Susan Desmond-Hellmann is president, Product Development. In this role, Hellmann is responsible for Genentech's Development, Process Research & Development, Business Development, Product Portfolio Management, Alliance Management and Pipeline Planning Support functions. Hellmann is a member of Genentech's executive committee.

Hellmann joined Genentech in 1995 as a clinical scientist, and she was named chief medical officer in 1996. In 1999, Hellmann was named executive vice president, Development and Product Operations. In addition to her work at Genentech, Hellmann is an adjunct associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Hellmann is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and completed her clinical training at UCSF. In March 2004, Hellmann was named to her current role as president, Product Development.

Prior to joining Genentech, Hellmann was associate director of clinical cancer research at Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pharmaceutical Research Institute. While at Bristol-Myers Squibb, she was the project team leader for Taxol.

Hellmann has also served as assistant professor, Hematology-Oncology at UCSF. During her nine years of training in internal medicine and oncology, Hellmann spent two years as visiting faculty studying AIDS and cancer at the Uganda Cancer Institute. She also spent two years in private practice before returning to clinical research.

In July 2008, Hellmann was appointed to the California Academy of Sciences Board of Trustees. She was named to the Biotech Hall of Fame in 2007 and as Healthcare Businesswomen's Association's "Woman of the Year" for 2006. Hellmann was named to FORTUNE magazine's 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2001 "Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list. In 2006, 2005 and 2004, The Wall Street Journal listed Hellmann as one of its "Women To Watch." From 2005-08, Hellmann served as member of the American Association for Cancer Research Board of Directors, and in 2001 she was named to the board of directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Hellmann serves on the corporate board of Affymetrix.

Hellmann received her Bachelor of Science in pre-medicine and her medical degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley.