MARC LEMAITRE, PHD, BIOTECHNOLOGY EXPERT

Marc Lemaitre holds a first degree in Organic Chemistry and a PhD in Biochemistry (specializing in DNA repair and cancer) from the University of Liège, Belgium, and since 1980 the “fil rouge” of Marc’s professional interests has been the study of the Nucleic Acids. After pioneering work on Antisense and oligo delivery in Montpellier, France, followed by 2 years in the lab of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Luc Montagnier at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, Marc held positions of increasing seniority in R&D, operational management, business development, and general management within CMO’s, Pharma and Biotech companies. He moved to the USA in 2006 in a leadership role with Glen Research, before being recruited in 2009 as CEO of Girindus America, a CMO with a focus on the cGMP manufacture of oligonucleotides for therapeutic applications. In this role, Marc also held the legal responsibility of “Sprecher des Vorstands” (President of the management board) of the German listed company Girindus AG, adding invaluable experience of leadership of a public company.

Having negotiated the merger between Nitto-Denko Avecia and the US operations of Girindus, Marc agreed to stay for a year to facilitate the integration of the newly merged entities. With that project now complete, he is working as an independent consultant helping companies on various strategic and/or technical projects, including: company creation, operational improvement and streamlining, fund raising, interim executive management, turn-around projects and due diligence for licensing and acquisitions.