrepreneurship and strategy from the University of Chicago.