Pharmaceutical Market Europe • October 2021 • 38-40
APPOINTMENTS
The AMR Action Fund
WILLIAM BURNS
The AMR Action Fund, the world’s largest public-private partnership supporting the development of new antibiotics to address rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), has announced the appointment of William Burns as board chair. Burns has a lifelong career in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry, providing invaluable experience for his role as board chair, when the need for novel antibiotics is more critical than ever. Burns previously served as CEO of the global Pharmaceutical Division of Roche, on the main Roche board, Genentech, Chugai, and as a non-executive director of Shire Pharmaceuticals and the smaller biotechnology companies Crucell, Biotie and Okairos. More recently, Burns was a board member of the Wellcome Trust until 2020. Currently, Burns is a member of the Novo Holdings advisory group, chair of Molecular Partners, Vestergaard Holdings and vice chair of Mesoblast. The AMR Action Fund aims to bring two to four new antibiotics to patients by 2030.
Eisai
PING ZHU
Eisai has promoted Ping Zhu to president and chief scientific officer of its subsidiary company H3 Biomedicine (H3), where he will be responsible for scientific strategy and business direction. Before joining H3 in 2012, Zhu was a group leader at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, working on early drug discovery and target identification and validation in oncology.
Eisai
ROSS PETTIT
In a further promotion in H3, Eisai has appointed Ross Pettit as deputy president to oversee H3's business operations, compliance, human resources and business development functions. Pettit joined H3 in 2018 and has more than 30 years’ of drug development experience, having held leadership positions with Otsuka, EMD Serono, Coley, ARIAD, AMAG, Infinity and Beigene.
Avacta
FIONA MCGLAUGHLIN
Avacta has announced the appointment of Fiona McGlaughlin as its Therapeutics Division’s chief scientific officer. She brings over 25 years’ experience in research and translational drug development, having started her career at GlaxoSmithKline. She subsequently held leadership positions in biotech companies including Antisoma, BTG, TopoTarget and A/S Algeta (acquired by Bayer).
ADC Therapeutics
JOSEPH CAMARDO
ADC Therapeutics has announced the appointment of Joseph Camardo as senior vice president and chief medical officer, succeeding Jay Feingold who is leaving to pursue new opportunities. Camardo has extensive experience, having held a number of senior leadership roles at Celgene Corporation, Forest Research Institute and was at Wyeth Research for more than 20 years.
Avacta
JAMES SPICER
Avacta has announced the appointment of James Spicer to its Scientific Advisory Board. Spicer is Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at King’s College London and Consultant in Medical Oncology at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals, London. His portfolio of studies includes novel immunotherapies discovered and developed at King’s and many externally sponsored studies.
Avacta
KRISHNAN KOMANDURI
Krishnan Komanduri has also been appointed to Avacta’s Scientific Advisory Board. He holds senior positions at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami and serves on the United Health Care Oncology Advisory Committee. He is past chair of the American Society of Hematology Scientific Committee on Host Defense and current chair of ASTCT Cellular Therapy Committee.
Avacta
STÉPHANE CHAMPIAT
Avacta’s Scientific Advisory Board has appointed Stéphane Champiat, a physician at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in Paris. Champiat has been principal investigator or co-investigator of many phase 1 clinical trials, and is involved in the immunotherapy toxicity management programme and the development of the intratumoral immunotherapy strategy at Gustave Roussy.
Muna Therapeutics
DONALD NICHOLSON
Muna Therapeutics has appointed Donald Nicholson as independent chair of its board of directors. Prior to this, he was chief executive officer of Nimbus Therapeutics, and before that he spent 25 years at Merck. Nicholson is chair of the board of directors at NodThera, Disc Medicine and Jnana Therapeutics, and board director at Kymera Therapeutics and Generation Bio.
The University of Birmingham
LUIGI MARTINI
The University of Birmingham has announced the appointment of an experienced academic and industrial pharmaceutical professional to the position of managing director of its new Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA). Luigi Martini joins PHTA Ltd – a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University that will operate the new facility – from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) where he has held the role of chief scientist for more than three years. Martini’s career began with senior scientist roles at Scherer Drug Delivery Systems and SmithKline Beecham, before joining GSK – initially as drug delivery and strategic technologies manager – rising to senior directorships over a ten-year stint. Prior to his appointment at the RPS, he held senior development and advisory positions with Shire Pharmaceuticals and Roche. He was formerly Professor of Pharmaceutical Innovation at King’s College London, as well as undertaking visiting professorships and PhD supervision alongside his industry roles.
Merck
THOMAS GLOCER
Merck’s Board of Directors has appointed Thomas Glocer as independent lead director. Glocer has served on the Merck Board of Directors since 2007. He has extensive management, operational, technology and international business expertise, including while chief executive officer and a director of Thomson Reuters Corporation, and also serves as independent lead director at Morgan Stanley.
Orchard Therapeutics
FULVIO MAVILIO
Orchard Therapeutics has appointed Fulvio Mavilio as chief scientific officer. Prior to this Mavilio has held a number of senior roles at Smart Immune, Audentes Therapeutics, Genethon, Molmed SpA, Genera SpA and the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute of Gene Therapy. He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Association, and professor at the University of Modena and Reggia Emilia.
Orchard Therapeutics
NICOLETTA LOGGIA
Nicoletta Loggia joins Orchard Therapeutics as chief technical officer from Novartis, where she held positions of increasing responsibility since 2004. Previously, Loggia was global head of technical development novel biologic entities and cell and gene therapies. She began her career at Pfizer and is a registered pharmacist and member of the UK Royal and Italian Pharmaceutical Societies.
