About Us

Leadership

Leadership

An outstanding team committed to Helsinn's core values

Our Board of Directors and Leadership Team is composed of highly accomplished individuals from the pharma and biotech sectors. With the shared mission of supporting patients with cancer and chronic disease worldwide, the team at Helsinn aims to stay at the frontline of supportive care in cancer and chronic disease.

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Executive Chairman
  • Formerly Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO.
  • Group Vice-Chairman and Board Member of 3B Future Holding SA, Switzerland (formerly Helsinn Holding Group).
  • Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of the 3B Future Health Ventures S.a.r.l., Monaco, and Chairman and General Partner of 3B Future Health Fund I and II, Luxembourg.
  • Board Member of HAS Healthcare Advanced Synthesis, Switzerland.
  • Chairman of Nuovo Fiore in Africa Foundation, Switzerland.
  • Board Member of Medacta International, Switzerland, and of Thorne Holding Corporation, USA and Co-Founder and Board Member of Lyfebulb, USA.
  • Member of the Advisory Board of the New York City-based venture capital firm Windham Ventures, USA.
  • Member of the Board of the Conquer Cancer Foundation, USA, and Member of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, USA, as well as of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.
  • Holds a degree in Business Economics with a specialisation in Business Industrial Management from Bocconi University, Milan, Italy.

 

Board Member
  • Board Member of Helsinn since 2022.
  • 3+ years of experience in healthcare and pharmaceutical consulting.
  • Holds an MSc degree in Healthcare Management from City, University of London and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Hult International Business School, London.

 

Board Member
  • Board Member of Helsinn since 2015.
  • Extensive legal experience, including roles at PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) and various positions at Bär & Karrer, including his current role as Resident Managing Partner.
  • Swiss Certified Tax Expert.
  • Holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Bern.

 

Board Member
  • Board Member of Helsinn since 2020.
  • Extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having held various senior positions at Novartis and at the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
  • Previously Chairman of the Board at Novartis Japan.
  • Received the National Order of Merit in France in 2008.
  • Holds a Doctorate in Law from the University of Basel and a Master in Law from the University of California, Berkeley.
Board Member
  • Board Member of Helsinn since 2024.
  • Extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry in both B2B and B2C international environments, including his current role as CEO of NTC S.r.l.
  • Holds a degree in Economics at Bocconi University in Milan.
Group Chief Executive Officer
  • Appointed Group Chief Executive Officer in January 2023.
  • Joined Helsinn in June 2022 as Group Chief Operating Officer.
  • 20+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry in executive and non-executive roles, general management, business and fundraising, and vision and strategy development.
  • Prior to Helsinn, served as Chief Executive Officer at both AELIX Therapeutics and PIQUR Therapeutics, developing molecules in oncology and dermatology.
  • 14 years at Novartis Pharma in various leadership roles across drug development and medical affairs with a focus on oncology, including being an integral part of the GSK Oncology Portfolio Integration into the Novartis Oncology Business Unit.
  • Holds an MD from the Heidelberg University, Germany and obtained a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer research at SCRIPPS Research Institute for Molecular and Experimental Medicine, USA.

 

Group Chief Financial Officer
  • Appointed Group Chief Financial Officer in 2013.
  • Held the role of Finance Director at Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals for more than 10 years.
  • +20 years of experience in senior financial positions in the pharmaceutical and electronics industries.
  • Extensive experience in greenfield start-up operations and corporate restructuring.
  • Prior to Helsinn, served as Financial Controller at Tyco Electronics and at Mallinckrodt Medical in a greenfield start-up operation.
  • Member of CIMA – Chartered Global Management Accountant.
  • Holds an International Executive Masters in Business Administration from Smurfit Graduate School of Business, Dublin, Ireland.

 

Group Chief Strategy Officer
  • Appointed Group Chief Strategy Officer in 2023.
  • 20+ years of international experience in the pharmaceutical industry in a variety of roles spanning both R&D and commercial operations.
  • 10 years’ experience of the Chinese pharmaceutical market, both as a strategic consultant and as GM of Helsinn China, leading its commercial development and operations.
  • Previous roles include Business and Corporate Development Consultant for several European pharmaceutical companies and Drug Discovery Researcher at GSK.
  • Holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge, UK, and a PharmD cum laude from the University of Bologna, Italy.
Group Chief Technical Officer
  • Responsible for Helsinn’s worldwide CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) and manufacturing operations.
  • Joined Helsinn in 2000 as Corporate Quality Assurance Manager and assumed responsibility for the CMC group in 2005.
  • 30+ years of experience in pharmaceutical industry in CMC, pharmaceutical development, supply chain and quality assurance.
  • Past experience as Responsible of Pharmaceutical Development department at Schering AG, Milan, Italy and Responsible of Quality Assurance at IBSA, Lugano, Switzerland.
  • Holds a PharmD in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology from the University of Milan, Italy.

 

Head of International Commercial Business
  • Appointed Head of International Commercial Business in 2016.
  • 15+ years at Helsinn in a number of sales and licensing roles.
  • 25+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry with a focus on sales, marketing and out-licensing.
  • Prior to Helsinn, held sales and marketing roles at Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Alfa Sigma Corporation and GSK.
  • Holds an MBA from Bocconi University, Milan and a PhD in Molecular Biology from Dibit/HSR Milan and the Department of Genetics at Cambridge.
Group Head of Ethics, Legal and Governance
  • Responsible for Helsinn’s global compliance and business ethics organisation since 2019.
  • Joined Helsinn in 2010 as Corporate Quality Assurance Manager.
  • 15+ years of experience in senior quality positions in the pharmaceutical industry. He is an EU Qualified Person and Swiss Medic Responsible Person.
  • Past experience as Quality Assurance Manager at Temmler S.r.l., Italy. Held various positions of increasing responsibility in quality at Patheon S.p.A., Italy.
  • Holds a PharmD in Pharmaceutical Technology and a Master in Drug Preformulation from the University of Pavia, Italy.

 

Group Head of Transformation
  • Appointed Group Head of Transformation in 2024.
  • 14+ years at Helsinn in a number of roles with increasing responsibility from cross-functional R&D project management in oncology, cancer supportive care and rare diseases to Group Senior Management.
  • 20+ years of R&D experience from academia to late-stage drug.
  • Past experience in preclinical development and project management at BioXell S.p.A., Italy, working in inflammation, urology and cancer.
  • Conducted basic research on cancer genetics at the University of Milan-Bicocca.
  • Holds a Master in Industrial Biotechnology, cum laude, from the University of Milan-Bicocca.

 

Country Head, Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
  • Appointed Country Head in 2023.
  • Joined Helsinn in 2006 as Finance Manager and was appointed to the role of Finance Director in 2015.
  • 25+ years of experience in senior roles within the pharmaceutical industry, both Generics and Branded.
  • Prior to Helsinn, worked in various management positions in Gerard Laboratories (Mylan Pharmaceuticals Limited).
  • Experience in the pharmaceutical industry in finance, supply chain and digital technologies functions.
  • Member of CIMA – Chartered Global Management Accountant.
Country Head, Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.
  • Appointed Country Head in 2025.
  • 20+ years of experience in senior financial positions within the pharmaceuticalindustry
  • Held the role of SVP Finance & Operations at Helsinn Therapeutics (US) Inc. for over 6 years before being appointed to U.S. Country Operations Head
  • Past experience includes:
    • Celgene Corporation: VP of Finance – Hematology/Oncology, VP of Internal Audit
    • Schering Plough Corporation: VP of Finance – Consumer Health Division, VP of Internal Audit
    • Eisai Inc: Executive Director of Finance & Accounting
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP – Senior Manager
    • Hold a B.A. in Business Administration from Millersville University
    • Certified Public Account

 

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