Welcome to this week's Chutes and Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please send the good word--or the bad--from your shop to Eric Sagonowsky (email) or Amirah Al Idrus (email | Twitter), and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
Gilead recalls Kevin Young for COO job
Gilead
Kevin Young was named COO.
In one of his first big changes as Gilead’s CEO, John Milligan has decided to shake up the exec rankings for the Foster City, CA, Big Biotech. The company announced that it has recalled its former commercial operations head, Kevin Young, to serve as COO, in the process parting with Paul Carter, who served as head of Gilead’s commercial operations for two years. Young, who held his commercial operations post for a decade before retiring in 2014, will be responsible for Gilead’s worldwide commercial organization, facilities and operations. The changes come following a disappointing Q1 that revealed some cracks in the company’s critical hepatitis C franchise, with Geoffrey Porges at Leerink Research saying Young should serve as a “steadying hand on the commercial operations.” It was Young who built up the dominant hep C franchise, Porges noted, and the move may provide some reassurance for investors, FiercePharma reported. With the announcement, Gilead also appointed Martin Silverstein as EVP of strategy. Story | Release
Sanofi reshuffles management deck, losing diabetes head Pascale Witz
Sanofi
Pascale Witz left the company.
With its diabetes franchise slumping, Sanofi became the latest Big Pharma to reshuffle its exec rankings, in the process parting ways with diabetes and cardiovascular EVP Pascale Witz. Witz joined Sanofi in 2013 and has been running that business since mid-2015. As of June 1, Peter Guenter will take the reins, moving over from his current post as EVP of general medicines and emerging markets, which he has held since mid-2015. Guenter, a Belgian national, has worked in sales at SmithKline and in various positions at Synthelabo before its integration into Sanofi. He’s held various leadership roles at the French pharma since 2000, eventually being named an executive vice president in 2013. At Sanofi, Witz was “instrumental” in signing collaborations with Verily and Hanmi, the company said in a statement. Story | Release
Brian Stolz, SVP at Valeant, heads for the door
Valeant
Brian Stolz left the company.
The exec churn at Valeant continues as Brian Stolz, SVP of neurology, dentistry and genetics, has tendered his resignation, according to reports. Effective May 30, Stolz will leave the reeling Valeant to “pursue other opportunities,” MarketWatch reported. Stolz’s resignation follows several management changeups at the Canadian pharma as Valeant seeks to navigate pricing investigations, accounting missteps, a debt default potential and a series of other challenges. The company notably got rid of former CEO J. Michael Pearson, replacing him with former Perrigo helmsman Joseph Papa. In March, Valeant lost its dermatology unit head, Deb Jorn, following other notable management changes. Just last week, news broke that the company spent $10.8 million on retention bonuses to keep “key employees” as it charts its next moves. Report | More
Mylan cutting jobs at patch plant. Story
Biotech
> Lakewood-Amedex appointed Dr. Steve Miley as chief medical officer and Steven Kates as chief scientific officer. Release
> Ariad ($ARIA) named Jennifer Herron as chief commercial officer. Release
> Vigilant Biosciences appointed Dr. Michael Donovan as chief clinical officer. Release
> Inivata appointed Dr. Clive Morris as chief medical officer. Release
> Premier Biomedical named James Frincke as chief technical officer. Release
> ANI Pharma appointed Mark Ginski as vice president of corticotropin product development. Release
> Regulus Therapeutics ($RGLS) named Allison Wey as vice president of investor relations & corporate communications. Release
> Casper Pharma appointed Edward Neugeboren as chief strategy officer, Marco Polizzi as executive vice president of commercial operations and Ira Baeringer as executive vice president of business development. Release
> Stellar Biotech appointed Michael Klein as president of chemistry, manufacturing and controls. Release
> Bicycle Therapeutics set up U.S. operations in Cambridge, MA, and named Rosamond Deegan president and chief business officer. Release
Biotech IT
> Datatrak International named Jim Bob Ward as CEO. Release
Pharma
> Valeant ($VRX) named Sam Eldessouky as senior vice president and corporate controller effective May 31. Release
> Eisai appointed Maria Garrigan as vice president of global regulatory strategy for the oncology business group. Release
Med tech
> Dynatronics ($DYNT) hired Shane James as eastern regional sales manager and Chris Ramsay as director of international sales. Release
> Pentax Medical appointed Hudson Garrett as global chief clinical officer. Release
> Dynatronics ($DYNT) EVP of Marketing and Strategic Planning Larry Beardall will leave the company effective June 3. Release
> Ceterix Orthopaedics appointed Edward Graubart as vice president of sales. Release
Diagnostics
> Exosome Diagnostics appointed John Healy as vice president of informatics. Release
CRO
> Pharm-Olam added Miguel Salcedo as regional director of clinical operations. Release