Francis Orlando knows what it’s like to be lobbied. He also knows what it’s like to do the lobbying.
He now brings both views to Plainsboro-based Genmab, which has named him regional director of state government relations for the Northeast. In the role, he leads the company’s state government relations and public affairs strategy across the region.
New Jersey is home base for the Danish biotech in the U.S. Genmab has grown from about 150 employees in the state in 2020 to roughly 1,000 today, with nearly 3,000 worldwide. Last summer, it cut the ribbon on a new site at the Princeton Forrestal Innovation Center in Plainsboro. The NJEDA’s Emerge Program backed the project, which is expected to create 300 jobs in Middlesex County.
The company’s profile in the state keeps rising. In February, CEO Jan van de Winkel received BioNJ’s Sol J. Barer Award, and Chief People Officer Chris Cozic became chair of BioNJ.
Orlando brings more than 20 years of experience across government, politics, public affairs and health care to the company.
Most recently, he was vice president of public affairs at Delta Dental of Massachusetts. Before that, he led state government relations and public affairs at UCB and DentaQuest.
Earlier in his career, Orlando held senior roles in the Massachusetts State Treasurer’s Office and worked on statewide political campaigns.
He also served as a city councilor in Quincy, Massachusetts — the seat where he first saw the lobbying from the other side.
