Suttons Creek, a division of BlueRidge Life Sciences, is announcing a strategic leadership transition as part of its long-term growth strategy. 

Suttons Creek, a division of BlueRidge Life Sciences, today announced a set of leadership moves as the company enters its next phase of growth.

Paul Chao has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Divisional Head, assuming operational leadership of the division and serving as the primary executive point of contact for client engagements. Since joining Suttons Creek, Paul has had immediate impact on client relationships and internal operations, and brings a strong track record of building and leading technical and commercial organizations.

“Combination product development is getting harder, not easier, and our clients are bringing more ambitious programs forward each year. Suttons Creek was built to solve exactly that set of problems. My focus as Divisional Head is to scale the team and deepen what we offer while protecting the technical depth and client intimacy that make our work valuable. I am glad Steve will continue as executive advisor as we enter this next phase.” — Paul Chao, SVP and Divisional Head, Suttons Creek

Founder Steve Badelt is moving into an executive advisor role at Suttons Creek, continuing to guide the team and support client work. Steve built Suttons Creek from the ground up and defined how the firm approaches combination product development. That work has helped clients cut through regulatory and device-design complexity, make better decisions earlier, and move therapies to patients faster. He continues to bring that focus to the team and the work ahead.

Jonathan Amaya-Hodges has been promoted to Vice President, Technical Operations and will oversee the execution of consulting services.

At the BlueRidge Life Sciences level, Rob Schulz has been named Chief Operating Officer. Rob helped build the operational backbone of Suttons Creek and will now bring that experience to BRLS more broadly, supporting alignment and growth across its companies.

These moves reflect a deliberate approach to succession and sustained investment in the team. The focus from here: deeper client partnerships, a stronger technical bench, and continued leadership in combination product development.