Christy Shafer

Christine Mikail

Neurogene has expanded its senior leadership team with the appointment of Christy Shafer as Chief Commercial Officer and Christine Mikail to its board of directors, as the company advances NGN-401, its gene therapy candidate for Rett syndrome, towards later-stage development.

The clinical-stage biotech, which focuses on genetic medicines for rare neurological diseases, said the appointments bring deep commercial, strategic and operational expertise.

Announcing the changes, Rachel McMinn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Neurogene, said: "With the addition of Christy Shafer to Neurogene’s experienced executive team, we welcome a proven commercial leader with deep expertise in building organisations and executing rare neurological disease product launches to guide our commercial strategy and launch readiness for NGN-401, our gene therapy product for Rett syndrome."

She added: "Christine Mikail has deep strategic, financial, transactional and operational expertise, along with a rigorous understanding of Neurogene’s business and long-term objectives. Her perspective and judgment will strengthen the board as Neurogene continues to advance NGN-401 and prepares for its next phase of growth."

Christine has already played a key role in shaping the company’s long-term strategy and strengthening its financial foundation.  She said: "I am honoured to join Neurogene’s board of directors at this important stage in the company’s evolution.  I look forward to contributing my experience and perspective to Neurogene’s long-term strategy as a member of the board."

Christy brings more than 20 years of commercial leadership experience, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and General Manager, North America, at Avidity Biosciences.

Her previous roles include Chief Commercial Officer at Marinus Pharmaceuticals, where she led the launch of Ztalmy, and senior commercial positions at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Pacira Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi Biosurgery.

Commenting on her appointment, she said: "Neurogene’s differentiated approach to gene therapy represents a meaningful opportunity to transform outcomes for patients with devastating neurological diseases.

“I am thrilled to join this team at this inflection point and look forward to partnering across the organisation to help deliver the capabilities, strategy, and infrastructure needed to support a successful launch and commercialisation of NGN-401, if approved."

Omron has appointed Virendra Shelar as Executive Officer, President and CEO of Omron Europe. He will be based at the company’s European headquarters in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.

Virendra brings more than 25 years of experience in the high-tech sector, spanning leadership development, business transformation and global operations.

Since joining Omron in 2014, he has held senior roles including President of the Omron Management Center Asia Pacific, General Manager of the Global HR Strategy Department, Chairman of the Omron Management Center Europe, and Senior General Manager of Global Business Operations and Services within the Industrial Automation business.

Throughout his time at the company, he has played a central role in business strategy formation, organisation transformation, leadership development and driving sustainability and digital transformation.

Commenting on his appointment, Virendra said: "I am honoured to take on this responsibility. Europe is a region of tremendous strategic importance and home to world-class manufacturing, deep engineering expertise and customers who demand the very best in automation solutions.

He added: “I look forward to working closely with our teams, partners and customers to accelerate our growth, drive innovation, and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient industrial future. Together, we will build on the strong foundation that has been established and move forward with energy and purpose."

Asgard Therapeutics has appointed Prof Dr Wolfram Brugger as Chief Medical Officer, strengthening its leadership team as the company prepares to transition into a clinical-stage biotech.

Wolfram has participated in more than 130 phase 1–3 oncology trials across multiple cancer types and modalities, including solid tumours.

Announcing the appointment, Cristiana Pires, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Asgard Therapeutics, said: "Strengthening our leadership team with Wolfram, who is such a highly experienced clinical trials expert and practising medical oncologist, is a privilege and we are excited to welcome him on board."

Wolfram said: "I’ve always been driven by bringing new modalities to patients, and I am excited to be developing a ‘personalised off-the-shelf’ immunotherapy which has great potential to help patients with a wide variety of cancers.

“Asgard’s in vivo cell reprogramming technology has transformative potential, and the preclinical proof-of-concept data, both published and upcoming data to be presented at key scientific conferences, is highly convincing."

Wolfram joins from Autolus Therapeutics, where he led the global clinical development of AUTO1, an autologous CD19 CAR-T therapy approved by the FDA in 2024 for relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and granted conditional approval by the EMA and MHRA in 2025.

His previous roles include leading global clinical development programmes at MorphoSys and serving as global medical lead at AstraZeneca for phase 1 and early phase 2 oncology trials.

B. Braun UK has appointed Craig Cannings as its new Managing Director, following Michael Parden’s transition to the role of CEO of B. Braun North America.

Craig will oversee all UK operations, covering the company’s portfolio of medical devices, pharmaceutical products, digital health solutions and clinical services. He will also continue to advance B. Braun’s sustainability agenda and its contribution to improving patient care across the country.

He joined the organisation in 2010 and has since played a central role in its development. He became Head of UK Group Finance in 2016 before progressing to Finance Director, helping steer the business through significant transformation and sustained growth over more than a decade.

His appointment reflects both his strong track record and the company’s commitment to developing internal talent.

A proud Yorkshireman from Rotherham, Craig is known for his people-first leadership style and his focus on building strong, values-driven teams. He said: "I am honoured to take on the role of Managing Director, it means a great deal to lead an organisation with such deep roots in Sheffield and the wider region."

He added: "We have a clear mission to continue improving lives across the UK. I’m excited to champion our culture, support our brilliant teams, and continue strengthening our impact across UK healthcare."

Roman Kübler, SVP Sales Region Western Europe, B. Braun Group, said: "Michael’s transition and Craig’s appointment reflect the strength of leadership within B. Braun."