The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Technology CEOs of Europe for 2020. This year has provided a host of new challenges to the healthcare industry, and companies in this sector have had to adapt to increased demand as well as shifting priorities within the market. Despite these challenges, this year’s awardees have led their companies to continued growth, while helping to meet the needs of those on the front lines. Their expert leadership has guided the production of innovative solutions for complex problems across healthcare technology verticals.
Nominees were evaluated based on their breadth and depth of experience, consistently high organizational performance, contributions to the industry, and reputation among peers. Each of the CEOs recognized has had profound impact on the companies they lead; they have made strategic decisions to drive operational expansion, augment research capabilities, and launch new products and services. Please join us in congratulating each of this year’s Top 25 Healthcare Technology CEOs of Europe for 2020.
1. Christophe Weber, Shire - Takeda
Country: Jersey
Category: Genetics
Christophe Weber is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Representative Director of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, the largest pharmaceutical company in Asia and one of the top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world by revenue. The Japanese research and development company was established in 1781 and focuses on oncology, rare diseases, neurosciences, and gastroenterology. Most recently, the company opened a new research and development cell therapy manufacturing facility in Boston, Massachusetts. Weber joined the company in April 2014 as chief operating officer and was appointed as President and Representative Director by June that same year. In 2015, he was named CEO. In his current position, Weber has focused his skills on Takeda’s research and development transformation and globalization, and on building a diverse and inclusive workforce and strengthening the company’s ethical values and corporate governance.
Before joining Takeda, Weber was at GlaxoSmithKline for 20 years, where he held various leadership roles. Weber is also a member of The Business Council, the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council, the Singapore Economic Development Board’s International Advisory Council, the New York Stock Exchange’s NYSE Board Advisory Council, and the MIT CEO Advisory Board.
2. Edward Breen, Danisco - DuPont
Country: Denmark
Category: Advanced Materials
Edward Breen is the Chief Executive Officer at DuPont, a sustainable solutions provider for agriculture, electronics, communications, construction, transportation, apparel, and pharmaceutical markets. Established in 1802, DuPont has been innovating and reinventing technology-driven solutions for over 200 years. Breen is tasked with overseeing the strategic direction of the company and execution of DuPont’s priorities for value creation as it unlocks the full potential of its distinctive capabilities, innovative portfolio, application expertise, and deep customer relationships. He has driven significant performance improvements across DuPont’s businesses, negotiated one of the most transformative mergers in the industry to create DowDuPont, and subsequently launched three industry-leading independent companies.
Breen has served as the Executive Chairman of Dupont since 2019, and previously was the Chief Executive Officer of DowDuPont. Preceding the merger of DuPont and The Dow Chemical Company he was the Chairman and CEO of DuPont. Before his tenure at DuPont, Breen served as the CEO and chairman of Tyco International, and the president and CEO of Motorola. He was also the chairman, president, and CEO of General Instrument Corporation, which was later acquired by Motorola. Along with his role at DuPont, Breen is currently a director of Comcast Corporation and a member of the advisory board of New Mountain Capital.
3. Jean-Christophe Tellier, UCB
Country: Belgium
Category: Biotechnology
Jean-Christophe Tellier brings over 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to his position as the Chief Executive Officer of UCB. UCB is a Belgium-based biopharmaceutical and specialty chemical company that specializes in diseases of the central nervous system and immunology. The company was founded in 1928 and has brought several innovative drugs to patients across the world, including Cimzia, Vimpat, and Briviact. Tellier joined UCB in 2011 as executive vice president of European operations and was appointed as CEO in 2015. Tellier has developed a holistic view of patient care, which he implements into his role at UCB.
Tellier is currently a member of the UCB Board of Directors, President of the Board of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Associations, a member of the Board of PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), and a member of the Board of WELBIO (Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology). Previously, he was the president and general manager of North American operations at Ipsen, where he strengthened Ipsen’s specialty care business in North America in the areas of endocrinology and neurology. Tellier is trained as a medical doctor specializing in rheumatology and is known for his patient-centric approach, passion for science, and strategic and operational skills.
4. Enrico Vita, Amplifon
Country: Italy
Category: Medical Devices
Enrico Vita is the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Amplifon, a global leader in the hearing care retail market. The Italian company was founded in 1950, works with 14,000 people worldwide, and has grown its operations to France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, the U.S., Hungary, and Egypt. Vita joined Amplifon in 2014 as the executive vice president for EMEA before becoming chief operating officer, where he was responsible for the corporate functions of marketing, IT, and supply chain management. In 2015, he succeeded Franco Moscetti as Chief Executive Officer. Vita also currently serves on the Board of Ariston Thermo Spa as the Director. Last year, he led Amplifon through its acquisition of Attune Hearing, Australia’s largest independent audiology operator. Amplifon has also launched a new range of hearing aids and has recently experienced a 307% share price gain.
Before his role at Amplifon, Vita spent over 20 years at Indesit Company (formerly Merloni Elettrodomestici). He joined in 1995 and held several roles of varying seniority during his tenure, including Group Supply Chain Officer, Managing Director of U.K. and Ireland, and eventually Chief Operating Officer. Vita holds a Master of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering from the Università Politecnica delle Marche.
5. Ester Baiget, Novozymes
Country: Denmark
Category: Biotechnology
Ester Baiget is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Novozymes, a world leader in bioinnovation. Established in 2000, the Danish company focuses on the research, development, and production of industrial enzymes, microorganisms, and biopharmaceutical ingredients. Baiget joined Novozymes in February 2020, succeeding Peder Holk Nielsen. She is an experienced international leader, driving transformational change and profitable growth.
Previously, Baiget was the business president for Dow’s industrial solutions business unit and a member of the executive leadership team. Since joining Dow in 1995 as an engineer in Tarragona, Spain she has held various manufacturing, technical, commercial, and strategic roles. During her 25-year tenure at Dow, Baiget implemented a clear growth, innovation, and operational strategy that produced strong financial results. Now at Novozymes, Baiget is known for her strong commercial credentials, technical expertise, and engaging leadership style. Baiget has a passion for science and inspires colleagues and future generations through her role as a STEM ambassador and as an active advocate of the Women’s Innovation Network (WIN).
6. Joacim Lindoff, Arjo
Country: Sweden
Category: Medical Devices
Joacim Lindoff is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Arjo, a leading provider of solutions aimed at reducing mobility and age-related health challenges. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, the company was founded in 1957 and has since grown into a global supplier of medical devices, services, and solutions that span patient handling, hygiene, disinfection, medical beds, therapeutic surfaces, venous thromboembolism prevention, and diagnostics. Lindoff became the company’s CEO in 2017 following Arjo’s split with Getinge, which acquired the company in 1995. That same year, under Lindoff’s leadership, Arjo prepared its public listing, which they achieved on time at the end of 2017. Notably, the company has been pivotal in meeting the high demand for hospital beds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the spin-off, Lindoff was at Getinge for almost nine years, where he was president of Nordic sales and services, executive vice president of Getinge infection control, executive vice president of surgical workflows, and acting CEO of Getinge Group. In 2010, Lindoff was appointed Chairman of Swedish Medtech, the Stockholm medical technology industry association, a role he served in until 2014. Lindoff received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Lund University.
7. Damien McDonald, LivaNova
Country: England
Category: Medical Devices
Damien McDonald is the Chief Executive Officer of LivaNova, a London, England-based medical device manufacturer developing devices used for cardiac surgery and neuromodulation. The company was founded in 1987 and is committed to improving patient care across the world through innovation. McDonald was previously the company’s chief operating officer and rose to the position of CEO in 2017. He joined LivaNova from Danaher Corporation where he was the group executive and corporate vice president, leading a $1.5 billion group of dental consumables companies. McDonald is currently a non-executive Director of the regenerative medicine company Avita Medical.
McDonald has a strong track record of leading growth and development. He formerly served as the group president of Kerr, where he oversaw a team focused on growing a strong research and development pipeline while improving operational performance utilizing the Danaher Business System. Before this, McDonald led Zimmer Biomet’s spine division where he led a strong executive team that created a significant growth trajectory for the business. Earlier in his career, McDonald worked with J&J Medical Device franchises, including Ethicon, where he managed the marketing of the $2.5 billion medical device unit. McDonald earned a Master of Business Administration degree at the Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, along with a Master of Science in international economics from the University of Wales, U.K.
8. Britta Fuenfstueck, Hartmann Group
Country: Germany
Category: Medical Devices
Britta Fuenfstueck is the Chief Executive Officer at Hartmann Group, a leading global provider of medical and hygiene products. Founded in 1818, the Hartmann Group has been driving healthcare forward with innovations and achievements for over 200 years. The company is known for producing high-performance products in the areas of advanced and traditional wound management, incontinence management, and sports medicine. Since becoming Hartmann Group’s CEO in 2018, Fuenfstueck has been charged with taking the company into its next stage. With over 20 years of chief executive and healthcare industry experience, Fuenfstueck values people and culture above all else in a company, citing this as her core reason for joining Hartmann Group.
Before joining Hartmann Group, Fuenfstueck was an executive committee member at Clariant, a leader in specialty chemicals. In this role, she was responsible for the plastics and coatings business, as well as several corporate functions. Previously, she also worked as a manager of Siemens Healthineers where she was tasked with portfolio planning, marketing, business development, and product management. She also headed the company's strategy as well as its mergers and acquisitions. Fuenfstueck has a Master of Science degree in engineering physics from Johannes Kepler Universität Linz.
9. Werner Lanthaler, Evotec
Country: Germany
Category: Biotechnology
Dr. Werner Lanthaler is the Chief Executive Officer of Evotec, a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company. The German company was founded in 1993 and has rapidly developed innovative approaches to products alongside leading pharmaceutical and biotech firms, venture capitalists, academics, and patient advocacy groups. Most recently, the company entered a partnership with the French-based BIOASTER Technological Research Institute to advance research for infectious diseases. Dr. Lanthaler joined the company in 2009 when he was tapped to take the company to its next level of success. Since then, Dr. Lanthaler has focused the company on supporting biotech innovation and collaborating with biotech and pharma companies. With a proven track record in business and corporate development, and a strong sense for the creation of shareholder value, Dr. Lanthaler’s expertise positions him as a valued industry thought leader.
Previously, Dr. Lanthaler served as the chief financial officer of Intercell AG in Vienna, Austria, a global biopharmaceutical leader dedicated to the development of vaccines. At Intercell, he led business development as well as marketing and sales and played a pivotal role in the company’s major corporate milestones. During his tenure, Intercell developed from a venture-backed biotechnology company into a global vaccine player. Before this, he served as director of the Federation of Austrian Industry, and as a senior management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He holds a doctorate in economics from Vienna University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.
10. Stefan Vilsmeier, Brainlab
Country: Germany
Category: Healthcare Software
Stefan Vilsmeier is the founder and CEO of Brainlab, a company that develops software and hardware devices that create and enhance data to improve critical surgeries, radiosurgery treatments, and operating room efficiency. Founded in 1989, Brainlab started with customers throughout Asia, North America, and South Africa. Today, it generates more than 40% of its revenue from the U.S. Originally focused on software solutions for medical treatments that are more precise, less invasive, and less expensive than traditional methods, Brainlab has extended its value proposition under Vilsmeier’s leadership to bring a new level of integration and patient care to entire medical centers through state-of-the-art access and management of digital medical information.
Vilsmeier began his career as a self-taught computer programmer and wrote a bestselling book on 3D graphics at age 17. He went on to found Brainlab during his first semester at the Technical University of Munich using the proceeds from his book. As CEO, his leadership has now been the driving force behind the company’s innovation and customer focus. Vilsmeier has received many awards throughout his career, including a special award for innovative leadership methods and marketing concepts at the Bavarian Innovation Awards in 2000. He was also appointed to the advisory board for subject matter experts of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy.
11. Jakob Just-Bomholt, 3Shape
Country: Denmark
Category: Medical Devices
Jakob Just-Bomholt is the Chief Executive Officer of 3Shape, a company that aims to change the dental care industry with innovative technology-based solutions. Founded in 2000, the Denmark company creates 3D scanners and CAD/CAM software solutions to improve patient care for dental and audiology professionals worldwide. The company recently won Cellerant’s “Best of Class” Technology Award for the eighth year in a row. Just-Bomholt took on the role of CEO in August 2020, leaving his position as executive vice president of Falck A/S, a global emergency and healthcare company. With a proven leadership track record and a wide scope of business experience, Just-Bomholt continues to foster 3Shape’s consistent growth, including a strong focus on leading with innovation.
