Nordic Life Science 1
CAREERS IN A NEW JOB THE LATEST CAREER NEWS FROM
THE NORDIC LIFE SCIENCE INDUSTRY T E X T by M AL IN O T M ANI ANKI MALMBORG HAGER NEW CEO OF PAINDRAINER MALIN PARKLER NEW CHAIR OF LIF SWEDEN KLAUS ABEL NEW GENERAL MANAGER NORDICS, LEO PHARMA ANKI MALMBORG HAGER has a long-standing experience of leading life science companies in their early start-up phases, with SenzaGen being the most recent achievement. At SenzaGen she took the company from a market cap of 5 to 500 million SEK. Prior to SenzaGen, she was acting CEO of Cantargia and Diaprost. She holds a doctorate degree in Immunotechnology from Lund University as well as a PharmaMBA from Falconbury. “PainDrainer is a very interesting start-up company that has developed an absolutely unique web-based application for selfmanagement of chronic pain. Artificial intelligence and eHealth are two of the latest and most promising technologies that will rule much of our future, and I am excited to explore the potential of this type of business. I very much look forward to being part of this exciting company and build value in the coming years,” says Malmborg Hager. She started on September 1, focusing on the commercial development of PainDrainer, using its evidence based clinical data. MALIN PARKLER, CEO of Pfizer Sweden, has been appointed new Chair of the Board of the Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry in Sweden (LIF). Parkler was elected to the Board of LIF in 2014, and elected Vice Chair of the Board of LIF in 2018. Since February 2019 she has been the Chair of the LIF Board since the previous Chair, Niklas Karlberg, Novartis, left the Board for an international assignment. “I am very excited to be able to carry on the development work that LIF successfully has conducted during the last couple of years. LIF is a very important and reliable partner within Swedish healthcare and that is a position that we need to manage well. Sweden needs an international competitive life science strategy, where all actors collaborate and interact with each other to develop and ensure that patients quickly and safely have access to effective treatments. A well-functioning ecosystem for research, development and production means both better treatments for patients, development of scientific skills and investments in production,” says Parkler. KLAUS ABEL has been appointed to lead LEO Pharma across the Nordic region. Abel moves into the new role from Lundbeck, where he was for 19 years. While at Lundbeck he held senior roles in Global Marketing and in Commercial Operations, in addition to Managing Director positions in Australia/New Zealand from 2007–2011, and Italy from 2016–2018. As Managing Director for the Nordics Organization, Abel will lead operations in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. He will be responsible for driving LEO Pharma’s Dermatology business, developing talent and ensuring a successful implementation of LEO Pharma’s 2025 strategy. Abel will also be part of the Cluster Europe North Australia New Zealand Leadership team. “Being a foundation-owned company, LEO Pharma has no shareholders and is committed to reinvesting its profits into R&D. These aspects really stand out to me. I am inspired by the opportunity to improve the quality of life of the people living with skin conditions,” he says. CATHERINE MAZZACCO NEW CEO OF LEO PHARMA CATHERINE MAZZACCO is an accomplished executive with more than 25 years of experience in international business management, strategy, marketing and sales in the pharmaceutical and life science industry, including in launching and expanding biologics in immunology. Her wealth of professional and business experience includes positions as head of Global Commercial Operations for GE Healthcare’s BioPharma division, and, before that, numerous leadership positions at Abbott in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical devices divisions. Mazzacco has lived in the United States since 2011. She received her engineering degree from the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (France). She plans to relocate from Boston to Denmark in connection to her new position. Gitte Aabo will step down as President and CEO after 27 years in the company, and 11 of these as CEO, and the Board of Directors has appointed Catherine Mazzacco as new President and CEO. 118 NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG PHOTO LENA BECK