As the pandemic continues to rumble on, biopharma companies have been reshuffling the pack on their executive boards.
The month of March saw the coronavirus sweep the globe, as a number of biopharma companies were looking to consolidate leadership positions for the coming year and beyond.
In one particular case, this saw the CEO position change hands no fewer than three times in the space of just a few weeks, with various rumors swirling regarding the possible cause.
Elsewhere, there were more straight forward leadership changes for Fujifilm Diosynth and Genmab. Click through the gallery to find out more about other leadership changes across the industry.
As the pandemic continues to rumble on, biopharma companies have been reshuffling the pack on their executive boards.
The month of March saw the coronavirus sweep the globe, as a number of biopharma companies were looking to consolidate leadership positions for the coming year and beyond.
In one particular case, this saw the CEO position change hands no fewer than three times in the space of just a few weeks, with various rumors swirling regarding the possible cause.
Elsewhere, there were more straight forward leadership changes for Fujifilm Diosynth and Genmab. Click through the gallery to find out more about other leadership changes across the industry.
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies revealed that its CEO, Steve Bagshaw, would step down at the beginning of April to be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Martin Meeson.
Bagshaw has transitioned into the position of non-executive chairman after six years as head of the contract development and manufacturing organization. According to the company, Bagshaw decided to retire from the role.
Meeson will step into the role having accumulated 12 years of experience within the company, as he first began working at Fujifilm Diosynth as a director of finance before moving onto become SVP of global finance in 2013.
In 2015, Meeson became COO and, during this time, the company stated that he had been responsible for its ‘long-term gene therapy growth strategy’, which he previously discussed with BioPharma-Reporter.
In March, CureVac was catapulted into the public sphere, after reports emerged that President Trump had tried to buy the company and secure the COVID-19 vaccine it is currently developing exclusively for US patients. The reports were never officially confirmed but there were a series of changes at leadership level at CureVac that followed.
A week after former CEO, Daniel Menichella, had discussed the development of a COVID-19 vaccine with the US president, it was announced that he would be leaving to be replaced by the company’s founder and former CEO, Ingmar Hoerr (pictured). No reasons were given for his departure in CureVac’s press release on the matter.
Only a few days after this announcement was made, the company followed up this announcement by announcing that Hoerr would take temporary leave for medical reasons, unrelated to the novel coronavirus outbreak. He was replaced in turn by Franz-Werner Hass, who will assume the role temporarily until Hoerr’s return.
Further than this, the biotech then revealed that it had appointed a new chairman, in the shape of Jean Stéphenne, who had previously acted as deputy chairman.
Genmab announced the creation of the role of chief operating officer and filled the position with Anthony Mancini, who joins the company from Bristol Myers Squibb.
The biotech stated that Mancini will be responsible for overseeing the company’s commercial, corporate and business development, as well as handling information technology functions.
In addition, he will join the executive management team of the Danish company to help it “achieve its inspirational vision of transforming cancer treatment.”
Mancini arrives at the company after a 23-year long career with BMS, where he left the company as head of US innovative medicines, where he led a team of more than 1,100 people working on immunology and cardiovascular diseases.
Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, a gene therapy company, announced the hiring of Tim Kelly as president of manufacturing. Kelly’s role will see him take responsibility for the clinical- and commercial-scale manufacture of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors.
Prior to joining AskBio, Kelly had worked as CEO of KBI Biopharma, a contract services organization that provides drug development and biomanufacturing services.
With a growing pipeline of AAV gene therapies, AskBio has decided to invest in its own manufacturing capabilities, which Kelly will take the lead on.
AskBio is currently taking gene therapies for Pompe disease and congestive heart failure through the clinic.
Cytovance Biologics, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announces the appointment of Jesse McCool to the position of CEO.
Dr McCool replaces Yan Wang, who had held the role of interim CEO alongside the position of director of the board. Dr McCool had been with the company since 2013 – joining as VP of microbial services before rising to become chief technology officer and now CEO.
Prior to joining Cytovance, Dr McCool had worked at Lonza as director of process development.
Yan Wang said, “Dr McCool’s depth of knowledge of our industry, professional reputation and professional network have helped to propel Cytovance into a leading CDMO that is well recognized for responsiveness, reliability and resourcefulness.”
