James A. Hayward is chairman, president, and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences. With over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life science, and consumer product industries, James is actively involved in the global effort to ensure the authenticity of products and the protection of global supply chains from counterfeiting and diversion. Patented and applied in over a billion products throughout the world, the Company's SigNature^® DNA markers are unique, botanical, "green" DNA sequences that can help preserve the quality and integrity of products from pharmaceutics to cosmetics.

James received his bachelor's degree in Biology and Chemistry from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 1976, his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1983, and an honorary Doctor of Science from the same institution in 2000. He was one of the founding principals and research director of Europe's first liposome company, Biocompatibles Ltd. From 1984 to 1989, he was responsible for product development at Esteé Lauder Companies.

In 1990, James founded The Collaborative Group, a provider of products and services to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and consumer-product industries based in Stony Brook. For 14 years, he served as chairman, president, and CEO of Collaborative, spawning multiple businesses, including The Collaborative BioAlliance, a contract developer and manufacturer of human gene products, sold to Dow Chemical in 2002; and Collaborative Labs, a service provider and manufacturer of ingredients for skincare and dermatology, sold to Engelhard (now BASF) in 2004.

James has been twice named Entrepreneur of the Year - in 2002 by Inc. Magazine and in 2009 by the Long Island Technology Hall of Fame. In January 2014, he was given the David Award by Networking Magazine as one of eight of Long Island's most accomplished individuals.

James has been a general partner of Double D Venture Fund, a venture capital firm based in New York, New York. He has served on the boards of many companies, as well as the Stony Brook Foundation, the Research Foundation of the State of New York, the Long Island Association, the New York Biotechnology Association, the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative, and the Ward Melville Heritage Foundation.