Changing Faces: Agency, consultancy, and investor hires – February 2025

February saw a flurry of significant hires in the agency world, with several key players making strategic appointments to bolster their leadership teams.

We’ve also included consultancy and investor hires as usual, and thrown in one from academia to round out the round-up.

Inizio shakes up leadership team. Inizio, a UK-based global pharma commercialisation partner, announced a trio of leadership changes in February. Colin Stanley has transitioned from his role as president of Inizio Advisory to become the new chief commercial officer. That leaves Remco op den Kelder, who previously led Inizio company Putnam as chief executive, to step into the role of president of Inizio Advisory. Finally, Jim Sage has joined the company as president of Inizio Engage, bringing over 25 years of experience, including the commercialisation of several major brands for Pfizer.

Real Chemistry welcomes new executives. Real Chemistry, a communications agency specialising in the life sciences, has appointed Jeff Lupinacci as chief financial officer. Lupinacci, a former financial leader at Interpublic Group and Omnicom, has experience in leading major M&A transactions and replaces the departing Craig Abolt. Julia Gaebler has also joined Real Chemistry, as president of market access. With 30 years of corporate strategy and market access experience, including stints at Biogen and Amylin, Gaebler is also a recognised health policy expert.

New director joins Pioneer Group. Chris Walters has been appointed portfolio director and European acquisitions lead at Pioneer Group, a UK and Ireland investment firm that supports life sciences companies with real estate, venture building, and venture investment. Walters brings a broad background in academia, research, and real estate, most recently working at JLL.

C-Suite addition for Doceree. Doceree, a company using technology to improve pharma marketing and HCP-patient engagement, has named Ritesh Patel as chief growth officer. Patel, the former managing partner for global digital health at Finn Partners, is an award-winning strategic innovator.

New Oxford-Harrington co-director brings broad experience. The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre, a research partnership between the University of Oxford, UK and Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, has appointed Dr Matthew Anderson as co-director. Anderson is accomplished in both industry and academia, having served as VP of research and preclinical development at Regeneron and chief of neuropathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Christie & Co adds senior consultant. Christie & Co, a specialist advisor for buying and selling businesses in various verticals including healthcare, has hired Emily Brown as senior consultant. Brown joins from Sage Homes, a Blackstone portfolio company, where she held the role of acquisitions associate.

New partner joins life sciences-focused firm. Brown Rudnick, a law firm specialising in litigation, crisis, brand, and reputation management for life sciences and technology companies, has appointed Matthew Edwards as corporate partner in its Global Life Sciences Practice Group. Edwards brings 20 years of experience advising life sciences clients, most recently at Osborne Clarke.

That’s it for this hires round-up, but stay tuned for our other categories and remember, you can send your own hires to editorial@pharmaphorum.com for inclusion in this column.