Pharmaceutical Market Europe • December 2020 • 42-44
APPOINTMENTS
Vertex
NICOLA MASSEY
Vertex has appointed Nicola Massey as the senior country manager for UK & Ireland. Massey has extensive experience leading global, European and country teams across multiple therapy areas. During her career, she has also gained expertise in rare diseases in both multinational and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies. Previously, she served as global franchise head at Shire, where she oversaw the launch of a haematological rare disease medicine across 31 countries. More recently, she held the position of managing director of Colonis Pharmaceuticals, where she established and successfully grew the licensed pharmaceuticals business, achieving approvals and uptake of a large portfolio of medicines. Prior to joining Vertex, she established her own consultancy, providing UK and European launch strategy development for start-up companies as well as global biopharmaceutical companies planning first-in-class launches in rare conditions.
VectivBio
SARAH HOLLAND
VectivBio has appointed Sarah Holland as chief business officer. Most recently, Holland served as global head of licensing at Lonza where she built the new licensing business research and led research and development. Prior to Lonza, she led external science and partnering across the globe for Sanofi R&D. Before that, Holland served at Roche for over a decade.
Novavax
GREGG ALTON
Novavax has appointed Gregg Alton to its board as an independent director. Alton brings extensive industry experience to Novavax, including 20 years at Gilead Sciences, where he served in a number of leadership roles. Among these roles at Gilead, he served as the company’s interim chief executive officer from January 2019 until March 2019, before and after which he worked as chief patient officer.
Mylan
BILL SZABLEWSKI
Mylan has appointed Bill Szablewski head of capital markets for Viatris, the spin-out company resulting from Mylan’s merger with Pfizer’s Upjohn generics unit. Szablewski has nearly 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, most recently serving as assistant treasurer, capital markets at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). At BMS, his work supported the successful shareholder vote and debt financing for the Celgene acquisition.
Horizon Therapeutics
KARIN ROSÉN
Horizon Therapeutics has appointed Karin Rosén as executive vice president, research and development and chief scientific officer. Rosén has nearly three decades of experience in the life sciences industry and previously served as senior vice president, US medical affairs at GlaxoSmithKline. Prior to GSK, Rosén was senior vice president, US and global medical affairs at Aimmune Therapeutics.
Mission Therapeutics
SUHAIL NURBHAI
Mission Therapeutics has appointed Suhail Nurbhai as chief medical officer. Nurbhai has over 25 years’ experience in the strategic and operational leadership of all phases of clinical research and development. He joins Mission from VHsquared, where he served as CMO – prior to that, Nurbhai was senior vice president and head of development and medical affairs for Shionogi in Europe.
Gilead Sciences
ANTHONY WELTERS
Gilead Sciences has appointed Anthony Welters to the company’s board of directors. In 2016, Welters retired as senior adviser to the officer of the CEO of UnitedHealth Group (UHG). During his tenure at UHG, he served as executive vice president and a member of the office of the CEO, and also led the company’s public and senior markets group.
VectivBio
ADITYA VENUGOPAL
Also joining VectivBio is Aditya Venugopal, who has been appointed vice president of business development at the company. Previously, Venugopal served as an executive director at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, where he held roles leading corporate strategic planning and business development. He also served as an associate director at Navigant Life Science Consulting.
Freeline Therapeutics
MARK BALDRY
Mark Baldry has joined Freeline Therapeutics as chief commercial officer. Baldry is an experienced commercial leader with 30 years’ experience working in the biopharmaceutical industry. He joins from Wave Life Sciences where he served as chief commercial officer and prior to that as senior vice president, global marketing and commercial operations at Amicus Therapeutics.
Oryzon Genomics
TORSTEN HOFFMAN
Oryzon Genomics has appointed Torsten Hoffman as chief scientific officer. Hoffman has spent over 23 years in pharmaceutical research and development including senior roles at Roche and Zealand Pharma. At Roche, Hoffman was head of discovery chemistry and head of the Roche Postdoc Fellowship Programme. He also served as CSO at Zealand Pharma and CSO of British biotech Silence Therapeutics.
