Senior managment

We have a talented, experienced, knowledgeable senior management team at Vernalis. They lead our research programmes, supervise our clinical studies, oversee our partner collaborations and more. They also ensure that the company is well run at all levels. Key members of the management team include:

Ian Garland, Chief Executive Officer

Ian Garland became Chief Executive Officer in December 2008. From May 2007 until September 2008, Ian was CEO of Acambis plc.  During this period he oversaw a series of important advances culminating in the company's acquisition by Sanofi-Aventis in September 2008 for £280m. From 2004 to 2007, Ian served as CFO of Arrow Therapeutics Ltd., a privately-held company engaged in the discovery and development of new anti-viral agents until its acquisition by AstraZeneca plc for US$150m in February 2007. Before this Ian was President and Chief Operating Officer of Celltech Pharmaceuticals Inc., with a turnover of around US$300 million which encompassed the US operations of Celltech Group plc. From 1988 to 1995 Ian worked at KPMG, specialising in the pharmaceutical sector, following qualification as a Chartered Accountant.

David Mackney, Chief Financial Officer

David Mackney was appointed Chief Financial Officer in February 2009. From February 2008 until January 2009, David was Interim CFO at Acambis plc, working to successfully secure the US biodefence contract, the secondary financing and the acquisition of Acambis by Sanofi-Aventis in September 2008. Prior to Acambis he was CFO for a private equity-backed technology company. From January 2002 to May 2005, David served as Group Financial Controller at Shire plc, and from September 1996 to December 2001, he worked as a senior manager in audit and then in transaction services at Arthur Andersen. David is a Chartered Accountant.

Steve Pawsey, Development Director

Steve Pawsey joined Vernalis as Medical Director in 2005, before being appointed Development Director in 2008. He has overall responsibility for all clinical and pre-clinical studies and trials we undertake. Before joining Vernalis Steve was with several major pharmaceutical companies, including stints as as a Clinical Team Leader at Roche, and Medical Director at Abbott in Chicago. He has also worked previously in a small company environment having been Vice President for Development & Medical Affairs at Pharmagene (now Asterand). Steve has a medical degree from the University of London and is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.

Mike Wood, Research Director

Mike Wood became Research Director in February 2004.  Since then, he has overseen the continued strengthening of capabilities in structure and fragment based drug discovery.  His focus has been on the pragmatic adaptation of the most effective methods for rapid assessment of therapeutic targets and driving projects to deliver clinical candidates. The current therapeutic focus for Vernalis research is oncology and in particular drug targets relating to cancer metabolism.  Before becoming our Research Director, Mike was the Head of Preclinical Development for Ribotargets and prior to that Director of Biology at British Biotech.  He started his industrial career at Smith Kline and French in 1986.

Kevin Kissane, Interim General Counsel and Company Secretary

Kevin Kissane joined Vernalis in November 2010 as Interim General Counsel and Company Secretary. Kevin qualified as a solicitor in 1979 and worked in private practice in the City until 1990 when he joined Amersham plc (now part of GE Healthcare), where he held a number of roles in Amersham’s Legal Department, the last being General Counsel, Amersham Health. He subsequently was appointed Interim General Counsel, UCB Celltech and later Group Legal Adviser & Company Secretary, Antisoma plc before joining Vernalis.

Nerida Scott, Business Development  & Licensing Director

Nerida Scott was appointed as BD&L Director in December 2010, having joined Vernalis in 2002.  Nerida has broad expertise in the transaction arena having had key roles in various M&A, in- and out-licensing, research collaboration, divestment and renegotiation transactions.  Prior to joining Vernalis, Nerida was a Project Leader in the Boston Consulting Group’s London office, where her focus was the development and implementation of strategic goals within large pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.  Nerida gained her PhD in Biochemistry as a scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge University, following undergraduate studies in law and science.

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