Meet Our Leadership Team

Akshay Kapadia leads our team with over 30 years of experience supporting large, medium, and small life sciences and pharmaceutical customers. He has held senior leadership positions at inVentiv Health, Accenture, Octagon Research Solutions, Cegedim, and Dendrite International. Akshay founded Conexus with a vision to create nimble, high-quality, cost-effective outsourcing for the commercial operations of small to mid-size pharma and life science firms. Recognized as a “Veeva Hero” for his innovative implementations, Akshay holds a Master’s in Computer Science from the City University of New York and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science.

Anthony Bianciella leads our Enabling Business Services Practice, which includes Learning Services and Marketing Operations. With over 30 years of experience supporting sales and marketing in life sciences, he specializes in HCP/patient communication strategies, content development and design, and technology learning strategies. Anthony holds a Master’s in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers.

Brad Pickell is a Finance professional with expertise in sales operations and over ten years of experience in global financial analysis. He also possesses extensive knowledge in commercial operations, sales enablement, marketing, and strategy development. Brad, who is a certified Salesforce.com administrator and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Susquehanna University, excels in structuring Conexus to meet client commercial and sales operation needs.

Chris serves as Chief Marketing Officer, bringing over 25 years of experience developing and leading growth marketing strategies that connect digital, data, cloud, and AI transformation to business value. He is responsible for driving growth strategy, demand generation, customer engagement, brand positioning, partner enablement, and thought leadership. Chris has held senior marketing roles across global enterprises and high-growth technology firms. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Liberty University.

Ernie Payne leads our Commercial Services Practice Group as Senior Vice President and General Manager. With over 20 years in Commercial Operations, he is an expert in building and organizing support for field sales and commercial organizations. Ernie has extensive experience in field and home office operations, IT support, and Salesforce launches and expansions. A graduate of Bloomsburg University, Ernie's deep understanding of client needs and industry offerings has driven his success in operations and business development.

Jim Rondinone leads our Field Operations practice, bringing over 20 years of experience supporting commercial teams across the life sciences industry. He has guided account teams for both large sales organizations and emerging pharma companies, specializing in commercial operations, client services, and regulatory compliance. Jim’s expertise helps clients reduce operational risks and drive productivity. A graduate of Seton Hall University, Jim is committed to delivering innovative field operations solutions that provide seamless support for commercial talent.

Phil Portantino boasts over 30 years of Human Resource management experience, with international exposure and specialization in Learning & Development, Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition, Compensation, and Benefits. His career transitioned from Finance to the Financial Services and Life Sciences industries, where he has spent the last 20 years. Phil holds a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and an MBA from Monmouth University, leveraging his extensive HR expertise to attract and retain top talent at Conexus and drive client prosperity.

Praveen Chandrasekhar serves as our Chief Information Officer, bringing over 20 years of senior IT leadership in the pharmaceutical industry to our organization. His expertise spans R&D, IT infrastructure, and commercial operations, with a focus on comprehensive IT solutions for drug development. Praveen excels in enterprise architecture, data management and analytics, business intelligence, and CRM implementations. He holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Southern University at Baton Rouge and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from PSG College of Technology.

Raj is responsible for driving strategic initiatives focused on business development and partnerships. With over seven years of experience managing complex, enterprise-level customer engagements, he excels at solving cross-functional challenges and fostering key client relationships. Raj’s ability to deliver impactful solutions has played a vital role in the company’s growth. He holds an MBA from the SMU Cox School of Business.

Sandy Tammisetty leads our Veeva Services Practice Group as Vice President and General Manager. With over 15 years of experience in the life sciences industry, she oversees six teams, including Veeva Commercial and Vault Services. Sandy specializes in optimizing client sales and marketing operations and has led over 40 Veeva implementations. She holds a Master’s in Computer Science from Monmouth University, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), and is certified in six Veeva specialties.

Sunitha Venkat leads our Data Services and Insights practice as Vice President. With over 20 years of experience, she excels in translating complex business questions into actionable insights. Sunitha has delivered over 50 Analytics and Insights implementations through CRO and CSO, supporting life science organizations with data strategy in the Commercial, Patient Support, and Medical Affairs domains. She holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering from Dr. M.G.R. Educational & Research Institute University in Chennai, India.