September 2026 • PharmaTimes Magazine • 36-37
// YOUR MOVES //
Your Moves
Mover of the Month
Dr Mai-Britt Zocca
Elevara Medicines has appointed Dr Mai-Britt Zocca as CEO, effective 1 July 2026. She succeeds founder Emma Tinsley, who will remain on the Board as a Non-Executive Director.
Emma Tinsley, outgoing CEO, said: "Mai-Britt is an exceptional biotechnology leader."
She continued: "She combines deep scientific understanding with extensive operational and public company experience, and has successfully built organisations through exactly the stage Elevara is now entering."
Mai-Britt previously founded and led IO Biotech, advancing its pipeline from phase 1 through multiple phase 2 trials and into a pivotal global phase 3 study. She also founded a biotechnology venture focused on repurposing small molecules for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Her earlier roles include senior leadership positions at Danish Biotech and Danish Chamber of Commerce, as well as posts supporting innovation and life science start-ups. She holds an MSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Medicine from the University of Copenhagen and National Cancer Institute, NIH.
Mai-Britt said: "What attracted me to Elevara was not only the differentiated science behind ELV001, but also the outstanding work that Emma and the team have already accomplished."
She added: "The confidence demonstrated by the company's experienced investor base further strengthened my conviction that ELV001 represents a unique opportunity."
Andrew Fenny
Pace has appointed Andrew Fenny as President of Pace Life Sciences to lead the division into its next phase of strategic growth. The company said he will focus on expanding support and capacity for pharmaceutical and biotech clients across the development cycle.
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology organisations continue to face pressure to accelerate development timelines and navigate scientific and regulatory complexity while managing rising costs. Pace Life Sciences aims to help customers address these challenges through seamless service, scientific certainty and comprehensive solutions.
Fenny brings more than two decades of experience across the CDMO and pharmaceutical sectors. He joins Pace Life Sciences from SK Pharmteco, where he served as Chief Commercial Officer. Before that, he worked for Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies as Chief Business Officer.
His background spans commercial strategy, business development, integrated operations and client experience.
Ken Beyer, CEO at Pace, said: "Andy joins Pace at a time when our customers need more than results. They need a partner who can help them navigate complex regulatory pathways and challenging market conditions."
He added: "Andy’s leadership and expertise will help us deliver the certainty companies need at every stage of the product life cycle because every phase drives programmes closer to patients waiting on treatments that change lives."
Professor Andreas Pahl
Simris Group has appointed Professor Andreas Pahl as Chief Executive Officer of its Berlin-based subsidiary, Simris Biologics. He begins immediately and will oversee advancement of the company’s Microcystin platform while shaping future development programmes in line with Board strategy.
Andreas brings more than 25 years of experience across drug discovery, translational science, clinical development and corporate leadership. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Heidelberg Pharma, having earlier held the role of Chief Scientific Officer.
During his tenure, he helped build the business into a leading ADC developer and advanced its amanitin-based ADC platform into the clinic. The platform was successfully validated in a phase 1 study.
Jonathan Royce, Chairman of the Board at Simris Biologics, said: "Professor Pahl brings deep scientific expertise, extensive ADC development experience and a strong track record in naturally derived payloads. He understands both the science and the challenges of building an ADC company."
Andreas said: "Simris has built a strong scientific foundation and developed a differentiated approach to ADC payload discovery."
He explained: "ADCs continue to reshape cancer treatment, and I believe the Company is well positioned to build on its progress and create significant value from its technology for the benefit of patients and its shareholders."
Khatera Alawi
DFE Pharma has named Khatera Alawi as Global Director Human Resources. She also becomes part of the company’s Leadership Team, bringing more than 20 years of international HR experience across pharmaceutical and consumer goods sectors.
Khatera previously held a dual global and local HR leadership role at UCB Pharma, serving as Global HR Business Partner for R&D and HR Director Germany. She supported innovation-focused business areas while shaping people and talent strategies across both global and local operations.
Across her career, Khatera has led HR functions, driven transformation programmes and strengthened talent management, performance and organisational effectiveness.
She is known for combining strategic HR leadership with practical execution to support organisations through change and build high-performing teams. Her work has contributed to sustainable business growth in international environments.
Dr Sven Abend, CEO of DFE Pharma, said: "Alawi’s appointment reinforces our ambition to further strengthen a people-centric, high-performance culture, grounded in our values of 'Respect always' and 'Better every day'."
He added: "Her leadership approach reflects these principles in action by creating an environment where people feel valued and heard, while helping teams continuously improve how they work, collaborate and grow."
Eric Muller
Lucid Group has announced that Eric Muller has joined the agency as Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds CEO and original DiD Agency founder Rick Sannem, who will transition to Strategic Advisor to the Board.
This leadership change comes as Lucid Group continues to expand its global footprint and reflects a deliberate step to assemble the talent needed to drive the company’s next phase of growth. The agency said the move strengthens its ability to translate complex science into real-world impact.
Dr Rod MacKenzie, CMG, Chair of the Lucid Group Board, said: "Lucid works across the full arc of product commercialisation, from the earliest stages of clinical development to market launch and on through to loss of exclusivity. Eric understands how hard it can be for great science to break through but also how to commercialise healthcare at scale."
Eric explained: "Healthcare is entering a new era, driven by extraordinary advances in science, data and technology. Clients increasingly need a partner that turns complexity into clarity and impact by bringing together scientific expertise, creativity and strategy, along with the power of data and AI."
He added: "That is the future of healthcare marketing, and it is where Lucid is positioned to lead. I am a builder at heart, and I came to Lucid to build a business that helps clinicians, patients and caregivers make better decisions about the things that matter most."
Dr Agnès Arbat
Symeres and Axxam have appointed Dr Russell Thomas as Chief Scientific Officer to drive their joint collaboration, combining the complementary R&D services of both organisations into an integrated discovery and development offering.
As CSO, Russell will help shape and execute scientific strategy while working closely with scientific and commercial teams across Symeres and Axxam. His remit includes supporting integrated client solutions, connecting scientific capabilities and identifying opportunities to strengthen combined discovery and development services. Demand for partners able to link scientific support across the drug discovery and development continuum continues to grow.
The collaboration will give customers integrated access to scientific expertise, established R&D platforms and long-standing teams across Europe and the US. It brings together the scientific depth, specialist capabilities and practical delivery mindset of both organisations.
Russell returns to Symeres after a year supporting biotech and biomaterials companies. His previous roles include positions at GSK, Evotec, Siena Biotech and Proteros.
"Returning as Chief Scientific Officer feels very exciting as it connects two parts of a story," said Russell.
He added: "Having spent important parts of my career at both Symeres and Axxam, I’m excited to help bring together expert-led complementary science, strong transatlantic teams and a shared mindset to support partners and projects in a truly integrated way."
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