James H. Cavanaugh

James H. Cavanaugh, Ph.D. is a Managing Director and Senior Advisor to HealthCare Venture LLC, a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in early stage biotechnology investments. He was previously President of SmithKline & French, the domestic pharmaceutical division of GlaxoSmithKline as well as President of Allergan International. He has served on the boards of numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Chairman of Shire Pharmaceuticals, plc. Previous to his industry experience, he served as staff assistant to President Nixon for Health Affairs and then Deputy Director of the President’s Domestic Council. Under President Ford, he was Deputy Chief of the White House Staff. He is Chairman of the Board of the Richard Nixon Foundation and a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation.

He began his career as a member of the faculty of the Graduate College and the College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, where he received his master’s and doctorate degrees. He and his wife Esther reside in Villanova, Pennsylvania.