In his previous role at Falck, Just-Bomholt headed the company's Emergency Service Division, comprising 14,000 employees worldwide. Before this, he was the CEO of APM Terminals. Just-Bomholt also spent 20 years at A.P. Moller-Maersk in roles of increasing seniority, including managing director and general manager. In 2011, he successfully started a new business at A.P. Moller-Maersk, the Seago Line, of which he was the CEO until 2015. Now at 3Shape, his goal is to develop the company together with the 3Shape team to deliver value to the company’s customers and partners for better patient care.
12. Giorgio Moretti, Dedalus
Country: Italy
Category: Healthcare Software
Giorgio Moretti is the Chief Executive Officer of Dedalus, a leading provider of healthcare IT software in Europe. Founded in 1990, Dedalus currently has over 30 offices across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas and over 5,000 hospitals and 4,800 laboratories around the world are supported by Dedalus’ solutions. Under Moretti’s leadership, Dedalus Healthcare Systems’ turnover grew from €7 million to €70 million and it became the market leader in healthcare information and communications technology in Italy, China, South Africa, Latin America, and other countries worldwide. Most recently, the company acquired the healthcare software solutions division of U.S.-based DXC Technology, which will generate a future total turnover of around €700 million and create one of the largest R&D platforms for this sector.
Moretti’s involvement with Dedalus can be traced back to his years as a medical student when he founded Quasar SPA, a healthcare and finance software solutions company. This led to a joint venture with Datamat, and when Dedalus was later spun out of Datamat, Moretti focused his efforts there. Over six years he was able to grow the company’s revenue by 10 times. Today, Dedalus employs over 3,400 highly skilled resources and has the largest R&D software team in the sector in Europe with more than 1,100 people.
13. Lee Morley, EUSA Pharma
Country: United Kingdom
Category: Biotechnology
Lee Morley joined EUSA Pharma as its Chief Executive Officer in 2015 from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, where he was vice president and head of commercial for Europe and international markets. Jazz Pharmaceuticals originally acquired EUSA in 2012, then relaunched it in early 2015 as an independent company. The South Oxford company develops and manufactures specialty cancer treatments and sells its products to a worldwide market. Only two years after the company spun out of Jazz, EUSA was able to develop two cancer treatments – dinutuximab beta for high-risk neuroblastoma (a rare cancer that affects children), and tivozanib for advanced renal cell carcinoma. Not intimidated by competing with long-established big pharma companies who market similar treatments, Morley has helped EUSA establish a foothold in a highly competitive market.
Before heading EUSA, Morley gained over 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. Before EUSA acquired Jazz, he served as its regional vice president. Before that, Morley was director of sales effectiveness at Zeneus Pharma. He also previously held a variety of sales and marketing management positions at Merck, Sharp & Dohme. Now at EUSA, Morley plans to continue to build on the company’s success with many more projects coming down the pipeline. He received his chemistry degree from Kings College London.
14. Simon Michel, Ypsomed Holding
Country: Switzerland
Category: Medical Devices
Simon Michel is the Chief Executive Officer of Ypsomed Holding, a leading developer and manufacturer of injection and infusion systems for self-medication. Since its establishment in 2003, the Switzerland company has been renowned for its specialty in diabetes research and has grown its operations across the world. It has become the preferred partner for pharmaceutical and biotech companies for the supply of pens, autoinjectors, and infusion systems to administer liquid drugs. The company recently entered a partnership with Dexcom, which will allow for the full integration of glucose values from Dexcom's G6 sensors into Ypsomed's therapy management solution.
Michel joined the company in 2006 as the business development manager of diabetes care, before going on to become vice president of infusion business and senior vice president of marketing and sales. He was appointed as CEO in 2014, where he oversees the strategic growth of the company. Before Ypsomed, Michel was the corporate program manager and segment manager of new businesses at Orange Communications. Previously, he was also a business analyst at Arthur D. Little and a project manager at Disetronic Medical Systems. In March 2017, Michel was also elected to the Cantonal Council of the Canton of Solothurn. Michel received a Master of Media and Communications Management degree from the University of St. Gallen.
