executive appointments and promotions in the healthcare industry By Carolyn Gretton Pharmaceutical POOL Dr. Rob KOREMANS Former Sanofi VP Takes Lead Role at Teva Europe Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has appointed Rob Koremans, M.D., to succeed Dr. Gerard van Odijk as president and CEO, Teva Europe. Dr. Koremans joins Teva from Sanofi, where he was senior VP, generic strategy and development. He received a medical degree from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Biotechnology POOL Jane WASMAN Acorda Appoints Strategic Development Chief Acorda Therapeutics has named General Counsel Jane Wasman to the additional role of chief, strategic development, overseeing the development and execution of the biotechnology company’s long-range strategic plans and objectives. Ms. Wasman is also responsible for the analysis of trends, developments, and contingencies that may impact Acorda’s strategic courses of action, and for supporting and ensuring cross-functional integration among departments to achieve the company’s goals most effectively. She holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Acorda Therapeutics is focused on developing therapies that restore function and improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and other neurological conditions. Biopharmaceutical POOL Matt CABREY Gwen FISHER Shire Shifts Corporate Communications Leadership Global specialty biopharmaceutical company Shire has named Matt Cabrey global corporate reputation and community partnerships lead. Mr. Cabrey is responsible for developing and executing a global strategy to coordinate and maximize Shire’s philanthropic, community, and industry relations activities. Gwen Fisher has succeeded Mr. Cabrey as senior corporate communications director for specialty pharma, where she will lead external and internal communications for Shire’s global specialty pharma business. Ms. Fisher joins Shire from Pfizer, where she was senior director, global media relations and communications lead for the worldwide business development and innovation division. She received an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management. Dr. Nishan DE SILVA Ligand Pharmaceuticals Appoints Corporate Development VP Ligand Pharmaceuticals has appointed Nishan de Silva, M.D., VP of corporate development focused on corporate strategy, acquisitions, and outlicensing for the biopharmaceutical firm. Dr. de Silva was previously principal at private equity firm Warburg Pincus. He received an M.D. from The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. David HOLLIDAY Octapharma USA Appoints Commercial Development VP Octapharma USA, a biopharmaceutical company that produces human protein products, has named David Holliday VP of commercial development, responsible for U.S. product marketing, sales, and commercial activities and coordination with global portfolio development initiatives. Mr. Holliday joins Octapharma USA from Baxter Bioscience, where he was most recently VP of global marketing operations & hemophilia. Diagnostic POOL Dr. Dan ZABROWSKI Roche Applied Science Names New Head Dan Zabrowski, Ph.D., has been named head of Roche Applied Science in the Roche Diagnostics division based in Penzberg, Germany. Dr. Zabrowski first joined Roche in 1994 through its acquisition of Syntex, and he most recently served as global head of Roche Partnering and a member of the Roche corporate executive committee and Chugai board. He received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Indiana. Agency POOL Travis CHANDLER Tiffany CHOI Samantha GREENBERG Bekah LOCKNER Brian MORAN Anne MORRISON Erich VOIGT AbelsonTaylor Bolsters Accounts, Creative Groups Independent healthcare advertising agency AbelsonTaylor has announced a number of additions and promotions to its accounts and creative teams. Travis Chandler has been appointed interactive producer, working on digital projects across all brands. Mr. Chandler was previously ingest supervisor and after effects artist at Found Films. Tiffany Choi has been promoted to account executive from account coordinator. Ms. Choi is working on products for the treatment of hypertension. She received an M.S. in communications from Northwestern University. Samantha Greenberg has been promoted to account executive from account coordinator. Ms. Greenberg is working on accounts in the areas of parenteral nutrition and genetic cancer testing. AbelsonTaylor has appointed Bekah Lockner manager of social media marketing. Ms. Lockner is responsible for advising account teams on all social media campaigns and directing AbelsonTaylor’s own presence within social media. Ms. Lockner was previously a digital account supervisor at Fleishman-Hillard. She received an M.A. in advertising/interactive media from the University of Texas at Austin. Brian Moran has joined AbelsonTaylor as interactive developer. He was most recently a software developer at the Apollo Casualty Company. Anne Morrison has been promoted to account executive from account coordinator. Ms. Morrison is working on a product for the treatment of schizophrenia. Erich Voigt has joined AbelsonTaylor as art director, digital, working on interactive visual aids and digital tactics. Mr. Voigt was previously senior interactive art director for ARS Interactive. Krista COHEN Anupam SINGH Lauren TAYLOR Roska Healthcare Announces 10% Staff Increase Independent healthcare advertising agency Roska Healthcare Advertising has increased its staff by 10% to accommodate recent new business wins and organic growth of existing accounts. Krista