Varun Krishnamurthy

About Varun Krishnamurthy

As a Staff Program Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, I lead drug development programs for advanced therapies, with a specific focus on cell therapy within a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). With over two years of experience in this role, I oversee integrated program strategies from development through IND-enabling milestones, ensuring alignment across cross-functional teams in areas such as process development, analytical methods, regulatory, and GMP manufacturing. My work includes managing program timelines, revenue and scope of work for a portfolio exceeding $6 million annually, addressing risk management, and facilitating stakeholder communication. Skilled in scenario planning, contract negotiation, and with expertise in cell and gene therapy, I am dedicated to driving efficient and compliant program execution to deliver impactful solutions in the biotech industry.

Experience

1. Staff Program Manager

   Thermo Fisher Scientific

   Mar 2024 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   Lead drug development programs for Advanced Therapies (Cell Therapy) at a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and partner with cross-functional teams to develop and execute program strategy from development through IND-enabling milestones. Drive team alignment on integrated program plans spanning CMC (process development, analytical methods, tech transfer, deliver material for toxicology studies) and GMP manufacturing. Oversee program schedules, risk/issue management, stakeholder communication, and governance process. Establish and maintain functionally integrated program schedules for portfolio totaling >$6M annually; enable accurate project analyses, identification of critical activities and resource constraints. Proactively identify and assess program risks, lead scenario planning for milestones, and leverage interdependencies in short, mid, and long-term plans. Oversee program team meetings and cross-functional communication with 10-15 person teams distributed across multiple sites (Wisconsin, San Diego, San Francisco), ensuring alignment with functional groups and leadership. Drive consensus and decision-making, manage conflict, and challenge assumptions to improve processes and outcomes. Develop relationships with key functional stakeholder groups and their leadership across the organization (PD/AD, MSAT, Manufacturing, Quality) to support execution of program goals. Manage program reporting and escalate risks/issues to senior management while highlighting team successes to wider organization. Tracked risks, timelines and milestones via SmartSheet.

Education

• University of Cincinnati

  PhD, Biomedical Engineering

  2006 — 2012

• Anna University

  B.Tech, Industrial Biotechnology

  2002 — 2006