David Allan was the founding and sunset chairman, and the CEO from 1998 to 2011, of YM BioSciences Inc. until its acquisition by Gilead Sciences in 2013.

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He has been a board member of a number of life sciences companies and was Executive Chairman of Stem Cell Therapeutics concluding its acquisition of Trillium Therapeutics which name it has now adopted.

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He is currently the Principal of Cresswell Advisors,  a consulting firm that provides assistance and direction to development-stage companies in the life sciences and for earlier-stage companies  in  multiple fields.

 

He is also a board member of Formation Biologics, of the industry organization Life Sciences Ontario, and of the Maple Leaf Angels Capital Corporation. 

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Previously a Governor of the Toronto Stock Exchange, he has been a member of the Ontario Biotechnology Advisory Board, the Awards Selection Committee of Canada's Network of Centers of Excellence and the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

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He is the recipient of the 2017 Julia Levy Award recognizing successful commercialization of innovation in the field of Bio-medical Science and Engineering,  the 2016 Leadership Award from Life Sciences Ontario and the 2012 Gold Leaf Award for Industry Leadership from Canada's industry association BIOTECanada.