Apaxen
BART WUURMAN
Apaxen has appointed Bart Wuurman as its new chief executive officer. Wuurman has over 30 years of experience in drug development, biotech financing, business development and licensing. Prior to joining Apaxen, Wuurman served as the CEO of De Novo Pharmaceuticals, as well as AM-Pharma, Lanthio Pharma and is the current director of Hercules Pharmaceuticals.
Exscientia
GARRY PAIRAUDEAU
Exscientia has appointed Garry Pairaudeau as chief technology officer. Pairaudeau joins from AstraZeneca, where he held the position of vice president of hit discovery. During his time at AZ, he championed developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Pairaudeau was also part of the team that discovered the cardiovascular drug Brilinta (ticagrelor).
Silence Therapeutics
MARIE WIKSTRÖM LINDHOLM
Silence Therapeutics has appointed Marie Wikström Lindholm as senior vice president, molecular design and a member of its executive leadership team. Lindholm joined Silence in 2017, serving as VP head of technology innovation. She has over 13 years’ experience with oligonucleotide therapeutics, starting at Danish biopharmaceutical company Santaris Pharma.
Scancell
GILLIES O’BRYAN-TEAR
Scancell has appointed Gillies O’Bryan-Tear as chief medical officer. O’Bryan-Tear has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has held senior leadership roles in large and small pharma and biotech companies in the US and Europe. Previously, he served as the chief medical officer of Algeta, a Norwegian biotech company developing a radiopharmaceutical for prostate cancer.
Scancell
ROBERT MILLER
Robert Miller has also joined Scancell, taking on the role of medical director. Previously, Miller worked as a managing director at Artemida Pharma. He has provided strategic expertise, medical management and clinical development support for both small and large pharma and biotech companies during his 30-year career in the industry, particularly in the fields of oncology and immuno-oncology.
Tacalyx
KLAUS SCHOLLMEIER
German biotech company Tacalyx has appointed Klaus Schollmeier as chairman of its board of directors. Schollmeier has over 30 years of experience in the pharma and biotech companies, with senior leadership experience in R&D, marketing and general management. He also serves on the board of several other European biotech companies includes Anergis Pharma, Affiris Pharma and Eternygen.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
JENNIFER COOK
Jennifer Cook has been appointed to Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ board of directors. Previously, Cook was chief executive officer at GRAIL, an early cancer detection diagnostic company. Prior to that, she worked at Roche/Genentech for 25 years where she held a number of senior management positions. This included holding the position of global head of clinical operations at Roche.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
MARK SMITH
Jazz Pharmaceuticals has also appointed Mark Smith to its board of directors. Smith currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of Phreesia and Teladoc Health. He also serves on the board of The Commonwealth Fund and the Institute for Health Care Improvement. Smith is also a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California.
AC Immune
JOHANNES ROLF STREFFER
AC Immune has appointed Johannes Rolf Streffer as its chief medical officer. He joins AC Immune from UCB Biopharma, where he held the positon of vice president, head of translational medicine neuroscience. Prior to this, he was a member of the Alzheimer’s disease area leadership team at Johnson & Johnson’s pharma division Janssen.
Mereo Biopharma
SUBA KRISHNAN
Mereo Biopharma has appointed Suba Krishnan as senior vice president of clinical development. Krishnan has over 20 years' experience in late-stage immuno-oncology drug development, academia and clinical practice. Most recently, she worked at Genmab as the global programme head of immuno-oncology. Prior to Genmab, Krishnan was a senior principal scientist at Merck.
Inventiva
MICHAEL COOREMAN
Inventiva has appointed Michael Cooreman as chief medical officer. Cooreman joins Inventiva from Ferring Pharmaceuticals where he served as vice president, science and medicine in charge of global research and development, gastroenterology and hepatology. Cooreman has worked for several companies in the US and been involved in a range of clinical trials.
