Senior Executive Conference
AI-Driven Discovery & Innovation
October 11–13, 2026
Half Moon Bay, CA | The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
Senior Executive Conference
AI-Driven Discovery & Innovation
October 11–13, 2026
Half Moon Bay, CA
The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
Senior leaders from across the ALDA community will come together in Half Moon Bay, CA, for the 2026 Fall Senior Executive Conference, one of the association’s cornerstone opportunities for peer engagement and strategic insight.
Our sessions this fall will focus on AI-Driven Discovery & Innovation. The program will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way science is conceived, tested, validated, and translated, with a particular focus on what these changes mean for ALDA member companies that enable this discovery and development.
A central question will be how AI expands scientific demand and reshapes the wet lab, data, automation, and validation needs required to turn computational insight into real-world discovery. The agenda will bring together leaders from AI, pharma, research, and the ALDA member community to examine where the practical opportunities and business implications are likely to emerge in the years ahead.
In addition to the program, the conference provides a trusted space for meaningful conversations with fellow leaders from across ALDA’s membership.
ALDA’s semi-annual conferences are for C-suite and full-time senior executive employees of ALDA member companies, directly involved in the daily strategic management of their organizations. Please view the Attendance Guidelines for more details.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
All times are PT.
Sunday, October 11
4–6 p.m. | Registration
6–9:15 p.m. | Welcome reception, dinner, and opening keynote with:
Nikki Haley
Walter P. Stern Chair at the Hudson Institute; US Ambassador to the United Nations (2017-2019); Governor of South Carolina (2011-2017)
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will open the conference with a wide-ranging conversation on global affairs, American leadership, economic competitiveness, and the geopolitical forces shaping business and innovation.
Drawing on her experience in state, national, and international leadership, Ambassador Haley will offer ALDA executives perspective on navigating uncertainty, responding to global change, and leading organizations through an increasingly complex environment.
Monday, October 12
9 a.m.–4:15 p.m. | Welcoming remarks followed by AI-Driven Discovery & Innovation programming. Additional program details will be announced soon.
Speaker:
Slavé Petrovski, PhD
VP, Centre for Genomics Research
AstraZeneca
As leader of AstraZeneca’s Centre for Genomics Research, Dr. Slavé Petrovski is helping integrate population-scale genomics, multi-omics, advanced analytics, and AI into drug discovery and clinical development.
He’ll bring an important pharma perspective to the program, examining how these capabilities are improving disease understanding, identifying and validating potential drug targets, and reshaping R&D decision-making. His participation will also help illuminate what the growing scale and complexity of biological data will require from ALDA member companies.
Speaker:
Hana El-Samad, PhD
SVP and Director, Institute of Computation, Altos Labs
Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF
Dr. Hana El-Samad works at the intersection of computation, control systems, synthetic biology, and cellular science. At Altos Labs, she leads the Institute of Computation, which brings advanced computational approaches and AI together with distinctive biological datasets to better understand cell health, resilience, and disease.
She’ll offer a compelling perspective on how computational insight can be connected with experimentation, measurement, and biological validation, helping ALDA leaders consider how AI may reshape the relationship between models, the wet lab, and the tools required to translate prediction into discovery.
Tuesday, October 13
8–9:15 a.m. | Closing keynote speaker:
Eric Topol, MD
EVP, Scripps Research; Founder and Director, Scripps Research Translational Institute; Chair, Department of Translational Medicine
AI and the Future of Discovery
Dr. Eric Topol will close the conference with a forward-looking examination of how artificial intelligence is transforming medicine and biomedical discovery. He will explore the convergence of AI, genomics, digital health, and increasingly individualized healthcare, along with the opportunities and challenges involved in translating computational advances into meaningful improvements for patients.
His perspective will help connect the conference’s discussions to the future of diagnostics, clinical validation, scientific workflows, and the technologies required to enable the next generation of medicine.
