Urmi Prasad Richardson brings a wealth of science and business experience to diagnostics and life sciences multinational Thermo Fisher Scientific, where for the past two years she has been president of the group’s vast and varied EMEA business. The Indian-born, Germany-based executive has surmounted a range of challenges along the way and offers her story as inspiration for others.

During Q4, biopharma merger and acquisition value reached $35.7bn and drew in $62.1bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $19.2bn, while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players completed M&A activity that totaled $4.8bn.

Medtech veteran Bill Hawkins is the new board chair of 4Tech, a startup developing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair devices.

Device companies raised 50% more in Q1 2016 than the previous quarter, reaching $1.8 billion and led by debt offerings; diagnostic imaging acquisitions, such as Toshiba Medical Systems, were abundant. Diagnostics financings double in Q1, mostly from venture funding, including strong showing from liquid biopsy companies.