PROFILE

After a career of more than 30 years in Medical Devices, (Bio)Pharma, Cell- & Gene Therapies on different levels… Flanders, Belgium, BeNeLux, Europe and Global… you build up some skills, expertises and relevant experiences that will help me to support start-ups and emerging companies to launch innovative products in Europe.

MY EXPERTISE | EXPERIENCE

During my +30 year career, I had the opportunity to build a broad pallet of expertise’s and experiences at several companies in different area’s of healthcare, like Medical Devices (Stryker, Sulzer Orthopedics acquired by Zimmer), Cell Therapy (TiGenix acquired by Takeda), Rare Diseases (Shire HGT & SOBI) and Gene Therapies (AveXis/Novartis Gene Therapies). Here below some examples:

Selling innovative product

Selling innovative products in Healthcare: Medical devices (Instruments, Hip-knee-spine-shoulder implants), Orphan drugs, Cell & Gene Therapies (in all previous companies)

Managing product portfolio

Managing product portfolio to optimal size and financial output (Sulzer Orthopedics & Shire HGT).

Marketing & Launch plans

Developing and executing Marketing & Launch plans for these healthcare products (all previous companies).

Biological Bone substitutes (OP-1 & Healos) and Collagen Meniscal Implant at Stryker – Commercial Launch in Belgium.
ChondroMimetic (orthobiologic – from prototype to launch) & ChondroCelect Harvester (medical device – from concept to launch) at TiGenix.

ChondroCelect (1^st ATMP-approved Cell therapy) From proof of principle over clinical trial, regulatory approval to reimbursement and commercial launch in several European countries through Agents, Distributors and Direct sales team – at TiGenix.

Managed and relaunched orphan drug products in diseases like…

Fabry, Gaucher, Hunter Syndrome, Hereditary angioedema (HAE) at Shire.
Haemophilia A & B, different diseases in immunology (CAPS,..) and Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1 at Sobi.
Auto-immune diseases (AOSD, SIJA, CAPS, FMF, TRAPS …) at Novartis Gene Therapies.

Launching 1-time gene therapy in Spinal Muscular Atrophy & managing an Ophthalmology gene therapy (inherited retinal disease) at Novartis Gene Therapies.

Key opinion Leaders and other stakeholders

Management of Key Opinion Leaders and other stakeholders like Regulatory & Reimbursement Authorities, (in all previous companies).

Reimbursement procedures

Leading Reimbursement procedures for medical devices, Orphan drugs, cell & gene therapies (as of Sulzer Orthopedics).

1st cell therapy reimbursed in Belgium.
Leading multicountry – multifunctional team to the 1st successful 3-country negotiation in the BeNeLuxA-I reimbursement procudure.
Alternative reimbursement track through Innovation supporting tracks (NUB track in DE)
Alternative reimbursement track through direct negotiation with Health Insurance Companies (Cell Therapy in UK)

CRM-systems

Implementing CRM-systems in Sales Organization (Shire, SOBI, NVS GTx).

Managing full P&L

Managing full P&L (TGX, Shire, SOBI, Novartis Gene Therapies).

Multi Country structures

Setting-up, Leading & Managing (multi) Country structures (Sulzer Orthopedics, TiGenix, Shire, SOBI, Novartis Gene Therapies).

PAST PROJECTS

EDUCATION

Master in BioEngineering

Master in Bio-Engineering at Catholic University of Leuven (1985-1991)

Business Economics

Business Economics at University Antwerp Management School (Sept 2001 – March 2002).

Executive MBA at Vlerick Leuven

Part-Time International MBA at Vlerick Business School in Leuven (BE) (Sept 2007 – July 2009).

MY INTERESTS

Here I will share with you quotes, publications, articles, books which I can relate to, giving you more insight on how I think, believe or act on certain topics.