9:15 a.m. | Adjournment
REGISTRATION FEES
We’re pleased to keep registration rates unchanged from previous years.
First attendee from your company:
$2,795
Additional attendees from your company:
$2,295
CANCELLATION & OTHER POLICIES
Registration Cancellation Policy: No refunds of meeting registration fees will be made for registration cancellations after Wednesday, September 30, 2026. If you must cancel, please remember that you are also responsible for canceling your hotel reservations.
Registration Payment: Conference registration fees must be paid in full prior to the conference.
Spouse/Partner Attendance: We encourage attendees to bring their spouses/partners to our conferences to enjoy the social aspects of the event. Spouses are welcome to attend the two receptions and dinners, and the Tuesday morning closing keynote speaker. To assist with planning and accurate headcounts, spouses must be registered by Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Spouse registrations received after September 1 will include a fee of $150 per evening event. (Please register your spouse with attendee registration.)
Please note that attendees’ agreement to abide by our Code of Conduct and our conference Attendance Guidelines is mandatory.
LOCATION & HOTEL INFORMATION
Half Moon Bay, California, US
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
1 Miramontes Point Rd
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Main Hotel Phone: (650) 712-7000
On a bluff overlooking the ocean, just 20 miles from San Francisco International Airport, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay celebrates its surroundings with an experience rooted in rich natural resources and beauty. The property offers sweeping coastal views, scenic walking paths, and a relaxed setting to enjoy the Northern California coastline.
Hotel Accommodations:
ATTENDEES MUST MAKE THEIR OWN HOTEL RESERVATIONS.
ALDA is pleased to offer a room block at The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay at the group rate of $570.00 for Coastal View Guest Rooms and $700.00 for Direct Ocean View Guest Rooms (available for Sunday and Monday nights only). The rates listed do not include a $49.00 resort fee.
Room reservations are available through Friday, September 18, or until our block sells out. The hotel reservation link will be included in your conference registration confirmation email from info@thealda.org.
Note: There may be penalties for rooms vacated prior to the scheduled departure date, and “no-show” reservations will be billed to your account for the full dates of the reservation.
FAQs
What can I expect?
As the cornerstone events of the ALDA community, our Senior Executive Conferences offer valuable opportunities to build meaningful connections, gain strategic insights on emerging trends, and exchange perspectives with industry-leading peers. With no exhibitors, sponsors, or analysts in attendance, the conferences provide a unique environment for open conversation among senior executives.
When is the conference?
The conference begins on Sunday, October 11, at 6 p.m. with a welcome reception, followed by a guest speaker and dinner. We conclude with a keynote speaker on Tuesday, October 13, around 9:15 a.m.
Who should attend?
C-suite and full-time senior executive employees of ALDA member companies, directly involved in the daily strategic management of their organizations. Spouses are also welcome to attend the Sunday and Monday dinners and the closing session on October 13.
Please read more information in ALDA’s Attendance Guidelines.
**This conference is for ALDA members only. If you are interested in attending and are not a member, please contact ALDA staff regarding membership and the necessary next steps.
What is the cost to attend?
- First attendee from your company: $2,795
- Each additional attendee: $2,295
Where can I stay?
Attendees must make their own hotel reservations. ALDA is pleased to offer a room block at the conference host hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. The hotel reservation link will be included in the conference registration confirmation email from info@thealda.org.
How do I register?
- Sign in to the website with your username and password. If you’re a member, you can reset your password here if needed. Or please contact us for assistance signing in.
- To register only yourself, select “Add Me.” Click “Save/Continue” to proceed through registration.
- Group registration: to register more than one person from your company and use one payment method for all registrants, use “Add Someone Else” to search for records in our system. If any registrant is not in our system, you can add them. Once all registrants are added, click “Save/Continue” to proceed through registration.
I have more questions – who can I contact?
Please email Carol Starke or call her at (703) 282-0902 with any questions.