15. Gordon Sanghera, Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Country: England
Category: Genetics
Dr. Gordon Sanghera is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a developer of nanopore-based electronic systems for analyzing single molecules, including DNA, RNA, and proteins. The company was founded in 2005, and its electronic-based DNA and RNA sequencing technology is utilized in more than 80 countries. Dr. Sanghera has over 20 years of experience in the design, development, and global launch of disruptive platform sensor technologies. At Oxford Nanopore Technologies, he has overseen the launch of numerous innovative tools used by researchers in medicine, epidemiology, environmental science, forensics, and genomics. Notably, he has also developed and validated production processes to meet the regulatory requirements for the U.S. and Europe.
Previously, Dr. Sanghera was at MediSense, an Oxford spin-out that delivered a new generation of glucose technology to the market. In his time there, he was pivotal to the launch of several generations of blood glucose bio-electronic systems for consumer and hospital medical markets. Following the acquisition of MediSense by Abbott Laboratories, Dr. Sanghera served as the vice president of worldwide marketing, research director, and manufacturing process development director. He earned his PhD from Cardiff University.
16. Tomas Blomquist, Biotage
Country: Sweden
Category: Analytical Chemistry
Tomas Blomquist is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Biotage, a provider of efficient separation technologies and high-quality solutions for analytical chemistry. Founded in 1969, the Scandinavian global life science company has clients that span public authorities, academic institutions, pharmaceutical, and food industries, among others. In 2019, Blomquist was appointed as the CEO of Biotage and brought to the table his expertise in corporate strategy, people development, business model innovation, internationalization, organizational design, and commercialization.
With more than 25 years of experience, Blomquist is a veteran in the healthcare industry and has a specialization in the fields of diagnostics and medtech. Previously, he was the vice president of EMEA cardiometabolic at Abbott, and at Alere, he was the managing director of Nordic and Western Europe. He was also the general manager of Northern and Eastern Europe, vice president, and then president at Analyticon. Before Analyticon, Blomquist spent eight years at Johnson & Johnson as the Nordic business unit director and at Roche as sales manager of patient care in Sweden. In these roles, Blomquist fostered high performance and growth through direct and indirect sales channels in more than 100 countries.
17. Patrice Taisson, Softway Medical
Country: France
Category: Healthcare Software
Patrice Taisson has been the Chief Executive Officer of Softway Medical for nearly 20 years, and today, the company serves over 1,100 health facilities. The company offers technology for ICU, acute care, surgery, oncology, pediatrics, mental health, and elderly care centers. Its solutions include a hospital management platform, administration management functionality, diagnostics, pharmacist solutions, and follow-up treatment management. The company has been committed to improving the performance of care for more than 25 years, and it aims to place the healthcare professional at the heart of the healthcare system by providing tools for optimizing the performance of their profession, for the benefit of the patient.
Taisson started his career as administrative and financial director with a high-tech cabling manufacturer. Taisson was then the chief financial officer, and subsequently chairman of the management board for Waid, before joining Softway Medical in 2003. In his role as CEO at Softway, he brings together activities in the radiology, hospital, and clinical information system markets. He graduated from the Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis.
18. Deborah Kobewka, Evaluate, Ltd.
Country: United Kingdom
Category: Healthcare Information Services
Deborah Kobewka has led Evaluate since March of 2019. Evaluate provides trusted commercial intelligence and predictive analytics for the pharmaceutical industry, transforming their confidence in strategic decisions through a better understanding of the past, present, and future of the global pharmaceutical market. Kobewka has 30 years of experience in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and information industries. Last year, Evaluate acquired Black Swan Analysis, a consultancy company that specializes in epidemiology and asset valuations. Kobewka added even greater depth to Evaluate’s portfolio with the recent launch of Evaluate Omnium, a new product offering that leverages machine learning and Evaluate’s extensive data archive to fill critical information gaps in the early-stage clinical pipeline.
