Primary Job Title Founder and General Partner Primary Organization 
Apjohn ventures
Location Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States Regions Great Lakes, Midwestern US Gender Male
Investor Type
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Don Parfet has over thirty years of experience in all aspects of life sciences business launch, management, and exit. It was his vision to launch the Apjohn Group in 2001 to bring talent and seed capital together to exploit the biotech opportunities in the Midwest region. Don is active in sourcing, assessing, and governing our pipeline and
portfolio. He served as founding CEO of Afmedica and serves as Chairman of the Board at ProNAi.
Don's responsibilities over his career at Pharmacia included running all of the Associated Businesses (Animal Health, Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical Commercial Services and Plasma Products). Don also had overall Site Management responsibilities for the company's operations in Kalamazoo and spent many years in the Corporate finance group of The Upjohn Company. He has successfully created a new company through the formation of a joint venture between Amersham and Pharmacia Biotech. He also led a successful $150 million IPO by "spinning out" 60% ownership to the public of Biacore International of Sweden (NASDAQ: BCOR) which has been subsequently acquired by GE.
Don is a trustee of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and Bronson Healthcare Group as well as Chair of the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees. He also serves as a Board Member of Southwest Michigan First and the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center. He is a Director of MPI Research, a preclinical research facility in Mattawan Michigan as well as board member at Kelly Services, Inc (KELYA) and Rockwell Automation, Inc (ROK).
Don received his BA degree in economics from the University of Arizona in 1975 and his M.B.A. degree in finance from the University of Michigan in 1977.
