Talent Pool executive appointments and promotions in the healthcare industry
Pharma Pool
DR. UDIT BATRA
EMD Millipore Introduces CEO and President EMD Millipore, the life-sciences division of Merck KGaA, has appointed Udit Batra, Ph.D., as president and CEO, responsible for the organization’s strategic direction to drive growth and product innovation as well as oversight of the worldwide operations. Dr. Batra is based at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts. Dr. Batra comes to EMD Millipore from the consumer health division of Merck KGaA, where he successfully grew the business in established and emerging markets.
HUGH COLE
Ariad Names Chief Business Officer
Ariad Pharmaceuticals has appointed Hugh Cole senior VP and chief business officer. Mr. Cole is responsible for global business and corporate development, licensing, and strategic planning. Before joining Ariad, he spent seven years at Shire Pharmaceuticals, most recently as senior VP, strategic planning and program management, and as a global franchise head, and before that, as VP, business development.
DR. KAREN?FERRANTE
Tokai Pharmaceuticals Appoints Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer
Tokai Pharmaceuticals Inc. has appointed Karen Ferrante, M.D., head of R&D and chief medical officer. Dr. Ferrante, formerly oncology therapeutic area head for Takeda Pharmaceuticals and the Takeda Cambridge USA site head, brings almost 20 years of drug development experience and proven leadership in the pharmaceutical industry to Tokai.
KEN?KELLER
Daiichi Sankyo Names US Lead
Ken Keller is joining Daiichi Sankyo Inc. as president of its commercial operations in the United States. In this role, Mr. Keller is responsible for leading marketing, sales, medical affairs, and supply chain operations for Daiichi Sankyo in the United States. Most recently, Mr. Keller was executive VP and chief operating officer at Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for global commercial, medical, research and development, and manufacturing.
Also responsible for business development at Spectrum, he was integral to the successful acquisition and integration of Talon Therapeutics into the company. With the appointment of Mr. Keller as the head of commercial operations at Daiichi Sankyo Inc., Dr. Glenn Gormley assumes the role of executive chairman and president, Daiichi Sankyo Inc., and retains his roles as president, Daiichi Sankyo Pharma Development, and as the global head of R&D for Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd.
Greg Barrett, who served as interim president for commercial operations, remains VP of marketing and managed markets at Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
Biotechnology Pool
DR. MARC HEDRICK
Cytori Announces Senior Management Changes
Cytori Therapeutics has announced that Christopher Calhoun, CEO and director of Cytori Therapeutics, is retiring from the position of CEO of the company. Marc Hedrick,?M.D., has been named to replace Mr. Calhoun as CEO, in addition to his current responsibilities as president and director. Dr. Hedrick has served as president since 2004 and has overseen research, development, sales, and marketing groups.
DR. ADAM KOPPEL
Biogen Idec Names Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer
Biogen Idec has appointed Adam Koppel, M.D., Ph.D., senior VP and chief strategy officer. Dr. Koppel is responsible for leading corporate strategy and portfolio management, as well as ensuring that disease strategies clearly align with the corporate strategy. He reports to George Scangos, Ph.D., CEO, and is a member of the Biogen Idec management team.
Dr. Koppel joins Biogen Idec from Brookside Capital, the public equity affiliate of Bain Capital, where he served as a managing director since 2009.
Biopharma POOL
Dr. DAVID TIERNEY
Icon Bioscience Names President and CEO
Icon Bioscience Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on using its Verisome drug delivery platform to develop unique intraocular eye-care therapeutics, has named David Tierney, M.D., president and CEO. Previously, Dr. Tierney served as president and chief operating officer of Oceana Therapeutics, a specialty therapeutic company he co-founded in mid-2008.
Diagnostics Pool
DR. MICHAEL PFALLER
T2 Biosystems Appoints Chief Medical Officer
T2 Biosystems, a company developing direct detection products designed to enable diagnostics, has named Michael Pfaller, M.D., as chief medical officer.
Dr. Pfaller is responsible for overseeing medical affairs, including infectious disease and hemostasis advisory boards, and clinical research, and physician education programs associated with the anticipated launch of the company’s flagship diagnostic test, T2Candida, upon receipt of marketing authorization from the FDA.
