Bayer exec takes reins at J&J's troubled consumer products biz

Welcome to this week's roundup of hirings and firings throughout the industry. Please send the good word (or the bad) from your shop to Alison Bryant (email | Twitter) and Nesa Nourmohammadi (email | Twitter) and we will feature it here each Friday.

Johnson & Johnson taps Peterson to fix consumer products division

Bayer CropScience head Sandra Peterson will join Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) with a lot already on her plate. She will head J&J's troubled consumer products division, which last year had to recall tens of millions of consumer products that were made at three problematic plants. The recalls reportedly cost J&J a lofty $1.6 billion. In her new role, Peterson will manage information technology, as well as the company's consumer drug business and manufacturing. She will report directly to company CEO Alex Gorsky, starting Dec. 1. More

 Sandra Peterson--Johnson & Johnson
Will join Johnson & Johnson on Dec. 1 as head of its consumer products division, after heading Bayer CropScience.

Glenn Noronha--Sucampo Pharmaceuticals
Joins Sucampo as its new vice president of research and development. He also joins the company's global R&D leadership team.

Biotech

> Amgen ($AMGN) appointed Ray Jordan to the newly created role of senior vice president of corporate affairs, effective Oct. 1. Release

> Dart Therapeutics appointed a new executive team, starting with co-founder and Executive Chairman Eugene Williams becoming the biotech's full-time CEO. Ernest Bush also became chief scientific officer. On the part-time front, Dr. Elliot Goldstein and Cabot Brown were appointed chief medical officer and chief financial officer, respectively. Release

> Tobira Therapeutics introduced three new faces to the company's senior management team: Caroline Loewy (executive vice president and chief financial officer), Dr. Jeff Enejosa (senior director of clinical research) and Mark Menning (director of pharmaceutical sciences). Release

> Spectrum Pharmaceutical has hired former Amgen exec Ken Keller as its chief operating officer, putting him in charge of its pharmaceutical, medical, clinical and commercial operations. Story

Insmed ($INSM) appointed Will Lewis as company president and CEO, replacing Tim Whitten. Lewis most recently served as president and CFO of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals. Release

Andrew Gengos recently left Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals where he served as CEO. The Palo Alto, CA, biotech named Chairman John Walker as interim CEO, according to the San Francisco Business Times. When asked, both men declined to comment on the C-level shake-up. Story

CRO Albany Molecular Research ($AMRI) appointed Michael Nolan as vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer. He succeeds Mark Frost, effective Sept. 17. Release

> Transgenomic appointed Mark Colonnese as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He joins the biotech from Salutria Pharmaceuticals, where he served as executive vice president of commercial operations and CFO. Story

> Sucampo Pharmaceuticals ($SCMP) welcomed Glenn Noronha as its new vice president of research and development. Release

> Not long after introducing a new CEO in Jack Talley, Actinium Pharmaceuticals announced Gerri Henwood joined the company as chief development officer. Release

> Aratana Therapeutics appointed co-founder and director Dr. Steven St. Peter as president and CEO. Founding CEO Linda Rhodes will stay on as chief scientific officer. Release

> Dr. Brett Haumann became chief medical officer at Circassia. He joins the biotech from GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK), where he was a vice president. Release

Pharma

> Hongquan Liu was selected to serve as CEO of Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, based in China. His appointment is effective Oct. 8. Release

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries ($TEVA) promoted Itzhak Krinsky to chairman of Teva Japan and Teva South Korea, in addition to head of business development for the Asia-Pacific region. He currently serves as Teva's executive vice president of corporate business development. Release

Medical Devices

> Chembio Diagnostics ($CEMI) appointed Sharon Klugewicz to the newly created position of vice president of quality assurance/quality control and technical operations. Release

Pharma Services

> Market intelligence company EvaluatePharma selected former Thompson Reuters executive Alexander Karle to become its chief operating officer. Release

Venture Capital

> Biotech veteran and former BioVex CEO Philip Astley-Sparke entered the VC game as a venture partner with Forbion Capital Partners. Release | More