Steven Perry

2015 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee

Education

B.S., ’84, Chemical Engineering, Purdue University
M.S., ’87, Chemical Engineering, MIT
MBA, ’03, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Professional Career

Upon completion of his M.S. degree, Steve began work for Ortho Biotech, a recently-established division of Johnson and Johnson. As a young engineer trained in biotech unit operations, Steve played a key role in the design, startup, and operation of the first biotechnology plant in Puerto Rico. Subsequent assignments included overseeing a year-long production campaign in the United Kingdom and managing a major facility expansion.

Steve went on to become Senior Director of Commercial Manufacturing for ImClone Systems (now a division of Eli Lilly) during FDA approval and launch of a major cancer therapy. Later, he directed startup operations at a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturer and oversaw worldwide operations at a diagnostics company.

In 2010, Steve joined Cook Pharmica, the pharmaceutical contract manufacturing subsidiary of Cook Medical, and currently serves as Vice President of Drug Substance Technical Operations. A native of West Lafayette, Steve is delighted at the opportunity to return to Indiana and to help drive growth of the life science industry in the state. In 2014, Steve completed a 3-year term on the Purdue Technical Assistance Program Advisory Council.

Co-op Advocate

At Purdue, Steve was a co-op for Du Pont. “The co-op experience showed me how engineering problems are tackled in industry,” he said. “I drew on that knowledge during my first assignment for Johnson and Johnson, and my success in that job really set the stage for my entire career.” Steve is a strong believer in co-op education and has established a successful Purdue co-op program at Cook Pharmica.