Kobewka joined Evaluate from a government role, having served as the managing director of Healthcare U.K., life sciences and bio-economy at the U.K.’s Department for International Trade. Before that role, Kobewka held senior operational and corporate roles in government and the private sector throughout the U.K., Europe, and Asia. Kobewka emphasizes a dynamic leadership style, which has helped her team remain successful during the massive changes due to COVID-19, as staff had to switch to work-from-home operations. Having already strengthened the company’s portfolio and improved R&D productivity, Kobewka looks forward to adding to the exciting developments of the last few years.
19. Mariusz Gralewski, DocPlanner
Country: Poland
Category: Healthcare Software
Mariusz Gralewski is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DocPlanner, a healthcare booking platform and management software provider. The Warsaw, Poland-based company has been offering its integrated end-to-end solution since 2011 to help doctors, patients, and practices navigate the healthcare system more efficiently. Gralewski has since built DocPlanner into one of the largest players in the online healthcare booking sector globally, and just last year, the company raised €80 million in a Series E funding round. DocPlanner helps over 7 million patients every month to find an appropriate medical specialist in their neighborhood. On DocPlanner, patients also have access to a rapidly growing database of over 1.4 million specialists, with whom they can schedule an appointment using the doctor's calendar.
Gralewski founded his first company GoldenLine.pl while still studying computer science at the Technical University of Warsaw. GoldenLine.pl quickly became the largest business social network in Poland. After divesting a significant personal stake in Goldenline.pl to a media conglomerate, Gralewski started angel investing as part of Protos VC and invested in ten companies. He is currently an investor at PushPushGo.
20. Arndt Rolfs, Centogene
Country: Germany
Category: Genetics
Dr. Arndt Rolfs is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Centogene, a world leader in the field of genetic diagnostics for rare diseases. Headquartered in Germany, the company’s goal is to provide the precise medical diagnosis of inherited diseases at the earliest possible moment, transforming medical expertise and analytical information into actionable results for physicians, patients, and pharmaceutical partners. Dr. Rolfs has been at the head of the company since its inception in 2006 and has brought a wealth of medical and scientific expertise to the company. He has also been the Head of the Neurobiological Research Laboratory and Vice-Director of the Neurological Clinic and Outpatient Department at the University of Rostock since 1998. Dr. Rolfs is also the Co-Founder of biotech companies Arcensus AG and Genebanking.
In 2008, Dr. Rolfs was appointed as the Director of the Albrecht-Kossel-Institute for Neuroregeneration at the University of Rostock. He is also a principal investigator in several international multicenter studies in the area of rare diseases, including the Sifap project, which is the most extensive study in the world of young stroke patients. As an industry thought leader, Dr. Rolfs has been published in several medical and scientific publications and acts as a consultant for biotech companies around the world.
21. Chris Meredith, Advanced Medical Solutions Group
Country: England
Category: Wound Care
Chris Meredith is the Chief Executive Officer at Advanced Medical Solutions, a developer and manufacturer of world-leading advanced wound care and wound closure products. The company was founded in 1991 and has since utilized its specialist knowledge to design, develop, and manufacture innovative and technologically advanced offerings. Meredith was appointed as CEO in 2011 and has spent over 15 years with the company, previously serving as the chief operating officer and joining as managing director and group commercial director in 2005. Meredith brings experience in contract manufacturing, product development, clinical research, and branded product sales, all within the medical device, pharmaceutical, or consumer healthcare markets.
Meredith was previously a commercial director at Banner Pharmacaps, commercial director at Aster.cephac, and head of business development at Cardinal Health. He also had a six-year tenure at RP Scherer, where he worked as an export sales and marketing manager and export regional manager. Prior to this, he was at Smith Industries and Marion Merrell Dow. In addition to his role as the CEO of Advanced Medical Solutions, Meredith is also a Non-Executive Director of Creavo Medical Technologies, a U.K.-based medical device company developing innovative diagnostic techniques for use in acute medical settings.
