Some of Chieze Ibeneche-Nnewihe’s fondest memories from childhood are conducting chemistry experiments on the porch with her dad and two sisters, working with them on a circuit board, or having dinner discussions about why there was condensation on a cold glass from the fridge.  

As a child, she and her family split time between the Netherlands and Nigeria, and as the daughter of an engineer and a broadcast journalist, curiosity was commonplace for Chieze. Growing up with a family seeking answers to many of the universe’s questions eventually led her to pursue a career in healthcare.  

Chieze shared her story in our employee profile series, “The DNA of BioMarin,” which draws inspiration from the four bases that constitute DNA: A (adenine), T (thymine), C (cytosine) and G (guanine) – by asking employees to reflect on the role that Aspiration, Translation, Connection and Gratitude play in their everyday work. 

Learn more about Chieze and how she went from a front-porch scientist to a rare disease subject matter expert, to helping BioMarin frame deals that will have a lasting impact on the patients and communities we aim to serve.  

ASPIRATION
How did you get your start in the biopharma industry? What do you aspire to accomplish through your work at BioMarin and in your career?

I’ve always been interested in healthcare, even from a young age. Growing up between the Netherlands and Nigeria, I didn’t know anyone who worked in the biopharma industry, so I thought the only way to have a career in healthcare was to become a doctor, which I knew wasn’t the path for me. When it was time to choose a college major, I chose physics because of my love of science. Then, during my junior year at the University of Texas at Austin, the department hired a biophysicist, and suddenly, I saw a path into healthcare.  

I went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Physics, with a focus in Biophysics, but at the end of my program, I knew I didn’t want to stay in academia. I explored how to transition into the healthcare space given my background and discovered the biopharma industry and the myriad of options available for those who were non-physicians.  

My first role in the industry was at a healthcare investment firm in Boston. I began on the research team there, developing subject-matter expertise in rare diseases, and later moved to the investment side, helping to launch the firm’s venture investing group. After more than five years in investing, I joined BioMarin’s Business Development team in 2020. 

The pull to healthcare has always been grounded in wanting to help others. My aspiration has consistently been to leave a positive, tangible impact on others. I felt that even during my Ph.D. studies, where my research had a thread connecting to oncology, and later at the healthcare investment firm, where I learned how important the investor side of the ecosystem is to our industry. 

However, working at BioMarin and supporting the work we do in developing transformative medicines has been the most fulfilling experience of my career so far. The impact on patients is so immediate and real. What I hope to accomplish here, and throughout my career, is to continue contributing to work that meaningfully improves patients’ lives, especially in areas where options are limited. Being part of an organization where that impact is palpable is exactly why I wanted to be in healthcare in the first place. 

TRANSLATION
How do you hope your work will translate into impact for the patient communities BioMarin is working to support?

In business development, we have the privilege of working in a deeply cross‑functional way with teams across the organization to make decisions that align with BioMarin’s strategy and ultimately shape our future pipeline. Those decisions, and our team’s ability to execute on them, translate directly into patient impact. When we evaluate an acquisition opportunity, for example, we’re fundamentally asking whether a medicine will have greater reach or deliver a more significant benefit to patients in BioMarin’s hands than where it currently sits. Answering that question requires true partnership across R&D, Commercial and many other functions, each bringing a critical lens.  

When we collectively align on “yes,” Business Development has the responsibility and opportunity to turn that decision into action. Seeing a transaction through and knowing that executing well is what enables the science to reach more patients is incredibly rewarding. It’s one of the ways our work translates from strategy on paper to meaningful impact in patients’ lives. 

A personal highlight was working on the pending acquisition of Amicus Therapeutics, which we announced in December. The deal came down to the wire as we approached the end of the year, and I’ll never forget the moment when the final signature came in and we could finally announce the transaction following months of work. It was an incredible rush, and I’m excited for what the integration of Amicus will mean for our company as well as people living with Fabry disease and Pompe disease around the world. 

GRATITUDE
Tell us about something you’re grateful for in your career, and why. 

I’m really grateful for my team. So much of how you experience an organization is shaped by the people you work most closely with, and I feel incredibly fortunate to work with a fantastic set of colleagues who are collaborative, supportive and genuinely fun to be around. I truly appreciate the banter, wit and all of the great recommendations that range from must-read constitutional literature to viral Korean skincare tips. 

While the work can be intense, the tenor in our group can make even the high-pressure work feel lighter, and that level of positivity is something I endeavor to carry with me into every interaction. 

I’m also grateful for my family, my husband and three sons, who help me stay balanced. Outside of work, I live for our weekend tennis matches and watching my oldest son, who’s caught the tennis bug himself and has started competing in tournaments.   

CONNECTION
What role does connection play at BioMarin?

Connection is such an important part of the culture at BioMarin. Some of the most memorable moments here have been during all hands meetings when we bring in the patient voice. Meeting patients, hearing their stories and seeing firsthand how the medicines we make have impacted their lives has been such a powerful, motivating force – and a much-needed reminder of why what we do is so important.  

Even being fully remote, I’ve felt remarkably connected to the organization because of those moments and because of the strong sense of community within BioMarin. A big part of that has been my involvement with our Black Employee Resource Group, which has been energizing and enabled me to build relationships beyond my immediate team, and connect with colleagues in ways that go beyond purely professional. Finding common ground through shared experiences has deepened my sense of belonging here, even though I’m not physically on site. 

The connections I’ve made at BioMarin have been so impactful, not in the sense of changing my path overnight, but in the way that each one leaves an imprint. Every interaction, with colleagues, fellow ERG members or patients, has reinforced what matters and what lessons to carry forward. Those relationships have challenged me, grounded me, and shaped me into a better version of myself.