Founder-CEO Interview Archives

Paul Bravetti

2 October 2024 by Sejelas

Tell us about your background.

I am Paul Bravetti, a passionate executive with a strong focus on scientific innovation and entrepreneurial ventures.

My background combines a Doctor of Pharmacy degree with an MBA in business management from HEC Paris. I joined Brenus Pharma in 2020 and became CEO in 2022, with a clear mission to (address the limitations of current cancer treatments and) create a meaningful impact for patients.

My international experience/journey in major pharmaceutical companies (Takeda, Servier, Roche) across Europe and Asia has been key to giving me a deep insight into launching therapeutics and addressing unmet medical needs.

Simon Mølgaard

26 September 2024 by Sejelas

Teitur means happiness in Old Norse. What inspired you to choose this name for the company, and how does it reflect your vision for developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases?
At Teitur, our name captures the essence of our mission. Meaning “joyful” or “bright” in Old Norse, Teitur reflects our commitment to bringing light and hope to patients and families affected by Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases. We are developing innovative, disease-modifying treatments that go beyond symptom management, aiming to alter the course of these conditions.

Jana Fischer

21 August 2024 by Sejelas

Tell us about your background. My background is in computational biology and bioinformatics, which I studied at ETH Zürich. I then went on to combine my fascination for cancer research and my data analysis skills and joined the research group of Prof. Bernd Bodenmiller for my PhD. We used highly multiplex tissue imaging in order to characterize tumors and better understand their biology, the different tumor subtypes and the complex interactions between tumor and immune cells. Throughout my PhD I analyzed datasets of large patient cohorts and was able to show the remarkable potential of this type of data in explaining different patient outcomes such as drug response or survival.

Patrick Guye

14 August 2024 by Sejelas

Tell us about your background.
My career began with a PhD in molecular biology and microbiology, fueling a lifelong fascination with the complexities of biological systems. This path led me to a pivotal role in synthetic biology at MIT, where I was inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of the Boston area. After building two labs at Sanofi, I served as Chief Scientific Officer at InSphero in Zurich, sharpening my expertise in scaling biotech ventures.

With Tim Mak, my co-founder in Trilliome, we launched a consulting business focusing on scientific and technical matters, transitioning over time increasingly to business development and strategy. My engagement in rejuvenation and longevity started during my tenure as ad-interim COO at Rejuveron, focusing on pioneering drug discovery initiatives. My career has spanned many topics, including inflammation & immunity, metabolic diseases, immuno-oncology (IO), and neurodegeneration, across most therapeutic modalities.

Claudia Scheckel

25 July 2024 by Sejelas

Can you tell us more about Oncobit and the reasons you decided to found it? Two of my co-founders are professors at the University and University Hospital of Zurich and experienced first-hand the limitations linked to cancer monitoring. So Oncobit was really founded out of an unmet need. What are some of the key challenges you faced when transitioning from academia to entrepreneurship and the MedTech industry, and how did you overcome them? To be honest I believe academia has prepared me quite well for my entrepreneurial journey at Oncobit in a lot of ways.

Amir Hefni

26 June 2024 by Sejelas

Amir, you’ve had an impressive international career across various countries and therapeutic areas. What unique perspectives and insights have you gained from your global experience that you bring to Resolution Therapeutics? I am a big believer in the power of diversity. Having had the pleasure of working across several countries and therapeutic areas, I found the best approach to solving the biggest problems is through the lens of diverse perspectives. It’s not always easy, in fact at times It can feel uncomfortable and frustrating, especially when you are convinced that your approach is the right one. However, if I reflect on some of the toughest challenges I have faced in my career, it is the diversity of perspectives from the team around the table that delivers the best ideas. It makes the impossible possible!

Andrew Parker

5 June 20245 June 2024 by Sejelas

If you had to describe yourself with one word, what would you choose? Purposeful. What is your background? I grew up in the south of England, always loved biology and the natural world, spent lots of time chasing and photographing insects in the New Forest, progressed my passion by studying Microbiology at University of Surrey and then focused on cell and molecular biology obtaining my Ph.D. from the National Institute for Medical Research, London (sadly no longer in existence).

Klaus Dugi

13 May 2024 by Sejelas

Tell us more about your background and what is your team building at Vandria. I am a physician by training. I spent four years as a PostDoc at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, USA, and subsequently received my clinical training at Heidelberg University Hospital in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. Inspired by the opportunity to develop new medicines to improve outcomes for patients, I moved from academic medicine to pharmaceutical drug development in 2003.

Erik van den Berg

27 March 2024 by Sejelas

Could you tell us more about yourself? I enjoy working with dedicated teams of highly skilled professionals to develop innovative products whilst achieving ambitious goals. You could say I am very result-oriented and a team player. Privately, I love playing sports and enjoy good food and company. Professionally, I am and have been involved in creating and growing high-technology companies where I have led several large deals and financing rounds from seed financing through IPO.

Detlef Schumann

20 March 202420 March 2024 by Sejelas

Could you tell us more about yourself? Quite early in my life, I got introduced to the world of big pharma. It was a fascinating experience which helped me in my decision to study pharmacy. In the early phase of my study, people started to think about “tissue engineering” and innovative “drug delivery” solutions. By coincidence, I read about a young surgeon who just returned from the USA and was about to establish a team to continue his research in personalized stem cell technologies towards cartilage reconstruction. I had an inspiring discussion with him and decided to join his team for PhD, prepared for a startup company and helped to set up the Center for Medical Biotechnologies. After several international business assignments and now 25 years later I have the pleasure to be the CEO/CFO of Tetec AG focusing on innovative therapies for cartilage reconstruction, immunotherapy and beyond.