Dr. Behzad Mahdavi is a distinguished commercial strategic growth leader in the biopharma industry, widely recognized for his expertise in developing patient-centric growth strategies across cell therapy, gene therapy, synthetic biology, personalized medicine, and advanced life sciences.

He currently serves as Executive Chairman at Biodextris, a PE-backed CDMO, and at OpenCel Technologies, and is the founder of InnoV2Gro Life Sciences—an innovation ecosystem designed to accelerate the transformation of bold ideas into sustainable, impactful solutions. InnoV2Gro brings together visionary innovators, investors, early adopters from leading companies, and service providers to drive innovation from discovery through biomanufacturing.

Over the course of his 25+ year career, Dr. Mahdavi has held senior leadership roles at Lonza, Catalent Biopharma Solutions, and Ginkgo Bioworks, consistently delivering impactful innovation and sustainable growth in emerging therapeutic fields.

He is the author of Mastering Commercial Innovation, a widely praised guide to translating breakthrough ideas into profitable business strategies. Dr. Mahdavi also serves on several Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards, bringing strategic insight across the biotech and pharma ecosystem. He is NACD Directorship Certified.

Holding a PhD in Chemistry and an MBA, Dr. Mahdavi is highly sought after for his leadership in fundraising, business development, innovation management, and the commercialization of disruptive technologies that improve patient outcomes.