Science, people first for biotech investor Bill Bowes

Bill Bowes.

Bill Bowes is old school. Although he is one of the best-known and most well-respected investors in the biotech industry, he generally shuns the spotlight. When it comes to biotech startups, science and people — not hype — rule the day. Bowes, the first money into Amgen Inc. and the founder of venture capital firm U.S. Venture Partners, remains a shrewd judge of personal character and innovation that can shift the life sciences landscape as he starts to unwind from some of his business and philanthropic endeavors. “It’s always tempting to say, ‘Yes,’” he said about his nonprofit board work.