SOUTH CAROLINA – October 21, 2025 – SCbio is pleased to welcome Ivan Cartagena, senior vice president of operations and supply chain at PAI Pharma, and Ashley Richardson, deputy director of the Charleston County Economic Development Department, to its Strategic Advisory Board.
Cartagena has over 40 years of leadership experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry and currently oversees end-to-end operations at the largest domestic manufacturer of prescription, generic and over-the-counter oral liquids in the United States. In this role, he manages a portfolio that accounts for nearly 40% of all prescription oral liquid medications dispensed nationwide, supplying hospitals, pharmacies and long-term care centers across the country.
Throughout his career, Cartagena has successfully led strategic pharmaceutical and contract manufacturing facilities responsible for producing and distributing a wide range of products, including oral liquids, sterile injectables, sterile ophthalmic oral solid dose and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Before joining PAI Pharma, Cartagena held general management positions across four large-scale operations, including VistaPharm Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb and Cardinal Health, consistently delivering operational growth, regulatory excellence and compliance with global standards. Renowned for his strategic insight, technical depth and results-driven leadership, Cartagena continues to drive operational excellence and innovation in complex pharmaceutical environments.
Cartagena holds a Master of Business Administration from Turabo University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico.
Richardson has served with the Charleston County Economic Development Department since 2016. She oversees daily operations and steers the organization’s strategic initiatives, focusing on industry recruitment, business retention and cultivating a pro-business climate in Charleston County.
As a visionary leader in marketing and communications, Richardson spearheaded the department’s award-winning rebranding in 2021 before becoming deputy director, strengthening Charleston County’s competitive position. Her leadership has directly supported the success of over 100 business expansion projects, contributing to sustained economic growth in the region.
Richardson’s exceptional contributions to economic development have earned her numerous accolades, including being named a “Top Forty Under 40” by the Charleston Regional Business Journal in 2015, a “Woman of Influence” in 2023 and one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect.
Richardson holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Alabama and a Master of Business Administration from The Citadel. She is a graduate of Leadership Charleston and the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and is certified as a diversity leader. In 2025, Richardson earned accreditation as a South Carolina certified economic developer.
SCbio is the definitive, unifying leader in South Carolina’s life sciences sector, fostering authentic collaboration and innovation across academia, startups, government and established enterprises. As a member-driven economic development organization, SCbio represents over 1,000 organizations employing more than 87,000 professionals. Our members are unified by a mission to positively impact humanity through science across the ecosystem of advanced and specialty manufacturing; digital health and the data frontier; and cutting-edge health specializations. For additional information about SCbio and the life sciences industry, or to become a member, visit SCbio.org.