Cohen has joined Roska as an account executive on one of the agency’s new virology accounts, working with the team to develop multilingual communications targeting healthcare professionals and consumers in the Asian American community. Ms. Cohen’s previous experience includes positions at BGB New York and Rosetta Marketing Group. Anupam Singh has been appointed VP of integrated strategy, leading the agency’s integrated approach to marketing in both online and offline channels, with a heavy emphasis on digital. Mr. Singh comes to Roska Healthcare from Digitas, where he oversaw enterprisewide digital strategy for a variety of domestic and global pharmaceutical clients. Lauren Taylor has been hired as an account supervisor for one of Roska Healthcare’s oncology teams, where she is taking the lead in developing multichannel patient marketing programs in support of a new oncology launch. Ms. Taylor previously held project management positions at Euro RSCG Life Catapult, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and cds creative advertising. Neil CONTESS Iyiola OBAYOMI New Appointments at Ogilvy CommonHealth Agencies Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide (OCHWW), part of the Ogilvy & Mather network and a WPP company, has announced two appointments within its Ogilvy CommonHealth and Ogilvy Healthworld brand identities. Neil Contess has been named president of Ogilvy CommonHealth Consumer Care (OCHCC). Mr. Contess is working closely with the cross-discipline teams at OCHWW to grow client brands and build upon the foundation of the group’s consumer efforts to date. He joins OCHCC with more than 25 years of agency experience, including a recent tenure as CEO and president of Euro RSCG Shake. At Ogilvy Healthworld, Iyiola Obayomi has been appointed senior director, consulting in the agency’s New York office. Mr. Obayomi leads the consulting and analytics practices for Ogilvy Healthworld, including the exploration of new segmentations, channels, and platforms for healthcare media. He is also responsible for expanding the analytics footprint of the group’s current client base and developing new offerings designed to impact how pharmaceutical marketers use data and intelligence to drive marketing effectiveness. Mr. Obayomi received an MBA in general management from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and an M.A. in quantitative methods from Columbia University. Michael FRIEDIN David RIDING New VPs at Two KnowledgePoint360 Agencies Michael Friedin has been named VP at eMedFusion, the digital healthcare agency at KnowledgePoint360 Group. Mr. Friedin leads the U.S. team of digital consultants and product specialists and coordinates assignments with eMedFusion’s United Kingdom-based staff. He joins eMedFusion after serving as president of Matthew & Grace. David Riding has been named VP, client services for the StemScientific division of KnowledgePoint360 Group, leading a team with staff in Lyndhurst, N.J., Newtown, Pa., and Macclesfield, UK. Mr. Riding was previously senior client services director at Parexel. Juliet GLASSROTH Spectrum Adds VP Spectrum, a communications counseling firm specializing in health and science, has named Juliet Glassroth senior VP to spearhead new business, sales, and marketing efforts. Ms. Glassroth has more than 17 years of experience. Michelle KEEFE Publicis Touchpoint Hires Operating Chief Publicis Touchpoint Solutions, a division of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group that provides multichannel message delivery solutions for the life-sciences industry, has named Michelle Keefe chief operating officer. Ms. Keefe joins Publicis Touchpoint from The Visiting Nurse Service of New York, where she was VP, business development. Maáza MARTIN Pacific Communications Adds Program Manger Healthcare communications agency Pacific Communications has appointed Maáza Martin program manager, responsible for managing strategic communications for the Restasis brand. Ms. Martin was previously a market planning manager for Genentech. She received an M.S. in biochemical engineering from Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. Patricia PRUGNO StrikeForce Appoints Managing Director Independent healthcare advertising agency StrikeForce Communications has named Patricia Prugno partner and managing director. Ms. Prugno was previously senior VP and group management director at DraftFCB and has been a consultant to StrikeForce since early 2011. Consulting POOL John BLISS CIS Strengthens Government Expertise Life-sciences consulting firm Compliance Implementation Services (CIS) has appointed John Bliss director of government programs, providing consulting services and support for many CIS clients’ government programs participation. Mr. Bliss is responsible for Medicaid rebate compliance, including supplemental and SPAPs and more specifically, maintaining a Medicaid system with pricing and system enhancements. David ELDER Former FDA Senior Official Joins Parexel Consulting Parexel Consulting, a business unit of Parexel International and global consultancy serving the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries, has named David Elder a VP in its strategic compliance services team. This appointment further expands Parexel’s global team of regulatory and compliance experts who help clients navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment and institute proactive strategic compliance practices to guide the success of their products. Before joining Parexel, Mr. Elder was with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for 