Board of Directors
Peter Fellner, Executive Chairman
Simon Sturge, Chief Executive Officer
Anthony Weir, Chief Financial Officer
George Kennedy CBE, Deputy Chairman & Senior Independent Director
Carol Ferguson, Non-executive Director
Peter Read CBE, Non-executive Director
Allan Baxter, Non-executive Director
Ian Clark, Non-executive Director
Peter Fellner, Executive Chairman
Peter Fellner was appointed as Chairman in January 2003, and as executive Chairman in April 2003. He was Chairman of Celltech Group plc until its acquisition by UCB in mid-2004, having previously been Chief Executive since 1990. Before joining Celltech he was Chief Executive of Roche UK from 1986 to 1990. Prior to this he was director of the Roche UK Research Centre. Dr Fellner is also Chairman of the privately-held biotechnology company Astex Therapeutics Ltd, and is a director of UCB SA, QinetiQ Group plc, Evotec AG, Bespak plc, Acambis plc and Isis Innovation Ltd. He is also a member of the Medical Research Council.
Simon Sturge, Chief Executive Officer
Simon Sturge was appointed to the Board as Chief Executive Officer in April 2003. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry. After graduating in biology from Sussex University in 1980 Mr Sturge became Product Manager of Napp Laboratories, Head of Sales and Marketing at Portex and Business Development Manager at Astra Pharmaceuticals. He joined Celltech in 1988 and was appointed Chief Executive of Celltech Biologics plc (now Lonza Biologics plc) in 1995 before joining RiboTargets Holdings plc as Chief Executive. He founded RiboTargest in July 1997 when it was spun out from the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology with a £7 million venture capital investment.
Anthony Weir, Chief Financial Officer
Tony Weir was promoted to the Board as Finance Director in April 1999, with responsibility for finance, corporate communications, facilities and IT, having previously joined the Company in 1990 as Chief Accountant and Company Secretary. Following the combinations with RiboTargets and Vernalis Group plc he continues as Chief Financial Officer. Mr Weir is a non-executive director of Biocompatibles International Plc. He has a degree in Mathematics from Oxford University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Following qualification he advised a variety of businesses as a financial consultant.
John Slater, General Counsel
John Slater was appointed to the Board in November 2004 as General Counsel and Company Secretary and has responsibility for all legal and business development activities. A solicitor, Mr Slater joined the Company from Celltech Group plc where he was Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary for the previous 15 years. Prior to that he held legal and commercial roles in a number of high-technology multinational companies.
George Kennedy CBE, Deputy Chairman & Senior Independent Director
George Kennedy was appointed as Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director on 1 September 2003. He was non-executive Chairman of Vernalis Group plc from May 2000. He was previously with Smiths Industries PLC from 1973 to 2000, where he was appointed to the board in 1983, becoming executive director and Chairman of the medical division. His other current appointments include Chairman of Eschmann Holdings Limited, a manufacturer of medical equipment; Chairman of E2V Technologies plc; Deputy Chairman of Spacelabs Healthcare Inc and non-executive director of Isotron PLC. His previous appointments include non-executive Chairman of Carclo PLC; Chairman of the Inprint Group, a privately-held specialist printing company and from August 2000 to December 2003 he was Chairman of the Trade Advisory Group for Africa and the Middle East. He was awarded a CBE in 1997 for services to the healthcare industry and exports.
Carol Ferguson, Non-executive Director
Carol Ferguson was appointed as a non-executive director on 1 September 2003. She joined the Board of Vernalis Group plc as a non-executive director in May 2002. She is a former partner and lead oil analyst at stockbrokers Wood Mackenzie, and was Finance Director of a textiles company. She is currently non-executive director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Ardana plc, Gartmore Smaller Companies Investment Trust, Merrill Lynch Greater Europe Investment Trust and the Association of Investment Trust Companies where she is also a Deputy Chairman. She is also non-executive director of Monks Investment Trust and the Chartered Accountants Compensation Scheme. She is a graduate of St Andrews University and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
Peter Read CBE, Non-executive Director
Peter Read was appointed as a non-executive director on 1 September 2003. He joined the Board of Vernalis Group plc as a non-executive director in March 1998. He is a former Chairman of the Hoechst Group of Companies in the UK and a past President of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Current appointments include non-executive directorships of each of SSL International plc and Innogenetics Group. He is a board member of the South East of England Development Agency. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine. In January 2000 he was awarded a CBE for services to the pharmaceutical industry.
Allan Baxter, Non-executive Director
Allan Baxter was appointed as a non-executive director on 19 May 2004. He is Senior Vice President of Medicines Development at GlaxoSmithKline with responsibility for GlaxoSmithKline’s worldwide late stage development effort, responsible for life cycle management of Marketed Medicines from the time they have demonstrated clinical Proof of Concept.
Ian Clark, Non-executive Director
Ian Clark was appointed as a non-executive director on 1st January 2007. He currently serves as Executive Vice President, Commercial at Genentech, and is responsible for leading their commercial organisation, including the Sales, Marketing, Managed Care, Market Development, and Commercial Operations functions. Before joining Genentech in 2004, he served as president of Novartis Canada, overseeing all of the company's country operations. Before assuming his post in Canada, he served as Chief Operating Officer for Novartis in the UK. Prior to joining Novartis in 1999, Ian worked in Vice Presidential roles in sales and marketing for Sanofi-aventis and Ivax in the UK and Eastern Europe. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Southampton University.