Dr. Pfaller brings to T2 Biosystems more than 35 years of clinical and medical research experience and is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa Hospitals.
Service Pool
SHARON GREESON
CIS Makes Strategic Addition to Team
Compliance Implementation Services (CIS) has named Sharon Greeson, strategic consultant, government pricing and programs. Ms. Greeson, a Medicaid expert, supports the development of state communications and strengthens CIS’ relationships with state directors of pharmacy benefits. She brings more than 25 years of experience in managing, designing, and implementing pharmacy programs, with expertise in program analysis, requirements evaluation, and solution development.
MICHAEL GRIFFITH
Executive VP of inVentiv Health Appointed inVentiv Health, a life-science knowledge and services company, has appointed Michael Griffith executive VP. In this capacity, he heads inVentiv’s commercial and consulting businesses and reports to inVentiv Health CEO Paul Meister. Most recently, Mr. Griffith was CEO of Laureate Biopharma, a contract manufacturing organization providing outsourced biologics development and manufacturing services.
VICKI KELEMEN
BlueMomentum Adds Leadership to West Coast Team
BlueMomentum, an Ashfield Healthcare Company, has named seasoned biopharma executive Vicki Kelemen as VP, collaboration specialist. Ms. Kelemen is charged with leading the company’s business development on the West Coast. The appointment comes at a time when biopharma companies are realizing the benefits of putting patients at the center of their business strategies.
Before joining BlueMomentum, Ms. Kelemen held executive positions at Somaxon, Amylin, Maxim, Agouron (Pfizer), Dura, and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals.
BlueMomentum is changing the conversation among physicians, patients, and pharma from one of engagement to one of collaboration to bring better value to the brand and to the people.
CINDY KENT
3M Drug Delivery Systems Names President and General Manager
3M Drug Delivery Systems, which partners with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to develop and manufacture pharmaceutical products using 3M’s inhalation, transdermal, or microneedle drug delivery technology, has appointed Cindy Kent as its new president and general manager. She succeeds James Ingebrand, who was recently named president and general manager of 3M ESPE, 3M’s dental division. Ms. Kent most recently served as the VP of strategy, business development and US medical key accounts for 3M Healthcare.
DR. ROSS MACLEAN
Precision Health Economics Names Chief Operating Officer
Health economics and policy authority Precision Health Economics (PHE) has named Ross Maclean, M.D., Ph.D., as chief operating officer. Dr. Maclean’s significant and varied background spans the provider, payer, and manufacturing worlds in multiple countries, encompassing leadership skills, management talents, and a rapid career progression.
Most recently, he spent 12 years of progressive responsibilities at Bristol-Myers Squibb, including leader of the U.S. Health Economics and Outcomes Research function.
Agency Pool
BORIS KUSHKULEY
Intouch Solutions Expands Multichannel Marketing Expertise
Boris Kushkuley has joined Intouch Solutions, a marketing agency, as its executive VP, multichannel marketing and consulting. Mr. Kushkuley will join Intouch Solutions’ New York office, where he is charged with leading development of effective multichannel marketing methodologies for major pharmaceutical clients.
Before joining Intouch Solutions, he spent 11 years with Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide where he established and led its digital and multichannel practice.
Biotech Pool
DR. RANDOLPH JOHNSON
AtheroNova Appoints Chief Operating Officer
AtheroNova Inc., a biotech company focused on the research and development of compounds to safely regress atherosclerotic plaque and improve lipid profiles in humans, has named Randolph Johnson, Ph.D., chief operating officer. Most recently, Dr. Johnson served as the chief of technology development and VP of research at KAI Pharmaceuticals, where he contributed to an equity exit and acquisition by Amgen in a $315 million all-cash deal for the Velcalcetide (AMG-416) program, a novel peptide to treat patients with chronic kidney disease.
DR. BERNARD RAVINA DR. DINAH SAH
Voyager Therapeutics Expands and Strengthens Scientific and Clinical Leadership
Voyager Therapeutics, a gene therapy company developing life-changing treatments for fatal and debilitating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), has named Bernard Ravina, M.D., VP, clinical development, and Dinah Sah, Ph.D., has been named a permanent member of the leadership team after serving as interim senior VP of neuroscience since the company’s launch early this year.
