Denise (DeeDee) DeMan

DeeDee DeMan built Bench International from a single-person life science and healthcare executive recruiting firm into a global recruiting and advisory firm for boards and leadership teams. The Bench Team has an unwavering commitment to serving as “One Global Team, One Budget, No Borders, No Boundaries.” This approach mitigates internal competition, thus providing Bench’s clients with Best in Class Athletes to accelerate their ability to change the course of diseases. Today, Bench is one of the most successful companies shattering diversity ceilings bringing women, people of color, those who think and do differently to leadership roles in life science companies. In 2009 DeeDee was the first executive recruiter in history 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). She is also the founder of The Bank of Women®, comprising over 550 women who are Ready Now for Independent Director and C-Suite roles. Giving back to the industry is critically important to DeeDee. To that end, she serves as a Member of the Board of Governors of BIOCOM California, a Member of BIOCOM’s DE&I Task Force and is a US Corporate Sponsor for Life Science Cares. DeeDee holds a double Masters of Science degree in Auditory Pathology and Speech Pathology. Prior to founding Bench, DeeDee served as a Research Fellow in a joint research program sponsored by the 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.