BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a leading public-private nonprofit organization supporting healthcare innovation in the BioHealth Capital Region, announces the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors: Matthew Keesan, Vice President and GM of Quantum Platform at IonQ, and Prashant Panchal, Director of Business Planning and Operations at AstraZeneca. Their backgrounds strengthen BHI’s commitment to advancing a region known for scientific leadership, emerging technologies, and next-generation workforce development.
Matth Keesan brings deep experience in software engineering, cloud infrastructure, and quantum computing. As Vice President and GM of Quantum Platform at IonQ, he leads the teams responsible for the APIs, tools, integrations, and services that make IonQ’s systems available around the clock to customers across the globe. His career began after studying computer science and literature at the University of Pennsylvania and helping build AddThis, which was later acquired by Oracle, where he played a key role in scaling products to more than 1 billion monthly users. Before joining IonQ, he served as CTO of Ando, later acquired by Uber, and advised several early-stage companies across manufacturing, ecommerce, video streaming, and identity-as-a-service.
Since joining IonQ in 2017, Mr. Keesan has led the development of IonQ’s Quantum OS, guided the launch of IonQ’s systems on Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure Quantum, and Google Cloud, and built the company’s security and global operations functions. His leadership has spanned product management, engineering, and distributed quantum computing as IonQ continues expanding its footprint in the United States and Europe.
Prashant Panchal offers more than 15 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, drawing from roles that combine scientific training with business strategy and operations. As Director of Business Planning and Operations at AstraZeneca, he oversees capacity planning, capital expenditure, contracts, portfolio management, and governance for a department of more than 1,100 employees supporting over 100 drug programs. His previous experience includes positions at Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Teva Biopharmaceuticals USA, and AGC Biologics, one of the largest contract manufacturers in the sector.
Mr. Panchal also serves on the board of the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College (PIC MC), where he supports academic-industry collaboration and workforce development. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a focus on Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics from the University of Maryland and earned both a Master of Science in Biotechnology Management and an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
“We are pleased to welcome Matthew and Prashant to the BHI Board,” said Rich Bendis, Founder, President, and CEO of BioHealth Innovation. “Their experience in quantum technology, biopharmaceutical operations, and regional workforce development will strengthen our work and help guide BHI as we continue supporting entrepreneurs, researchers, and partners across the BioHealth Capital Region.”
BHI extends its appreciation to John A. Sackett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Adventist HealthCare, for his service as a member of the Board. Adventist Healthcare was one of the founding members of the BHI Board, and John has been a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Compensation Committee for several years. His leadership and commitment have supported BHI’s mission and contributed to the growth of the region’s life sciences ecosystem.
About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) is a public-private nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating biohealth (therapeutic, diagnostic, medtech, and health IT) commercialization in the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, DC, and Virginia). For more information, please visit www.BioHealthInnovation.org.