23 years, most recently as director of the Office of Regional Operations within the Office of Regulatory Affairs. CRO POOL Etienne DROUET Dr. Colin HAYWARD Sean RUSSELL Dr. Susan STANSFIELD Premier Research Expands Global, European Leadership Premier Research Group, a provider of clinical development support to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, has strengthened its global and European management teams. Etienne Drouet has been named executive director, Oncology Europe. Mr. Drouet plays a leading role in the operations, strategic planning, and corporate development of Premier Research’s growing portfolio of oncology business. Mr. Drouet brings to Premier Research almost two decades of drug development experience in positions of increasing responsibility at pharmaceutical, contract research, and investigational cooperative groups. He received an M.S. from Université Louis-Pasteur in France. Colin Hayward, MB MBS, has joined Premier Research as European medical director, with responsibility for leading and developing the company’s European medical affairs and pharmacovigilance operations. Dr. Hayward was most recently director of Prism Ideas. He attended the medical schools of Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Hospitals in London. Sean Russell has been named VP, marketing. Mr. Russell joins Premier Research after 16 years with Quintiles, most recently as head of global marketing. He received an M.A. in marketing from Westminster University in the United Kingdom. Susan Stansfield, Ph.D., has been appointed executive VP, clinical development, with global responsibility for leading and developing the company’s clinical trial management services. Dr. Stansfield has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and contract research industries, including leadership roles at PRA, PPD, and Quintiles. She holds a Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from Reading University in the United Kingdom. Service POOL Cynthia FRISINA Dohmen Appoints Marketing Chief Cynthia Frisina has joined Dohmen as chief marketing officer, drawing on more than two decades of experience in several major industries. Dohmen provides products and services that create efficiencies within the healthcare supply system. Ms. Frisina previously led her own branding and digital marketing consulting practice in the healthcare, telecommunications, technology, and nonprofit sectors. She received an M.A. from Northwestern University. J. Michael HONEYSETT Dr. Stephen (Steve) KIRNON Witt/Kieffer Establishes Life-Sciences Practice Executive search firm Witt/Kieffer has added two experienced executives to lead its recently established life-sciences practice, which reflects and expands the firm’s focus on healthcare, higher education, academic medicine, and information technology. J. Michael Honeysett joins Witt/Kieffer’s office in Irvine, Calif. as an executive senior consultant in the life-sciences practice. Mr. Honeysett has more than 30 years of biotech, pharma, and clinical research experience, and was most recently the global market development leader in GE Healthcare’s Cell Technologies division. He received an MBA from San Diego State University. Stephen (Steve) Kirnon, Ed.D., has been named VP, life-sciences practice leader based in Witt/Kieffer’s office in Emeryville, Calif. Dr. Kirnon began his career at SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) and has held executive management positions at several pharma and healthcare technology companies. He most recently served as executive VP and diversity leader at Strawn Arnold Ashpitz Groover. Dr. Kirnon received an MBA and an Ed.D. in organization change, both from Pepperdine University. Chris MIDDLETON MMG Appoints VP of Technology MMG, a global clinical trial patient recruitment group and part of Ketchum, has named Chris Middleton VP of technology, overseeing all new technology products and application, service, and infrastructure development. Mr. Middleton’s responsibilities include providing leadership and strategic direction for MMG’s expanding portfolio of technology-based patient recruitment efforts. He is a software industry veteran with an impressive track record in complex software development across the healthcare, privacy, biometrics, and enterprise integration industries, both in the United States and internationally. Chuck SHEA inVentiv Health Commercial Names VP inVentiv Health, a provider of clinical, commercial, and consulting services to the healthcare industry, has appointed Chuck Shea executive VP of inVentiv Health Commercial. Mr. Shea is responsible for leading the company’s outsourced sales solutions businesses, including inVentiv Health Selling Solutions and Selling Accelerators, which offer flexible staffing and multichannel marketing and sales solutions to a wide range of healthcare and life-sciences clients. Technology POOL Mark BRINCAT Madhav VATTIKUTI Exco InTouch Selects Former Pfizer Executive as Development Direct r Exco InTouch, a provider of mobile patient communication solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, has appointed Mark Brincat product development director. Mr. Brincat leads the strategy and development of Exco InTouch’s range of patient-centric services and mobile health solutions. He joins Exco InTouch after 13 years at Pfizer, where he most recently led healthcare informatics in Europe. In other moves, Madhav Vattikuti has been named chief technology officer, responsible for strengthening delivery and development of Exco InTouch’s mobile