Dr. Simon Sturge (Chairman)
Simon is one of the most successful and seasoned biotech CEOs in the UK, and was voted CEO of the year by his peers in 2005. Simon has built a very strong reputation not only in the industry but also in the investment community. His experience includes eight years at Celltech (now owned by Lonza), and Dr. Sturge was the founder and CEO of RiboTargets, later reversed into Vernalis Plc. After serving as CEO of OctoPlus N.V. for two years, he most recently was Senior Vice President of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Biopharmaceutical Business. At present, he is Chief Operating Officer of Merck Serono. He is also a regular speaker at conferences including the World Economic Forum. Dr. Sturge holds a BSc degree in biology from the University of Sussex in the UK.
Edward van Wezel
Mr. van Wezel is Managing Partner of BioGeneration Ventures BV since 2006. He has extensive international expertise in small and large pharma and biotech companies. After starting his industrial career at Chiron Inc., he served as project manager at Johnson & Johnson, where he was involved in product development and licensing. Mr. van Wezel served as director business development at Pepscan Systems. As managing director of Macrozyme, he was responsible for the pre-clinical development of a new oral anti-diabetic compound and instrumental for successfully partnering this product with Genzyme Inc. Mr. van Wezel holds a MSc in chemistry from the University of Utrecht and a MSc in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Delft.
Dr. Mark Krul
Dr. Krul has been involved in anticancer drug development since 1993 and has a background in molecular biology and immunology. Before founding Aglaia BioMedical Ventures in 2003 he was Program Director of the NDDO Research Foundation. He held several positions at NDDO Oncology BV (formerly the EORTC New Drug Development Office) with respect to oncology drug development strategies (1997-2002). From 1993 till 1997 Mark has been Research Manager of the European Cancer Center and headed the Department of Molecular Virology at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection from 1989 till 1993.
Dr. Marcel Kloosterman
Dr. Kloosterman has worked at DSM NV in various positions since 1985 and is currently (senior) investment manager for DSM Venturing (DSM’s corporate investment group), Limburg Ventures and Chemelot Ventures (both funds co-founded by DSM Nederland with regional focus). Dr. Kloosterman focuses on breakthrough private and listed companies in the areas of Life Sciences and Performance Materials that are looking for equity financing. He serves in non-executive boards of several European startup companies, and acts as advisory board member or jury member in several European panels. Dr. Kloosterman holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Leiden University.
Dr. Alastair Riddell
Dr. Alastair Riddell joined Cristal Therapeutics Supervisory Board as non-executive director in December 2015. Dr. Riddell has over 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical, life science and biotech industries. After 10 years directing clinical trials of oncology and intensive care products for Lederle (now part of Pfizer), Celltech (now part of UCB) and Centocor (now part of J&J), he spent 5 years managing sales and marketing for monoclonal antibodies, oncology and imaging products for Centocor and Amersham International (now GE Healthcare). This led to 12 years as a biotech CEO for Pharmagene, Paradigm Therapeutics and Stem Cell Sciences, in these roles he was the principal involved in an IPO on UK’s main list, trade sales to international companies and significant fund raising rounds. He was also a Board member of the BIA for 10 years and Chair or senior independent director of several other biotech companies, mostly University spin outs. He was recently Chairman of Silence Therapeutics (AIM listed). He has had several roles in UK government initiatives related to medical school funding, promoting pharmaceutical company and NHS cooperation and funding healthcare company projects. He is currently Chairman of Definigen Ltd a Cambridge University spin out and AzurRx Biopharma, a New York and France based biotech company. He began his career as a medical doctor with 6 years experience in a variety of hospital specialties and in general practice.
Janwillem Naesens
Mr. Naesens is Partner at DROIA Oncology Ventures, an investor in early-stage oncology drug development companies, and currently serves on the board of directors of 6 biotech companies in Europe and the US. Before DROIA, Mr. Naesens was Investment Manager at Waterland Private Equity, a European investment group providing growth capital to small and mid-sized companies. Mr. Naesens started his career at McKinsey & Company in New York as a strategy consultant in life sciences and financial services. Mr. Naesens holds a MSc in Engineering from the University of Leuven and an MBA from INSEAD.