At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Executive Director operating in the Pharmaceutical space. If you think a Executive Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Claus Bendtsen
Executive Director of AstraZeneca
Claus Bendtsen heads Quantitative Biology as part of Discovery Sciences within AstraZeneca. His department provides global support in areas of informatics, mathematical modelling, image analytics and non-clinical statistics. Prior to joining AstraZeneca he held positions at Novartis and Merck & Co. Earlier in his career he co-founded three start-ups and worked in academia. He holds a Ph.D. in applied mathematics and an MBA.
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About AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca is a global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines.
Dennis Engelke
Executive Director, Country Manager Switzerland & Austria of Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Dennis Engelke is the director of business analysis and insight at [Jazz Pharmaceuticals](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/jazz-pharmaceuticals), an international biopharmaceutical company. Engelke holds an MBA from Uppsala University and an MBA from the University of Hamburg.
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About Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company that identifies, develops and commercializes innovative treatments.
Chris Wood
Non Executive Director of MiNA Therapeutics
Chris Wood has more than 20 years of experience in the biotechnology sector, having founded, managed and successfully exited 4 companies. Chris is Executive Chairman and Medical Director of NuCana. He was co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Bioenvision Inc from 1999, and under his leadership Bioenvision grew from a modest entrepreneurial venture to a leading biotech company (NASDAQ: BIV), with a market capitalisation of $345 million. Bioenvision was acquired by Genzyme Corporation in October 2007. Chris was co-founder of Medirace Ltd, a start up biotechnology company, which later became Medeva PLC, traded on the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, and was acquired by Celltech Group PLC (now UCB) for £554 million. Chris Wood is an honorary Professor at Imperial College London, holds an M.D. from the University of Wales School of Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Chris Wood’s specialty interests are Cancer and Molecular Biology and he has acquired an international reputation for his published work in these areas.
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About Medannex Ltd, NuCana BioMed: MiNA Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutic medicines to harness gene activation mechanisms.
Ozgur Tuncer
CEO & Executive Director of Stablepharma Ltd
Ozgur Tuncer CEO & Executive Director – two decades of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry including working for blue chip companies such as Pfizer, IQVIA and Pharmacia. Most recently, he was Global Vice President in IQVIA, and strategic adviser to life sciences investors. In addition to his role in Stablepharma, Özgür is an Investment Partner with Ascension Ventures.
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About Stablepharma Ltd: An innovative Biotech, developing a wide range of reformulated thermostable and fridge free StablevaX vaccines
Karl Equi
Creative, Digital Director, and Executive Director of PMLiVE
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About PMLiVE: PMLiVE is an online network offering its users with the opportunity to discuss with their colleagues on issues of pharmaceutical market.
Charles Hindson
Non Executive Director of Diaceutics
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About Diaceutics: Diaceutics Group leverages analytics, software, services and consulting.
Alistair Strachan
Non-Executive Director of Ryboquin
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About ILC Therapeutics: Ryboquin uses its expertise to turn under-developed intellectual property ideas into viable commercial realities.