technology into vertical markets. Mr. Vattikuti was previously VP of R&D at Merge Clinical. Biotechnology POOL John JOHNSON Dendreon Appoints CEO Dendreon, a biotechnology company whose mission is to target cancer and transform lives through the discovery, development, commercialization, and manufacturing of novel therapeutics, has named John Johnson president and CEO. Mr. Johnson succeeds Mitchell Gold, M.D., who has been elected executive chairman. Dr. Gold will serve in that role until June 30, when Mr. Johnson will become chairman. Mr. Johnson was previously CEO of Savient Pharmaceuticals. Gregory MAYES Dr. Jane PEPPER Unigene Expands Biotechnologies Unit Unigene Laboratories has promoted Gregory Mayes to chief business officer as part of the expansion of its biotechnologies strategic business unit. Mr. Mayes was previously Unigene’s VP, corporate development. He remains general counsel, a position he has held since October 2010. In other moves, Unigene has appointed Jane Pepper, Ph.D., senior director, business development. Dr. Pepper’s primary responsibility is to leverage Unigene’s Peptelligence platform for the oral drug delivery of therapeutic peptides across a broad spectrum of disease areas. Dr. Pepper joins Unigene from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where she was most recently a member of the business development and licensing (BD&L) team that evaluated strategic new business opportunities. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Tufts University and an MBA from Rutgers University. Jeff RILEY Synthetic Biologics Announces Leadership Shift Synthetic Biologics Chairman Jeff Riley has been appointed the biotechnology company’s president and CEO. Mr. Riley has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, most recently serving as managing director of 526 Ventures, a life science-focused venture capital and advisory firm. Synthetic Biologics develops synthetic DNA-based therapeutics and innovative disease-modifying medicines for serious illnesses. Biopharmaceutical POOL Dr. Roy BAYNES Gilead Taps Former Amgen VP to Head Oncology Therapeutics Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical need, has appointed Roy Baynes, M.D., Ph.D., senior VP, oncology therapeutics. Dr. Baynes joins Gilead from Amgen, where he served as VP, global development and therapeutic area head, hematology oncology. He received a medical degree and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Dr. Lance BERMAN Relypsa Appoints Medical Affairs VP Relypsa has named Lance Berman, M.D., senior VP of commercial strategy and medical affairs. Dr. Berman is overseeing all prelaunch planning and activities supporting the biopharmaceutical company’s commercialization strategy for RLY5016, a first-in-class compound in late-stage development for the chronic treatment of hyperkalemia. Most recently, Dr. Berman was chief medical officer of CPEX Pharmaceuticals. He received a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Relypsa is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel non-absorbed polymeric drugs for applications in cardiovascular and renal diseases. Dr. Athena COUNTOURIOTIS Ambit Biociences Appoints Medical Chief Ambit Biosciences, a privately held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of small molecule kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory disease, and other indications, has named Athena Countouriotis, M.D., chief medical officer. Dr. Countouriotis’ responsibilities include leading the continued clinical development of quizartinib (AC220), currently being evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial in acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Countouriotis was previously global clinical leader within Pfizer’s oncology business unit. She received an M.D. from Tufts University. Specialty POOL Dr. Stephen FLAIM Leading BioSciences Names Chairman Leading BioSciences, parent company of InflammaGen Therapeutics, announced today that Stephen Flaim, Ph.D., has been appointed chairman. InflammaGen Therapeutics is a development-stage critical care company initially focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of multiple organ failure. A 40-year pharmaceutical industry veteran, Dr. Flaim has a diverse background in drug discovery, pharmacology, and biochemistry. He currently serves as principal of Flaim Partners Consulting. Thomas KRUCKER Compass Biotechnologies Appoints President Thomas Krucker has joined Compass Biotechnologies as president of operations focused on the specialty company’s domestic and international sales efforts. Compass Biotechnologies’ key market areas include women’s health, hepatitis antiviral drugs, and prophylactic vaccines. He received a J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law. David VEITCH Savient Europe Names President Savient Pharmaceuticals has appointed David Veitch president of Savient Europe. Mr. Veitch was previously senior VP of European marketing and brand commercialization at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Savient Pharmaceuticals is a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing Krystexxa for the treatment of chronic gout in adult patients refractory to conventional therapy. Emerging POOL Dr. Mahdi FAWZI Former Warner Chilcott President Joins Tris Pharma Tris Pharma has named Mahdi Fawzi, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and executive VP of R&D, including regulatory affairs. Dr. Fawzi joins Tris Pharma from Warner Chilcott, where he most recently served as president, global research