All's Fair in Love and War
Musings and Strategies for Negotiations

TOM FINNERAN

I n romance as in business, negotiation is a valuable skill. For its Valentine's Day program, the WPI Venture Forum is pleased to host Tom Finneran, former House Speaker and now president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. He will speak on the subject of negotiations, sharing his thoughts and experience on how to approach, engage, interact, and work with individuals and organizations to find and foster the best transactions.

Whether it's a small customer order or a complicated multi-million dollar deal, the same general principles of negotiation apply. From his unique background in politics and now as the head of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, Finneran will share with the WPI Venture Forum audience his perspective on the principles, strategies, and techniques of negotiation as both art and science. Come for a very relevant and insightful look into the craft of negotiating from a proven master.

Thomas M. Finneran is the president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. Former House Speaker Finneran, a Democrat from Boston, represented the 12th Suffolk District, which includes sections of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Milton. A member of the House of Representatives since 1979, he served as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee from 1991 to 1996. Elected Speaker of the House in April 1996, he was re-elected in January of 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003. The Speakers of 49 state legislatures elected him in 2002 as the president of the National Speakers' Conference.

A graduate of Boston Latin School, Finneran attended Northeastern University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance. In 1978, he received his Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar that same year.