These days, Alan Wovsaniker spends most of his time arranging financings for the companies he counsels in the world of leading-edge biotechnology. A 35-year veteran of mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, corporate finance, financial restructurings and equity-based compensation plans, Alan's work brings together a steady supply of cash and emerging-therapy developers.

He also oversees M&A work — recent deals in biotech have involved a stem cell therapy research firm and a company handling the complex clinical trial process as well as an acquisition of a Chinese pharmaceutical company. He also recently did M&A work involving a variety of other businesses, including a software developer for commodity trading and a logistics company.

It is a role that he relishes. "If something I finance can someday do something wonderful — like, say, find a cure for cancer — who wouldn’t want to do it?" he asked.