Board of Directors

 

 

 

From the top left: Göran Ando, Jeff Himawan, Jeppe Christiansen, John B. Landis. 
From the bottom left: Ian Nicholson,  Samuel Broder, Tom Bork Petersen and Kirsten Drejer.

Göran Ando
Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Jeff Himawan, Ph.D.
Dr. Himawan is a Managing Director at Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, a global healthcare-dedicated venture capital firm. In addition to his service on Symphogen's Board of Directors, Dr. Himawan is also a member of the Board of Directors of one public company (MediciNova) and four private companies (Horizon Therapeutics, Catalyst BiosciencesLight Sciences Oncology and Ception Therapeutics). Dr. Himawan holds a B.S. degree in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and obtained a Ph.D. degree in biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology from Harvard University

Jeppe Christiansen, M.Sc. 
Mr. Christiansen is a Danish citizen. He holds a MSc. (Economy) from the University of Copenhagen. Since 2004 Mr. Christiansen has been CEO of Maj Invest A/S, of which he is also a co-founder. From 1986 to 1988, he worked as an economist in Sparekassen SDS. He came to LD Pensions in 1988 where he became Head of Fund Management and later Executive Vice President responsible for investments. From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Christiansen worked as Director in Danske Bank, responsible for international equity investments and corporate clients. Mr. Christiansen is a member of the board of directors of Novo A/S, Bikubenfonden, DADES A/S, Haldor Topsøe A/S and Kirkbi A/S.

John B. Landis, Ph.D.
Dr. Landis is a US Citizen and he is an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry and holds his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University and a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Kent State University. Dr. Landis joined the Bioanalytical Systems Inc. (BASi) Board of Directors in November 2009 and was elected Chairman of the Board on February 11, 2010. Dr. Landis previously served as Senior Vice President, Pharmaceutical Sciences of Schering-Plough Corporation, from 2003 until his retirement in 2008. Dr. Landis led the global pharmaceutical sciences function of pharmacy, analytical chemistry, process chemistry, biotechnology, quality assurance, clinical supplies and devices. Dr. Landis is a current member of Purdue University’s Chemistry Leadership Council and Dean’s Leadership Council for the School of Science and serves on the Advisory Board of South West Michigan Life Science Venture Capital and NanoMed Scientific and on the board of directors of Metabolic Solutions Development Company.

Ian Nicholson, B.Sc., MBA
Mr. Nicholson has served as CEO in Chroma Therapeutics Limited since September 2004. Prior to joining Chroma, he was Senior Vice President of Business Development for Celltech Gr, responsible for all global licensing activities. He has held a variety of senior commercial positions with Oxford Asymmetry International plc, Lonza AG and Amersham International plc. He currently also sits on the Boards of the Biotechnology Industry Association and Bioventix Limited. Mr. Nicholson holds a BSc (Hons) degree from University College, London, and an MBA from Boston University.

Samuel Broder, M.D.
Dr. Broder is a U.S citizen and he holds his bachelor’s and M.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Dr. Broder served as the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Celera from 1998 to 2010. He is a physician-scientist with special expertise in the relationship between disorders of the immune system and cancer. Dr. Broder began his research career in the Metabolism Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1972. In 1989, President Ronald Reagan appointed Dr. Broder Director of the National Cancer Institute. Under his leadership, the NCI initiated a number of important large-scale human trials in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Dr. Broder is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He is also the author of more than 300 scholarly papers, and holds numerous patents.  

Tom Bork Petersen, Esq.
Tom Bork Petersen is a Danish citizen. He is a qualified attorney licensed to practice in Denmark and admitted to practice in New York. He is a law graduate of the University of Aarhus and holds an LL.M from University of Michigan Law School. Since 2010 Mr. Petersen has been a partner, Head of IP/Life Science Group at Norrbom Vinding. From 1990 to 1993 Tom Bork Petersen worked as Junior Associate at Bech Bruun & Trolle, DK. From 1993 to 1995 Mr. Petersen worked as Associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrisson LLP, NY. From 1995 to 2000 Mr. Petersen worked as Associate General Counsel, International at Biogen Inc., Cambridge, MA. His previous positions counts: Associate General Counsel, VP at Amersham Biosciences Inc in Piscataway, NJ (2000-2003), Chief Corporate Counsel at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc, NY (2003-2006), General Counsel, VP General at Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, CA (2007-2008). In 2008, Tom Bork Petersen came to Gorrissen Federspiel, DK where he practiced in the firm’s IP & Technology Group.

Kirsten Drejer, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Co-founder and CEO
Dr. Drejer has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining Symphogen, she held several scientific and managerial positions at Novo Nordisk A/S, including four years as Director of Diabetes Discovery, and three years as Corporate Facilitator. In addition to her service on Symphogen's board of directors, Dr. Drejer is also a member of the board of directors of Danisco A/S and Bioneer A/S. Her scientific experience includes research and development of drugs for the treatment of diabetes and she was instrumental in Novo Nordisk A/S' Insulin Analogue and Nasal Insulin programs.