Denise (DeeDee) DeMan

With an indefatigable, pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit, DeeDee has taken Bench from its founding in 1974 to its eminence today as one of the most successful companies “shattering” diversity ceilings bringing women, people of color, as well as those who “think” and “do” differently to leadership roles in life science companies. In 2009 DeeDee was the first executive recruiter to be named “1 of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Leaders” by PharmaVOICE Magazine, and is a Hall of Fame Inductee of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

DeeDee built Bench International from a single-person executive search and advisory firm to a global firm with unwavering commitment to, “One Global Team, One Budget, No Borders, No Boundaries,” mitigating any internal competition, thus providing Bench’s clients with Best in Class “Athletes” who bring them closer to changing the course of diseases.

Being cause-motivated and giving back is critical to DeeDee, and she has devoted decades to serving as a member of multiple non-profit boards. She is a founding board member of Learning Forum International (LFI), Making Great Kids Greater through student and educator programs that contribute to the mastery of learning and life skills by today’s youth. Recently, DeeDee was appointed to the Advisory Board of BIOCOM, in an effort to bridge BIOCOM’S impact beyond San Diego County and to create a strong state-wide alliance. DeeDee is also a board member of The Maple Counseling Center (TMCC), a non-profit organization committed to providing low cost comprehensive mental health services for individuals of all ages, couples, and families, as well as providing training for interns and counselors who are working towards licensure in the mental health field. DeeDee’s prior non-profit board commitments have included founding the Forum for Global Pharmaceutical Diversity and Inclusion (FRXDI), serving as a member of the board for California’s Chapter of the Israel International Cancer Research Fund (ICRF), Family Promise, Member of the Board, Murrietta Genomics, Member, Corporate Directors Forum and founding board member of Healthcare Business Woman’s Association’s (HBA’s) Europe Chapter.

DeeDee holds a double Masters of Science degree, Auditory Pathology and Speech Pathology. Prior to founding Bench, DeeDee served as a Research Fellow in a joint research program sponsored by National Institute of Health (NIH) and Siemens Corporation, the University of California, San Diego, State Diego State University and the San Diego Speech and Hearing Center.