Tag Archive for: vice president

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Recruits Andrew Penman to Become Vice President, Preclinical Development

Life Science Partner recruits global leader in preclinical development to help accelerate product creation and add pharmaceutical expertise

Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of Andrew Penman, PhD, formerly president, preclinical development at Aptuit (a spin-out of Quintiles Transnational) to lead Angiotech Pharmaceuticals newly formed division of preclinical development. 

Angiotech is the world leader in the emerging field of drug-eluting medical devices and biomaterials.    With an accelerated program to integrate pharmaceutical and biologically active materials to improve its products, Penman will lead the preclinical development team to capitalize upon Angiotech’s considerable intellectual property portfolio to create breakthrough products.

A well-respected manager of preclinical development, Penman was responsible  for a global team of 350 people worldwide and service revenues of $55m generated through contract preclinical services in the Kansas City and UK locations.  The Company was formed by the spin-out of the preclinical group of Quintiles, a company in which he led the DMPK and Bioanalysis group.

“Andy is an excellent manager and preclinical scientist,” noted Cindi Roberts, vice  president of Life Science Partner.  “His experience in the contract-services business of preclinical drug development has honed his business and organizational skills.”

Penman joined Quintiles upon the acquisition of Pharmacia by Pfizer.  Within the pharmaceutical industry, he was director, drug metabolism and biodisposition at the Pfizer Skokie site.  He honed his skills in early drug development as President of  Cephac Europe, a 100-scientist bioanalytic division of Aster-Cephac.  His recruitment to Quintiles in 2003 was a return to the company he joined in 1995 in its Scotland-based bioanalysis group.

Penman earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and his Ph.D. at University of Kent in Canterbury.

/0 Comments/by

Mark Johnson to Join Medtronic Emergency Response Systems as Vice President of Operations

Life Science Partner recruits expert in operations and supply-chain management

Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of Mark Johnson to become vice president of operations for Redwood, Washington-based Medtronic Emergency Response Systems (ERS).  In this role, Johnson will lead a team of 300, including 125 in manufacturing, who are building Medtronic’s lifesaving LIFEPAK defibrillator/monitors and automated external defibrillators (AEDs).  An innovator in the field, Medtronic ERS is on the forefront of integrating information technology and AED devices to advance the performance and benefits for improved patient survival.

Johnson has considerable experience with supply chain management and the turnaround of manufacturing operations.  He joins Medtronic ERS from Philips Consumer, with responsibility for transitioning Sonicare oral health products from a U.S.-focused organization to a world leader, with a global supply chain system to match its sales ambitions.  Using a data-driven system, Johnson was able to introduce an outsourcing program to reduce costs while increasing diversity in the product lines.

“We have found that consumer goods companies, particularly in electronically-driven appliances, hone operational skill sets not typically found in the medical device industry,” noted Cindi Roberts, vice president, Life Science Partner.  “Mark provides Medtronic with the high-quality, low-cost manufacturing and sourcing leadership that we did not find when we examined prospective candidates from its medical device competitors.”

Previously, Johnson was a leader in the manufacturing contractors Integrex and Flextronics.  As the general manager of the Chatham facility, Johnson eliminated a significant work backlog for a client who was threatening to terminate their contract due to non-performance.  He honed his operational skills at Metawave, a cellular infrastructure company, and Motorola.  By joining Medtronic ERS, Johnson now leads the AED operations team in the world’s leading medical device company.

Johnson received his BS in Mechanical Engineering at University of Washington and is a graduate of their MBA program.

Learn More About Life Science Partner

Click button below to learn more about how we recruit Chief Executives:

Learn More About Chief Executive Functions
/0 Comments/by

Hal Mathews, MD to Become VP Medical Affairs for Medtronic Sofamor Danek

To Lead Clinical, Regulatory, Reimbursement Strategy and Physician Relations

Life Science Partner announced today the recruitment of Hallet H. Mathews, MD, to become vice president, medical affairs for Medtronic Sofamor Danek. 

