Del Mar Life Sciences

Disciplined Investment Governance for Life Sciences

Your organization manages significant capital: cash reserves, benefit plan assets, and strategic investments. A formal investment committee, chaired by Robert Mowry, puts a clear process, independent judgment, and board-ready reporting behind every decision.

Discuss a Committee Why It Matters
Independent Chair
Your committee led by Robert Mowry
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Capital pools governed: treasury, benefit plans, strategic investments
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Steps from first assessment to an operating committee
The Case for a Committee

Capital Without Structure Is Unmanaged Risk

In many life sciences organizations, investment decisions are made case by case, by whoever is closest to the problem. An investment committee replaces that with a defined mandate, written policy, and accountability. The result is capital that is protected, put to work deliberately, and explained clearly to your board.
01
Protect Your Runway

Policy-driven treasury management preserves liquidity and principal, so the cash set aside for clinical and operating milestones is there when you need it.

02
Earn More, Deliberately

Defined return objectives, risk limits, and allocation ranges reduce reactive decisions and put idle capital to work within guardrails you have approved.

03
Board & Investor Confidence

Written policy, meeting minutes, and regular reporting give directors, auditors, and investors clear visibility into how capital is governed.

04
Fiduciary Discipline

For pension and benefit plan assets, a documented committee process with recorded rationale supports prudent, defensible oversight.

05
Faster Strategic Decisions

Pre-agreed criteria for venture, co-investment, and strategic stakes let management move quickly on opportunities without improvising the process each time.

06
An Independent Perspective

An experienced chair from outside day-to-day operations challenges assumptions and brings pattern recognition from across the life sciences ecosystem.

Committee Scope

What the Committee Oversees

The mandate is tailored to your organization, its balance sheet, and its stage. Most committees govern some or all of the areas below under a single, consistent policy framework.
Treasury & Cash Reserves

Investment policy for operating cash and runway capital: liquidity tiers, approved instruments, counterparty limits, and maturity targets aligned to your funding milestones.

Pension & Benefit Plan Assets

Oversight of plan investments, funding status, advisor and manager performance, and the documentation that supports fiduciary responsibility.

Corporate Venture & Strategic Investments

Investment thesis, approval criteria, co-investment terms, and portfolio review for venture stakes and strategic minority positions.

Policy, Reporting & Board Interface

The investment policy statement, performance reporting against policy, and concise updates for the board and audit committee on a set cadence.

How It Works

From Charter to Operating Cadence

Standing up a committee does not need to be a heavy lift. The work is front-loaded into a focused design phase, after which the committee runs on a predictable rhythm with Robert as chair.

Management stays in control of operations. The committee adds structure, challenge, and a record of decisions, so capital is governed with the same care as the science it funds.

Meeting cadence is set to fit your organization, with quarterly meetings a common starting point. Every engagement begins with a confidential conversation about your capital and your governance needs.

Start the Conversation
  1. Assess
    Review current holdings, obligations, liquidity needs, and how investment decisions are made today.
  2. Charter
    Define the committee's mandate, membership, authority, and decision rights together with your CFO and board.
  3. Set Policy
    Draft the investment policy statement: objectives, risk tolerance, allocation ranges, approved instruments, and benchmarks.
  4. Operate
    Robert chairs regular meetings, reviews results against policy, and delivers board-ready reporting.
Committee Leadership

A Chair With Experience Across Every Capital Pool

A committee is only as good as the person running it. Robert Mowry brings the judgment to ask the right questions and the discipline to keep decisions on policy.
  • One lens across treasury, pensions, and venture. Few advisors have worked across all three, which lets the committee see how decisions in one area affect the others.
  • Governance first. Experience with board transitions and audit-ready process means the committee strengthens, rather than burdens, your governance.
  • Life sciences fluency. He understands runway pressure, milestone-driven funding, and the capital markets your organization operates in.
Robert Mowry — Investment Committee Chair, Del Mar Life Sciences
Investment Committee Chair
Robert Mowry
Founder & Principal Advisor

Robert Mowry brings decades of financial leadership within the life sciences ecosystem, guiding companies from early-stage capital formation through IPO readiness, board governance transitions, and long-term enterprise value creation. His experience spans corporate venture capital, pension management, and strategic financial operations across biotech and healthcare.

Through Del Mar Life Sciences, Robert chairs and builds investment committees for organizations that want their capital governed with rigor, and he also convenes a private network of senior financial executives.

Investment Governance Corp. Venture Pension & Benefits Capital Strategy Board Governance
Ways to Engage

Choose the Level of Support You Need

Whether you are forming a committee for the first time or strengthening one that already exists, the engagement is scoped to your organization.
A
Committee Build

A defined project to assess your situation, draft the charter and investment policy, and prepare the committee for its first meeting.

B
Ongoing Chair

Robert serves as chair of your investment committee, running meetings, challenging proposals, and reporting to the board on an ongoing basis.

C
Review & Refresh

An independent review of an existing committee, policy, or process, with specific recommendations to tighten governance and reporting.

“

Capital deserves the same rigor as the science it funds. An investment committee turns good intentions into a repeatable process: clear objectives, defined risk, and real accountability to the board.

Robert Mowry — Founder, Del Mar Life Sciences
Get in Touch

Start a Confidential Conversation

If you are considering an investment committee for your organization, or want an independent view on the one you have, tell us a little about your situation. Robert reviews every inquiry personally.

Chair Robert Mowry
Location Del Mar, California
Focus Treasury · Benefit Plans · Strategic Investments
Access Confidential inquiry; response within a few business days