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Government and law graduate Dana G. Mead Jr. ’82 has taken the position of partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB). He will focus on life sciences investing for KPCB, a provider of venture relationship capital services to entrepreneurs.
“I am looking forward to working on a daily basis with world-class entrepreneurs focused on breakthrough, game-changing technologies and treatments,” he says. “I am also interested in accelerating the promising convergence of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biologics, and information technology.”
Even with 23 years of life sciences operating experience, he anticipates some challenges from his new position. They include learning how to quickly and appropriately evaluate potential opportunities and transition from a fully integrated operating role to a partnership.
A former member of Lafayette’s men’s basketball team, Mead says that his college experience has continued to aid him throughout his career.
“My Lafayette education was clearly a combination of classroom learning and participating in intercollegiate athletics. The classroom learning did provide an important foundation, but my most relevant learning was a result of playing basketball,” he says. “As a mediocre point guard, I learned how to be part of a team, lead, be disciplined, work hard, deal with failure, and handle success.”
Prior to joining KPCB, Mead held several positions at Guidant including president of vascular intervention, a fully integrated billion dollar division with over 4,500 employees; vice president of corporate relations and policy, responsible for investor relations, corporate communications, corporate marketing, and public policy initiatives; president of the Japan and Asia Pacific division based in Tokyo; vice president and general manager of stents vascular intervention group; and vice president and general manager of cardiac and vascular surgery group. He served in sales and marketing with Johnson & Johnson and Allergan, Inc. He represented Guidant on the boards of Cardica, Inc.; eValue, Inc.; and the California Healthcare Institute.
Mead received his MBA from the University of Southern California. He still plays basketball regularly and enjoys traveling, running, golfing, and spending time with his family. He also is involved with his children’s schools and other educational, environmental, and life science-related nonprofit organizations.