Medtronic Sofamor Danek is the world’s leading orthopaedic company which develops and manufactures products that treat a variety of disorders of the cranium and spine, including traumatically induced conditions, degenerative conditions, deformities and tumors.  Medtronic Sofamor Danek markets its products worldwide and has FY2003 revenue of approximately $1.3 billion.

A leader in the field orthopaedic basic and clinical research, Mathews is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon.  He is the Founder and President of MidAtlantic Spine Specialists, a multi-disciplinary, multi-specialty group that incorporates Orthopaedic, Neurosurgery and Pain Management & Rehabilitation specialties in Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia.

“He is a demonstrated clinical leader and general manager – as he now oversees a 10,000 square foot clinic with 45 employees in Richmond and a smaller clinic facility in Williamsburg,” said Tom Callaway, MD, founder and president of Life Science Partner.  “In addition, he has already established strong relationships with the Sofamor Danek clinical investigators worldwide, having participated in and led clinical trials for many of Medtronic’s products.”

In his new role, Mathews will oversee clinical development and regulatory affairs for the Company, with an emphasis on working with business units to identify potential drug or device technologies with strong clinical indications, managing the regulatory strategy globally and overseeing Medtronic Sofamor Danek’s relationships with physicians worldwide.

  Medtronic Sofamor Danek is the leader in the use of biological materials, including the first product using a bioengineered bone morphogenetic protein, INFUSE, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use with titanium interbody implants in the lumbar spine.

Learn More About Chief Medical or Regulatory Leaders
/0 Comments/by

Russ Ellison, MD, Senior Pharmaceutical Executive Joins FibroGen as Vice President, Clinical Development

Leading Clinical Development of Novel Compounds for Anemia and Fibrosis

Life Science Partner announced today the recruitment of Russell Ellison, MD, to become Vice President, Clinical and Medical Affairs at FibroGen, a biotechnology-based drug discovery company using its expertise in the fields of tissue fibrosis and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF) biology to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapeutics for fibrotic disorders, anemia, ischemic disease, cancer and other areas of unmet medical needs.

FibroGen also develops and produces recombinant human collagens and gelatins using unique production technology that provides the basis for FibroGen’s proprietary cosmetic dermal filler and biomaterials supply business.

“Russ was attracted to FibroGen due to its extensive portfolio of compounds marching steadily toward the clinic and their potential to dramatically improve the lives of patients with anemia and other life-threatening diseases,” said Thomas H. Callaway, MD, Founder and President of Life Science Partner. “His combination of FDA regulatory experience and global medical affairs made him a perfect fit for this emerging pharmaceutical company,” he added.

Prior to his recruitment to FibroGen, Ellison was Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of Sanofi-Synthelabo USA, with responsibility for building its best-in-class medical affairs, regulatory and safety teams. He oversaw the clinical development of key products such as Plavix and Ambien, and was renown for reducing project development timelines and improving relations with managed care companies.

Ellison was recruited to Sanofi from Hoffmann La Roche. As Vice President, Medical Affairs and the Chief Medical Officer, he oversaw a 300-member organization that oversaw clinical trials, managed medical strategy, intervened on behalf of the company with regulatory agencies and developed clinical development strategies in sync with the company’s commercial strategies for its compounds in development. He was noted by his peers as a rare physician who understood the business aspects, as well as the clinical implications of the pharmaceutical industry.

A Canadian physician, Ellison has a global understanding of drug development and registration, as well as the challenges of reimbursement and clinical acceptance of new drugs. At FibroGen, his skills will be valuable as he builds the clinical and regulatory teams and moves the products from the pre-clinical to clinical development phase.

