Linda Sierra is Bench International’s Senior Vice President of Business Development and a prominent Latino leader in life sciences and healthcare. With over thirty years of experience in the industry, Linda spent the first eighteen years in human resources and stock plan administration with five biotechnology companies, based in both the San Diego and South San Francisco hubs. Her in-house work gave her hands-on experience across the full spectrum of company growth, from early-stage innovation to scaled commercialization.
Transitioning to executive search in 2010, Linda built a strong track record as a top recruiter before moving into business development in 2017. Joining Bench in 2021 in Business Development, she partners with life sciences and healthcare organizations nationwide on VP, C-Suite, and Board searches, applying her expertise to connect leadership talent with the evolving needs of the industry, including the growing role of digital and technology-enabled innovation.
Linda is also deeply committed to community engagement and industry service. She serves on the Board of San Diego Squared (SD2); the Life Science Cares National Project Onramp Committee; the Boards of Advisors for both Life Science Cares Bay Area and San Diego, including their Project Onramp initiatives; and the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Community Advisory Board Executive Committee. She is a founding member of both the UCSD Madrinas and Padrinos Scholarship Fund and the San Diego Foundation’s El Camino Fund. In addition, Linda is a Leadership Member of MANA de San Diego, former Co-Chair of the MANA de San Diego Advisory Council and an active member of Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) and Women in Bio (WIB).
She is particularly proud of being a founding member of MANA de San Diego’s Latina Success Leadership Program, created in partnership with The Center for Creative Leadership and National University, which has supported the career development of over 250 women. Linda holds a Certificate in Human Resources, which she began at UC Berkeley Extension and completed at UC San Diego Extension.