OPEN Health
ROB BARKER
OPEN Health has named Rob Barker as its new chief executive officer. Barker has approximately 30 years of executive leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, having held a number of roles at medical communications and strategy consulting firms. Most recently, he served as the CEO of OPEN Health’s Medical Communications practice, which he joined six years ago.
Lucid Group
LAURENCE BANNISTER
Laurence Bannister has joined Lucid Group as its new chief commercial officer. Bannister brings over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry to the role. For the past nine years, he worked at STEM Healthcare and most recently held the role of international president. Prior to that, he completed stints at Mundipharma and Novo Nordisk.
MHP Health
NICK HOILE
MHP Health has appointed Nick Hoile as a senior director, who returns to the agency from Publicis Resolute. At Publicis, Hoile served as director of government affairs for close to two years. He was previously at MHP Health for more than five years, reaching the role of director before leaving the company. Hoile started his comms career as a policy officer with the Mental Health Foundation.
Page & Page and Partners
ASMA SHIRAZI
Page & Page and Partners has appointed Asma Shirazi as account director. Previously, Shirazi has worked at a number of agencies, including Hive, Havas SO and most recently Sudler where she advised on pharma brands. Earlier in her career, she worked as an intern at Grey Healthcare, where she worked up to the role of senior account executive.
Page & Page and Partners
ISABELLE NICHOLSON-ROSE
Also joining Page & Page and Partners is Isabelle Nicholson-Rose, who has been appointed to the role of account executive. Prior to joining Page & Page, Nicholson-Rose worked as a business support administrator at Public Health England, where she provided support within its Coronavirus Response Centre. She also worked as an intern at medcomms agency Lucid Group.
CREATION.co
TOM BOURNE
Health strategy consultancy CREATION.co has appointed Tom Bourne as associate director, analytics. Prior to joining CREATION.co, Bourne held analytical roles at both the local and national government levels. Most recently, he worked at Kent County Council as public health intelligence manager, where he oversaw a team of specialist public health analysts supporting local government’s tracking of COVID-19 cases.
CREATION.co
VICTORIA DONOUGHER
CREATION.co has also welcomed Victoria Donougher as associate director of marketing and communications. Donougher is an experienced senior marketing professional with experience in brand strategy, digital propositions and audience development. Previously, she ran her own marketing consultancy business, specialising in strategic and digital marketing, working with global clients.
GCI Health
DAVID BERKOVITCH
GCI Health has appointed David Berkovitch as senior director of its London team. Prior to joining GCI Health, Berkovitch spent nearly four years at Zeno 3 Monkeys as head of healthcare. Before his role at Zeno 3 Monkeys, he also held senior roles at Edelman and Fleishman Hillard Fishburn, where he most recently served as director and partner and interim co-head of healthcare.
GCI Health
KAYLEIGH MOORE
The final new starter joining GCI Health, as a senior account director, is Kayleigh Moore. Previously, Moore worked at Chandler Chicco Agency, where she held the position of healthcare communications consultant. Prior to that, she worked as a product marketing manager at IQVIA’s CODE (Collaboration for Oncology Data in Europe).
GCI Health
FENYA LAZAR
Also joining GCI Health, as an account director, is Fenya Lazar. Before joining the team at GCI Health, Lazar worked at Syneos Health Communications for a period of seven years, working in the role of PR consultant. She graduated from the London College of Communication in 2013, earning a bachelor’s degree in public relations.
GCI Health
HARRIET MOONEY
GCI Health has also appointed Harriet Mooney as an account director. Mooney previously worked at Evoke KYNE as an account director. Prior to that, she worked at integrated corporate communications consultancy madano. Earlier in her career, she worked in a number of roles at Janssen, most recently serving as a therapy area communications specialist.
Page & Page and Partners
EMILY SIDLOW
Emily Sidlow has also joined Page & Page and Partners as a senior account manager. Prior to joining the Page & Page and Partners team, she worked at ApotheCom, also serving in the role of senior account manager. Before that, she worked at InVentiv Health as a medical education consultant. She also completed a stint at Ogilvy, where she worked as an account executive.