Experienced top managers join start-ups

Dirk Klee, currently CEO Wealth Management & Investments of Barclays UK, will take over as Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Suisse as of April 1, 2022. Arthur Vayloyan will step down from his current role as Chief Executive Officer on March 31, 2022 and will remain a member of the Board of Directors of Bitcoin Suisse. Regarding the appointment, Chairman of the Board of Directors Luzius Meisser added: «Aligning business model, strategy and regulation are critical to our next growth step, as well as international expansion and institutionalization of crypto-financial services. We expect the institutional client segment to generate the greatest growth over the next few years. Dirk Klee has an impressive track record where all these success factors are concerned.”

From Fresenius to Oculis

Oculis, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing ophthalmic treatments, has appointed Webb Ding as global Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, China, with effect from February 1, 2022. He joins Oculis from Fresenius-Kabi, one of the top 10 multinational pharmaceutical companies in China, where he served as Country President for China, building market leadership and a strong competitive portfolio. His decades of experience in multinational pharmaceutical company operations will help drive the company forward as it continues to develop its product pipeline and scale globally. The appointment of Ding also further strengthens Oculis’ development efforts in the Greater China region, following the establishment of a Hong Kong presence earlier in the year.

From Sophia Genetics to Hedera

Based at the Biopôle campus in Lausanne, Hedera is a new healthcare venture with the ambition of making liquid biopsy testing for cancer an accessible reality in Europe. Hedera develops a platform giving a streamlined experience for clinicians to access information and liquid biopsy tests in early detection, therapy selection and recurrence monitoring. On 4 January the start-up announced the appointment of Valentin Matillon as CFO. He joins Hedera as the company strengthen its leadership team to accelerate growth. Valentin Matillon has several years of experience. From 2018 to 2021 he served as CFO of Sophia Genetics.

From AstraZeneca to ImmunOs

ImmunOs Therapeutics AG, a Swiss biotechnology company developing a new class of biologics for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, has appointed Steve Coats as Chief Development Officer. Sean R. Smith, CEO of ImmunOs Therapeutics AG, said: “Steve Coats tremendous experience in oncology drug development, including his strong expertise with antibodies and antibody derivatives, will be a valuable asset for reaching our corporate goals, advancing our lead candidate IOS-1002 into the clinic, and accelerating development of our pipeline assets for oncology and autoimmune diseases.”

(Press release / SK)