and development. A pharmacist by education, Dr. Fawzi earned an M.S. and a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of Michigan. Tris Pharma is an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of products based on its OralXR+ and Nobuse drug-delivery platforms. Association POOL Robert GOODWIN Dr. C. David HARDISON Wayne KUBICK Dr. Pierre-Yves LASTIC Paula Brown STAFFORD New Leadership at CDISC CDISC has announced the addition of three members to its board of directors to help guide the organization as it moves forward with its goals and initiatives in 2012. CDISC is a global, open, multidisciplinary, neutral nonprofit organization that has established standards to support the acquisition, exchange, submission, and archive of clinical/medical research data and metadata through a consensus-based process. Robert Goodwin has joined the CDISC board of directors for a term from 2012 to 2015. In addition, Dr. C. David Hardison and Dr. Pierre-Yves Lastic have each returned to the board of directors for a three-year term. Dr. Lastic also has been named chair-elect of the executive committee of CDISC’s board. Paula Brown Stafford has taken the helm as chair of the CDISC board of directors. In addition, CDISC has appointed Wayne Kubick chief technical officer. Agency POOL Dr. Susan DORFMAN Eugene LEE Michelle SIRKIN James WOODLAND Nicole WOODLAND-DEVAN Strategic Realignment at CMI/Compas CMI/Compas has unveiled a strategic realignment that expands several executive roles, placing a strategic executive team across its family of media-buying and planning companies. Susan Dorfman has been named chief marketing and innovation officer, responsible for media innovation, customer insights, corporate/strategic marketing, and media/application development. She is doctor of health administration. CMI/Compas’ has also restructured its media division, which is now led by Eugene Lee. Mr. Lee has been promoted to senior VP, media innovation and analytics, and is responsible for delivering strategic media excellence, value, and thought leadership along with advanced channel-neutral media plans. In other moves, CMI/Compas’ Communications Media (CMI) business has appointed Michele Sirkin media account supervisor, supervising media planning for brands under Abbott Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Nutrition, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Ciba Vision. Ms. Sirkin joins CMI from Digitas Health, where she was a digital media planner and search analyst. James Woodland has been promoted to chief operating officer of CMI/Compas, assuming oversight of all corporate operations. Nicole Woodland-DeVan has been promoted to senior VP, buying services and deliverables, responsible for overseeing all media buying execution and client service activities. CRO POOL Brian BOLLWAGE Theorem Clinical Appoints Regulatory Affairs VP Theorem Clinical Research, a CRO that provides core clinical research and development services, has named Brian Bollwage VP of global regulatory affairs. Mr. Bollwage’s previous roles include director of global regulatory science at Bristol-Myers Squibb and executive director and regulatory counsel of global regulatory intelligence at i3 Research. He holds a MBA, specializing in pharmaceutical/chemical studies and an MS degree. Dr. Jason HURT Medpace Adds Medical Director Medpace has appointed Jason Hurt, M.D., as a medical director with responsibility for leading clinical drug development for gynecologic oncology, allowing Medpace to provide deeper expertise in diseases specific to women, such as ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancer, and adding another layer of therapeutic expertise to the Medpace oncology team. Dr. Hurt was most recently with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as an attending ob-gyn. He received a doctor of medicine from Texas Tech University and has published a number of papers with regard to gynecologic malignancies. Technology POOL Mark HOVDE Entelos Appoints Marketing VP Entelos Holding, a provider of in silico modeling and simulation products and services to pharmaceutical and consumer product companies, has named Mark Hovde VP of sales and marketing. Mr. Hovde was previously senior VP of business development for Certara. Dr. Alan SACHS Former Merck Research Labs VP Joins Life Technologies Global biotechnology company Life Technologies has selected Alan Sachs, M.D., Ph.D., as head of global research and development. Dr. Sachs plays a key role in driving technology strategy and further shaping Life Technologies’ culture of high-performance R&D and product innovation. He will also lead the biotech company’s global science and innovation office and serve as the principal liaison to the external scientific community. Dr. Sachs has more than 20 years of experience as a research scientist and a leader in developing innovative scientific platforms. He most recently served as VP, exploratory and translational sciences for Merck Research Laboratories. Dr. Sachs received a Ph.D. in cell biology from Stanford University and an M.D. from the Stanford School of Medicine. Gina SCHMIDT Former Pfizer VP Joins Octagon Research Octagon Research Solutions, a company providing an integrated suite of regulatory, clinical, process, and technology solutions, has named Gina Schmidt executive VP, leading and managing Octagon’s global regulatory submissions services line of business. Mr. Schmidt was most recently VP, worldwide safety and regulatory operations at Pfizer.
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