Learn More About Chief Medical or Regulatory Leaders
/0 Comments/by

Steven Damon Joins Altea Therapeutics as VP, Business Development

Life Science Partner places drug delivery executive to guide business development

Life Science Partner announced the placement of Steven Damon as vice president, business development at Altea Therapeutics. Hired August 22, 2005, Damon will be responsible for leading activities in product licensing, product pipeline analysis and assessment of competitive products and technologies. 

In particular, he will be responsible for evaluating and concluding agreements for development, manufacturing and marketing of Altea’s products.

“Damon’s knowledge of the drug delivery space, coupled with his repeated success in cultivating strong and productive relationships with potential partners and closing the deal, prepares him well for this key position,” says Cynthia B. Roberts, vice president at Life Science Partner.

As a senior business development executive with DURECT Corporation, Damon was highly successful in assessing market potential, providing due diligence, and term sheet and contract negotiation.  In addition, he handled all market research and market conditioning activities related to the DURECT product pipeline including opinion leader relationships, interviews with patients and physicians, conferences, presentations, pricing and reimbursement planning and product concept planning.  During his tenure, he was also the chairman and president of Absorbable Polymers International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DURECT. Damon joined the Company as a director of market development responsible for preparing the market for Chronogesic from a commercial development perspective which culminated in a significant deal with Endo Pharmaceuticals.

Previously, Damon spent 13 years with Kimberly Clark proving his versatility in a range of positions. His most recent role as director of mergers and acquisitions for Professional Health Care allowed him to work on two significant medical device acquisitions: Ballard Medical and Safeskin.

Damon spent his early career in the sales and marketing function at Kimberly Clark, starting in Roswell, GA as a sales representative and moving through positions in corporate and district sales before accepting a role as business development manager for Europe based in Düsseldorf.  He was promoted to director of sales for Europe based in London before returning to the US in 1999 in the mergers and acquisitions role.

Learn More About Life Science Partner

Click button below to learn more about how we recruit Chief Executives:

Learn More About Chief Executive Functions
/0 Comments/by

Dennis W. Harris Joins Serologicals Executive Team as Vice President

To build Serologicals’ product portfolio, Life Science Partner recruits former Amersham Biotech head of North American R&D, global genomics.

Life Science Partner announces the placement of Dennis W. Harris as vice president of research and development/business development and chief scientific officer at Serologicals Corporation in Norcross, Georgia.

With the move, Harris becomes the senior leader in strategic planning for overall product portfolio expansion as well as identification and development of new product opportunities. Serologicals is a global provider of products and technologies for the development and manufacture of biologically based products. The company competes in three primary areas: specialty cell culture supplements, life science reagents, and diagnostic antibodies.

“In Harris, Serologicals welcomes just the right talent for their product development efforts,” says Life Science Partner Founder and President Thomas H. Callaway. “Harris is a leader in creating integrated systems for genomics and the discovery sciences. And he’s a proven R&D manager at the global level as well.”

Throughout his 22-year career, Harris has demonstrated both a keen scientific awareness and an aptitude for successfully managing research and development projects in the molecular biology industry. In his dual role as vice president of research and development for North America and genomics at Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, for example, Harris led an organization with 220 scientists and engineers while maintaining strategic responsibility for genomics research worldwide, among other duties.

Harris comes to Serologicals most recently from Vitra Bioscience, where he served as executive vice president of research and development. At Vitra, Harris held primary responsibility for automating and integrating cellular assays with engineering software for higher throughput as well as cultivating relationships with top pharmaceutical companies.

As senior vice president for ACLARA BioSciences, a developer of technologies for gene and protein analysis, he directed the company’s R&D program and was heavily involved in strategic development. Later, Harris led system integration and business development efforts at ACLARA BioSciences, in which capacity he closed the company’s largest deal.

Harris launched his career as a development scientist with Amersham in 1982. As life sciences research program manager, based in England, he later led a team of scientists funded by the European Economic Community to develop automated systems for DNA sequencing, template preparation and related methodologies. More recently, while senior program manager at Molecular Dynamics (later acquired by Amersham), he directed the development and launch of the MegaBACE 1000 DNA Sequencing System. In this role, he provided technical and strategic direction while managing engineering, software, applications, reagent development, and marketing. He was then promoted to vice president of research and development for North America and genomics, a position he held for three years.

