The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution, announced that William “Bill” Pierce has joined JAX as chief information officer (CIO) and Stephanie Wasco has been promoted to chief communications officer (CCO).
Chief Information Officer:
Bill Pierce joined JAX with a broad range of experience in IT including project management, procurement, ERP deployment, cloud computing and analytics.
“We are excited to have Bill lead our talented IT team and bring a technical and broad experience supporting research activities in biopharmaceuticals to JAX,” says Catherine Longley, executive vice president and chief operating officer, The Jackson Laboratory.
Pierce previously led several digital transformation initiatives in bioinformatics as chief of platform solutions at clinical research organization (CRO) Parexel. Prior to joining Parexel in 2014, he was the CIO of two other CROs, INC Research and SynteractHCR, where he drove technology strategies, clinical technologies and global expansions.
Prior to entering the life science sector, Pierce held vice president and chief technology officer positions at Fidelity Investments and Goldman Sachs. During this time, he built proprietary investment analytics, simulations and risk models aimed at portfolio risk management and optimization.
Hailing from Peabody, Massachusetts, Pierce holds degrees in Economics and Business Managerial Economics from Boston University and is a former captain of the U.S. Marines.
Chief Communications Officer
Stephanie Wasco was promoted to CCO. In this role, Wasco is a member of the JAX Senior Management Team and will develop communications strategies for raising the institution’s visibility and influence, in order to increase support for JAX’s mission and goals. “I am thrilled to continue working with such a talented and dedicated group of people who are passionate about preventing, treating and curing some of humanity’s most devastating diseases,” Wasco says.
Wasco joined JAX in 2015 as senior director, strategic communications and public engagement. She is a communications professional with more than 20 years’ experience in science, technology and nonprofit organizations.
Before joining JAX, Wasco worked with Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Tewksbury, Mass., where she led communications programs for the defense technology company’s 15,000 employees. Prior to joining Raytheon, Wasco was the vice president of corporate communications for PerkinElmer, Inc. in Waltham, Mass, a global scientific technology company, where she held multiple marketing and communications positions of increasing responsibility. She joined PerkinElmer in 2000 from PanAmSat, a satellite communications provider, where she led employee communications.
She holds a B.A. in English from Connecticut College.