22. Paul Swinney, Tristel
Country: England
Category: Medical Disinfectants
Paul Swinney is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Tristel Global, a market-leading infection control products specialist. Swinney has been the Chief Executive and a shareholder in the Cambridgeshire-based company since its inception in 1993. Now, 27 years later, Tristel’s instrument disinfectants are used in 60% of all hospitals in the country, and its cutting edge product lines, which include surface and skin disinfectant solutions, foams, and wipes have taken on competitors like Johnson & Johnson. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tristel has seen an enormous increase in disinfectant sales, and the company expects turnover to rise this year by 21% to reach £31.6 million, compared to £26.2 million in 2019.
Swinney left behind an illustrious career in banking to jump into the medtech sector. Swinney started his career with Brown, Shipley & Co in 1980. He worked for the European banking operations of Norwest Bank Minneapolis and Maryland National Bank, before joining OSI Finance, a specialist in shipping finance in 1987. Now at Tristel, Swinney is known for his rapid and assured decision-making and for having an engaging, reflective, considerate, and no-nonsense leadership style.
23. Carlos Buesa, Oryzon Genomics
Country: Spain
Category: Genomics
Carlos Buesa is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oryzon Genomics, a public clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Founded in 2000, the Madrid-based company is a leader in epigenetic medicine, developing therapies for diseases with a strong unmet medical need. The company recently announced the success of its lead candidate, ORY-1001, in Phase I for acute leukemia. Buesa has held his executive position since the company’s inception and continues to play a pivotal role in its success. Under his leadership, Oryzon has been listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange since 2015. For his leadership accomplishments, he was recognized as “Best Entrepreneur” by Spanish newspaper La Razón in 2017.
In recent years, he has been a member of the board of several biotechnology companies, including Oncnosis Pharma, Ninfas AIE, Orycamb-Project, Geadig Pharma, Neurotec Pharma, and Palobiofarma. In the past, he was a member of the Advisory Board of Neurosciences Technologies and is currently a member of Mendelion Lifesciences, an early-stage biotech company. Buesa holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Barcelona and completed the Senior Management Program (PADE) at IESE in 2005.
24. Valentin Kahl and Roman Zantl, ibidi GmbH
Country: Germany
Category: Biotechnology
ibidi GmbH was founded as a spin-off venture from the Technical University of Munich and the University of Munich’s Center of Nanoscience in 2001. Since then, the company has been developing and manufacturing cell-based assay technologies for biotech and pharma enterprises across the globe. Cofounders Dr. Valentin Kahl and Dr. Roman Zantl continue to lead the company as CEO and President, respectively. The duo developed ibidi directly after obtaining their PhDs from the Technical University of Munich – Dr. Kahl in biophysics, and Dr. Zantl in physics.
Dr. Kahl’s and Dr. Zantl’s first product launch was the µ-Slide I, which enabled cell culturing and high- resolution microscopy to be implemented on a single slide. From there, the company expanded its µ-Slide family of innovative products and established a U.S. facility in Wisconsin. Shortly after developing a pump system for cultivating endothelial cells under perfusion and a culture insert for invasion assays and scratch assays, ibidi began gaining recognition as one of the fastest-growing biotech companies in Europe. Nearly twenty years after its inception, Dr. Kahl and Dr. Zantl continue to lead ibidi on a strong upward trajectory, helping researchers across biology, pharma, and medicine gain increasing and more reliable access to the nuances of cell function. The innovative company remains privately held.
25. Mark Quick, Consort Medical
Country: Sweden
Category: Contract Development and Manufacturing
Mark Quick, is the Chief Executive Officer of Consort Medical, which was acquired by Recipharm in February 2020, and was appointed to this position from his role as Recipharm’s executive vice president of corporate development following the acquisition. As Consort’s CEO, Quick has helped to lead both companies through this acquisition, which allowed for the integration of Consort’s Bespak, a leading player in the manufacture of innovative drug delivery devices. Recipharm is currently one of the five largest pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organizations in the world, with production facilities in Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, India, and the U.K. as well as development sites in Sweden, Israel, and the U.S.
During his almost 15-year tenure at Recipharm, Quick has held several roles of increasing responsibility, joining as associate director of business development, and then vice president of corporate development. Previously, Quick was the head of business development at Celltech Pharmaceuticals, account manager and demand manager at Medeva Pharma, and began his career as an area manager at ICI Chemicals and Polymers, where he spent seven years.
