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- Posted Wednesday February 18, 2015
TGen COO Tess Burleson honored as one of Phoenix's Outstanding Women in Business
Phoenix Business Journal includes Burleson among 'remarkable women' — 'mentors, leaders and visionaries'
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Feb. 18, 2015 - Tess Burleson,
Chief Operating Officer at the Translational Genomics Research
Institute (TGen), is among the Phoenix Business
Journal's 2015 Outstanding Women in Business.
"Join us as we recognize 30 remarkable women who are trailblazing
the Valley's business community, as mentors, leaders and
visionaries (through) the Valley's premier awards program honoring
outstanding women in business," the journal said in announcing the
2015 honorees.
According to her nomination, Burleson exemplifies hard work,
fierce competence, dependability, honesty and a sincere sense of
urgency for the ultimate goal of TGen's biomedical research efforts
- individually tailored treatment and diagnostic options for
patients, today.
TGen's continued presence as an anchor for Arizona's bioscience
community, a potent economic driver and purveyor of a continuous
stream of biomedical "wins," is in no small part a result of her
empowering leadership style.
"We have choices to make every day, and in those daily choices we
either lead … or do something else," Burleson said. "I've often
chosen to lead, and for me that means getting others involved and
offering them ownership in their work, as well as recognition for a
job well done."
As TGen's COO since 2007, Burleson provides oversight of
administrative and operational support divisions across all
TGen-related organizations. She works closely on strategic planning
and direction with TGen's Board of Directors and with Dr. Jeffrey
Trent, TGen's President and Research Director.
"Tess's commitment to leading the operational aspects of TGen go
well beyond the ordinary," Dr. Trent said. "This recognition serves
to highlight her commitment to making TGen the best institute
possible across all areas, and in doing so unselfishly provides an
environment in which our faculty can pursue research and clinical
advances against many of today's leading diseases. All of TGen
congratulates Tess for her inclusion in the Outstanding Woman in
Business."
Burleson also maintains responsibility for strategic
relationships, key business ventures and high-priority and
strategic collaborations, including those with TGen's clinical
partners. She is responsible for ensuring strategic alignment
across the organization and serves as a link between the scientific
and administrative leadership. She is also responsible for
commercialization of TGen intellectual property, from initial
evaluation to capitalization and divestiture.
She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with
experience in taxation, audit, and advisory services across a
number of industries. Her career began in public accounting at
KPMG, a "Big Four" professional services firm, and she subsequently
went to work as the Chief Financial Officer for a health care
client, where she became deeply involved with medical research. She
quickly recognized that her skills in finance and operations were a
good fit for such a complex field where the deliverable is the
creation of knowledge. She found herself amidst such talented
and intelligent minds where there is no shortage of a good
challenge.
Burleson and the journal's other Outstanding Women in Business
will be celebrated at an awards luncheon, starting at 10:30 a.m.
March 30 at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia,
4949 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, Ariz.
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About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with cancer, neurological disorders and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]