Harris holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.

Learn More About Life Science Partner

Click button below to learn more about how we recruit Chief Executives:

Learn More About Chief Executive Functions
/0 Comments/by

Jeanne Forbis Selected to Lead Medtronic Global Public and Media Relations

Life Science Partner recruit an accomplished communicator, crisis manager and media expert

Life Science Partner announces the placement of Jeanne Forbis as vice president, public and media relations for Minneapolis-based Medtronic, Inc. Forbis will hold worldwide responsibility for public and media relations, community affairs, brand management and the Medtronic Foundation.

An award-winning communications expert with 24 years of experience, Forbis will also lead corporate communications strategy and represent the company as a spokesperson. Medtronic, a leading medical technology company, has more than $7 billion in annual revenues.

“As a former journalist, spokesperson and media relations executive, Jeanne clearly possesses the depth of experience and breadth of skills to have an impact at Medtronic,” says Life Science Partner Founder and President Thomas H. Callaway. “The placement is particularly noteworthy, however, because Jeanne was drawn not only to the opportunity, but to Medtronic’s mission.”

Over her career, Forbis has held leadership roles at major newspapers, guided relations with the financial and lay press, managed crisis response and advised on senior executive communication strategies. Prior to Medtronic, she was general manager, corporate communications at ChevronTexaco, the second largest American energy company.

As manager, corporate communications at Conoco, Forbis guided executive, financial and employee communications through major transitions such as the company’s merger with Phillips Petroleum, Conoco’s split from DuPont and initial public offering, and the acquisition of Gulf Canada.

In managing the Conoco-Phillips merger while at Conoco, Forbis leveraged her previous seven years of experience at Phillips Petroleum, where she served as a company spokesperson in media relations and as financial communications coordinator.

Between 1979 and 1990, Forbis held editorial titles at Tulsa World and The St. Louis Sun.

Forbis holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Oklahoma State University.

/0 Comments/by

Life Science Partner Announces Placement of Scot Webster at Medtronic Corporate

Life Science Partner announces the placement of Scot Webster as vice president, quality with Medtronic in Minneapolis. Webster will collaborate with quality teams within each Medtronic business unit to create and implement company-wide standards for product development, manufacturing, and clinical programs.

Webster was most recently general manager, Global Compliance and Regulatory Affairs for GE Medical. An expert in lean manufacturing, Webster has been pivotal in GE Medical’s Six Sigma initiatives. As one of the company’s Six Sigma leaders, he introduced the program to Asian operations. Webster first joined GE in its television manufacturing division, where, at 25 years old, he became the company’s youngest shop operations manager.

Webster is a 1982 graduate of Bucknell University with a BS in Chemical Engineering.

/0 Comments/by

Life Science Partner Announces Placement of Hadland at Medtronic Vascular

Life Science Partner announces the placement of Chris Hadland as vice president, quality with Medtronic Vascular in Santa Rosa, California. At this new position, Hadland will establish operational and quality standards, including developing departmental standards programs, defining performance metrics and audit guidelines, measuring the quality program’s impact, and preparing for potential audits.

Hadland was most recently vice president, operations and quality for Timm Medical Technologies. Previously, Hadland was director of quality and regulatory affairs for the Alternate Care Division of Nellcor Puritan Bennett, where he held several positions. Prior to Nellcor, Hadland worked in quality control and assurance for American Medical Systems and Schneider USA.

Hadland, who lives in Minneapolis, earned degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota. He also holds an MBA from the College of St. Thomas.

Learn More About Life Science Partner

Click button below to learn more about how we recruit Chief Executives:

Learn More About Chief Executive Functions
/0 Comments/by