Dr. Ravina is responsible for clinical development and strategy for Voyager’s product programs. Before Voyager, Dr. Ravina was medical director in clinical development at Biogen Idec. Dr. Sah is responsible for Voyager’s discovery and preclinical development efforts and plays an instrumental role in key scientific decisions across the company.
Before joining Voyager, Dr. Sah spent seven years at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where she was most recently VP of research, leading discovery research and multiple research and development programs.
Dr. MICHAEL TAYLOR
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Appoints President and CEO
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing improved kinase inhibitor treatments for cancer, has appointed Michael Taylor, Ph.D., as president and CEO. Dr. Taylor takes on the role of CEO at a time when Deciphera is making clinical progress with its kinase inhibitor product candidates for several types of cancers.
Before joining Deciphera, Dr. Taylor was CEO of Ensemble Therapeutics.
DR. RYUJI UENO
VLP Therapeutics Appoints Chair and Chief Medical Officer
VLP Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focusing on the research and development of next generation antibody agents and therapeutic as well as preventive vaccines based upon a novel and proprietary i-?VLP technology, has named Ryuji Ueno, M.D., Ph.D., chair and chief medical officer. Previously, Dr. Ueno was co-founder and chair, CEO, and chief scientific officer, of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals.
Biopharma Pool
DR. PANKAJ BHARGAVA
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals Appoints Chief Medical Officer Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, a developer of RNAi-based therapeutics, has appointed Pankaj Bhargava, M.D., as chief medical officer. Dr. Bhargava brings to Dicerna more than 15 years of experience in oncology drug development and translational research gained in leading industry and academic institutions. In his role as chief medical officer, he is responsible for clinical development activities as well as regulatory affairs.
PAUL FIRUTA
NPS Pharmaceuticals Expands Executive Leadership Team
NPS Pharmaceuticals, a global biopharmaceutical company pioneering and delivering therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases worldwide, has named Paul Firuta president, U.S. commercial operations. Most recently, Mr. Firuta was VP and general manager, Americas, for ViroPharma.
DR. DAVID RODMAN
miRagen Therapeutics Expands Executive Leadership Team miRagen Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing innovative microRNA (miRNA)-targeting therapeutics, has appointed David Rodman, M.D., executive VP of research and development. Dr. Rodman is an accomplished industry veteran who brings significant translational medicine and clinical development experience to the company’s executive leadership team.
DR. JAMEY SKILLINGS
Tocagen Names Chief Medical Officer
Tocagen, a privately funded, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pursuing the discovery, development, and commercialization of products that activate the immune system selectively against cancer (selective cancer immunotherapeutics), built on a novel gene therapy platform, has named Jamey Skillings, M.D., chief medical officer. Dr. Skillings joins Tocagen from Pfizer, where she was most recently VP of global medical affairs for oncology.
Emerging Pool
DR. ELLIOTT GOLDSTEIN AND DR. EUGENE WILLIAMS
Immune CEO Announces New Operational Leadership Team
Immune Pharmaceuticals has added two new senior members to its management team. Elliott Goldstein, M.D., joins as chief medical officer. Dr. Goldstein brings a unique track record in the clinical, regulatory, and commercial development of new pharmaceuticals. Eugene Williams joins as chief operating officer.
Mr. Williams is a former senior VP at Genzyme, with senior roles integrating commercialization, drug development, and deal making.
ROBERT PRACHAR
Trevena Strengthens Senior Leadership
Trevena, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) biased ligands, has appointed Robert Prachar to the newly created position of senior VP, commercial and corporate strategy. Mr. Prachar, who has served as a full-time consultant for the company since August 2013, brings more than 20 years of commercial leadership experience in the life-sciences industry.
DR. MAHENDRA RAO
Q Therapeutics Names Chief Strategy Officer
Q Therapeutics, an emerging biotechnology company developing innovative cell therapy products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, has named Mahendra Rao, M.D., Ph.D., chief strategy officer and chairman of the scientific advisory board. Dr. Rao is the scientific founder of Q and world renowned for his work with neural stem cells. Most recently, he served as director of the Intramural Center for Regenerative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