Orchard Therapeutics
LESLIE MELTZER
Orchard Therapeutics has promoted Leslie Meltzer to chief medical officer, having held positions of increasing responsibility. She joined Orchard Therapeutics from Keryx Biopharmaceuticals and previously served in various positions of increasing seniority at Biogen, including leadership roles in its multiple sclerosis and haemophilia franchises. Meltzer began her career at Actelion (now part of Janssen).
MOMA Therapeutics
SEMI TROTTO
MOMA Therapeutics has appointed Semi Trotto to the newly created role of chief people and experience officer. Trotto has more than 20 years’ experience in human resources, having held senior roles at Thrive Earlier Detection, Editas Medicine and Baxalta until its acquisition by Shire. Earlier in her career, she spent 11 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb where she held roles of increasing responsibility.
Wave Healthcare Communications
EMMA WHEALE
Wave, a medcomms agency, has announced a new board and a significant rebrand to support its five-year plan. Emma Wheale, formerly of Inspired Science, has been appointed as business unit director. She has extensive experience in medical communications with a focus on team development, strategic planning and building effective client relationships through building exceptional teams.
Wave Healthcare Communications
RACHEL FARROW
In a further addition to the Wave board, Rachel Farrow has been appointed as board adviser, with responsibility for transformation and growth. She brings over 20 years’ experience in building and transforming agencies, and leading businesses within healthcare communications. Farrow has been a senior figure within the PM Society for over ten years.
Wave Healthcare Communications
ALISON SPRINGHAM
The Wave Healthcare Communications Board has also appointed Alison Springham as board adviser to support the company’s five-year growth plans. A veteran of the industry, she brings financial and commercial expertise, being a portfolio finance director with over two decades of agency experience across many sectors, including award-winning SME businesses.
Open Health
MARGOT HANNAH
OPEN Health Communications has announced the appointment of Margot Hannah as the new chief executive officer. Hannah was most recently President of the Medical Communications Center of Excellence and has previously worked for AstraZeneca, Takeda and Merck. As CEO, she will have overall accountability for the Medical and Brand Communications services.
imc group
LIZ BODEN
imc group has bolstered its senior leadership team with the appointment of Liz Boden as global head of imc agencies and Pulsar Health. Boden brings nearly 25 years’ experience across medical communications, having held senior positions at Ashfield Healthcare and latterly at Caudex, where she was global commercial director working in the UK, USA and Canada.
Uptake Strategies
MELISSA DAGLESS
Melissa Dagless has been appointed to the leadership team of Uptake Strategies as global head of growth. Dagless is a highly experienced strategy and launch marketer, specialising in rare diseases, AI and oncology, and founding Accretio Ltd. She began her career at GSK, holding a number of senior management positions, and was latterly VP of marketing at Shionogi.
Hanover
EMMA GREENWOOD
Hanover Health has appointed Cancer Research UK’s policy and public affairs leader Emma Greenwood as a director. Greenwood has led many campaigns over 12 years at CRUK, overseeing policy development and leading external engagement with senior Government decision makers. In 2015 she was seconded to head the secretariat for the Independent Cancer Taskforce.
Fishawack
ELIZABETH LANDON
Elizabeth Landon has been appointed to the newly created executive role of chief people officer at Fishawack Health. Landon brings over 30 years’ experience, including the role of global managing director for talent management at Accenture. For the last six years, she has led Human Resources functions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and then Heartland Alliance.
M&F Health
VICKY O’CONNOR
M&F Health is bolstering its senior team with the appointment of Vicky O’Connor as senior director. With over 25 years’ experience in healthcare communications and market access, in both agency and in-house roles, she will be leading the fast-growing PR team which works across a wide variety of pharmaceutical, health tech and public health and charity business.
M&F Health
PHILLIPPA CAHILL
M&F Health has also appointed Philippa Cahill to a newly created creative director role. She has been with the agency since its inception in 2017 and will work closely with the PR and PA specialists within the team as well as on integrated business, driving the creative campaigns that the agency has become known for in recent years.
M&F Health
RITA MARTINS
Rita Martins has been promoted to director within M&F Health’s PR Practice. She is a senior practitioner with over 20 years’ experience in healthcare communications and leads on key accounts at M&F Health, including Chiesi and Janssen. Martins has played a vital role in securing new clients such as Théa Pharmaceuticals, Vifor Pharma and Organon.
Uptake Strategies
NEW GRADUATE TEAM
Uptake Strategies is pleased to welcome five new highly talented graduate team members to its fast-track graduate programme, part of its commitment to support 1,000 graduates over ten years. Susmita Subhash, Jack McCollum, Jeffin John, Emma Weaver and Iruni Rabel have joined the team as graduate project management assistants and will be working across a range of projects.
Current Global
RUAIRiDH VILLAR
Current Global has appointed Ruairidh Villar to its UK health team as associate director, global media & campaigns. Previously he was with PHE, where he headed a specialist data and science communications unit for its COVID-19 response. Before this, Villar ran campaigns on global health and humanitarian emergencies for Save the Children and was a journalist with Reuters.
Current Global
ARTI MARU
Arti Maru joins Current Global as associate director, having worked across global, European and UK programmes. During her career, Maru has worked with pharmaceutical companies to implement communications campaigns throughout product life cycles and has delivered disease awareness and patient engagement activities as part of broader brand and franchise strategies.
Current Global
SIOBHAN DOOLEY, VICTOR AGREST
Among other appointments, Current Global has appointed Siobhan Dooley as account manager. She brings three years’ experience working in medical communications across a range of therapy areas, clients and disciplines. Victor Agrest is the fourth new member of the UK Health team, and joins as associate from the NHS. The new hires will report to Nivey Nocher.