In Q2 2025, hiring activity within the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences sectors remained robust, building on the strong momentum seen earlier in the year.
Talent demand continued to grow across clinical development, medical affairs, and market access functions, driven by accelerating drug development timelines and a competitive push to secure global market entry. The quarter also saw increased recruitment efforts in data science and digital health, underscoring the industry’s commitment to innovation and technology-enabled solutions in addressing complex healthcare needs.
At Mantell Associates, our team placed over 35 professionals into leading organisations across the industry, and some of our most notable appointments include:
- Donna McLaren – VP Platform Development at Touchlight
- Donna is an accomplished and visionary leader with a proven track record developing and commercializing innovative cell & gene therapy products; having led the CMC activities to commercialize the first lentiviral vector (LVV)-based gene therapy approved for the treatment of metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).
- Yukari Tokuyama – Senior Business Development Director at Made Scientific
- Yukari has 20 years of experience as a Scientist in Cell Biology and Pluripotent Stem Cells research with 10 years in the biotechnology industry, and is highly skilled at balancing the technical and business acumen needed to support scientists with the tools to enable their research and advance our knowledge in Life Science.
- Kirsten Miller – Senior Business Development Director at Made Scientific
- Kirsten leverages over 18 years of concentrated experience in the biotechnology industry. From 2013, Kirsten’s professional focus has been in cell therapy, having held roles in quality assurance, manufacturing, as a technical specialist, Process Development, and Business Development.
- Axel Schlueter – Business Development Director CDMO Europe at PharmaBlock
- Axel is a seasoned Business Development and Key Account Manager with 20+ years of working experience in the Fine Chemicals Industry, 10 of those being stationed in China. Hands-on problem solver with a proven track record of selling fine chemicals and functional additives to the Pharma and Fine Chemicals sector.
- Josh Gantomasso – Director of Manufacturing Operations at Made Scientific
- Josh has a strong educational background paired with over 17 years experience in the Manufacturing and Operations space, with years specialising in Training and Development before his transition into a leadership role at Bristol Myers Squibb
Aside from our work with our wide client base at Mantell Associates, we keep track of other C-Level and Senior appointments across the industry. In Q2 we saw many other impressive appointments at both leading and emerging organisations. Some of these top level Movers & Shakers include:
- Delara Motlagh – CEO at Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics
- Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), has appointed Delara Motlagh as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, Motlagh will drive the Company’s overall business and R&D strategy while leading operational execution for both domestic and international markets
- Charlotte Moser – CMO at Parexel
- Parexel, a clinical research organization (CRO) providing the full range of Phase I to IV clinical development services, has appointed Charlotte Moser, MD, PhD, MBA as Chief Medical Officer. As Chief Medical Officer, Moser will provide medical and scientific leadership globally, building on the company’s regulatory and therapeutic expertise with a significant focus on innovative drug development strategies and clinical trial design.
- Pere Mañé – CEO at Suanfarma
- Suanfarma, a global company specializing in the development, production, and commercialization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and high-value CDMO services for the health industry, has appointed Pere Mañé Godina as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Godina’s arrival brings momentum to Suanfarma’s growth journey. His focus on operational excellence, advanced CDMO capabilities, and strong strategic partnerships will guide the company through its next phase.
- Frédéric Robert – CCO at EUROAPI
- EUROAPI, a producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has appointed Frédéric Robert to the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing API Solutions and CDMO activities. He will also join the company’s Executive Committee.
- Renée Aguiar-Lucander – CEO at Hansa Biopharma
- Hansa Biopharma AB appointed Renée Aguiar-Lucander as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Søren Tulstrup will be stepping down from his position as CEO by mutual agreement after seven years with the company. With the appointment of Renée as CEO, Hansa is entering a new phase of growth and development.
- Mark DaFonseca – CCO at Lifecore Biomedical
- Lifecore Biomedical Inc., a fully integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has appointed Mark DaFonseca as its Chief Commercial Officer. At Lifecore, DaFonseca will lead efforts to further elevate the company’s brand within the CDMO market by continuing to build out a talented sales and marketing team, strengthening and expanding existing customer partnerships, and growing the overall business portfolio through new customer collaborations.
- Steven Johnson – CDO at Zealand Pharma
- Zealand Pharma A/S, a biotechnology company, has appointed Steven Johnson as Chief Development Officer. Johnson will join the executive team to lead regulatory and development strategies. His appointment, alongside Chief Medical Officer, David Kendall and recently appointed Chief Scientific Officer, Utpal Singh further strengthens the company’s strategy to lead the field in innovation in the management of obesity and other related conditions.
- Ania Payne – CSMO at Single Use Support
- Single Use Support, a provider of advanced fluid management and cold chain solutions for the biopharmaceutical industry, has appointed Ania W. Payne, PhD, as Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer (CSMO). In her new role, Payne will be responsible for developing a global growth strategy in collaboration with the whole executive team, including portfolio and go-to-market strategies.
- Jean-Baptiste Agnus – CCO at Bora Pharmaceuticals
- Bora Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., a pharmaceutical manufacturer, has appointed Jean-Baptiste Agnus as Chief Commercial Officer. In this role, he will lead Bora’s commercial strategy for its sterile injectables and complex small molecule offerings and play a key role in its M&A and strategic partnership initiatives.
- Laurent Claisse – CEO at Clean Biologics
- Clean Biologics, an international group providing services to the biopharmaceutical industry, appointed Laurent Claisse as chief executive officer. With this appointment, Clean Biologics aims to accelerate its market expansion, especially in the U.S., where the company recently acquired Karyologic, based in North Carolina.
- Jérôme Bédier – CEO at Olon France
- Olon Group, a global pharmaceutical CDMO, appointed Jérôme Bédier as CEO of its French entities. In this position, he will lead the integration of French CDMO capabilities within Olon Group and drive the expansion of Olon’s biopharmaceutical offering.
- Bill Meury – CEO at Incyte
- Incyte‘s Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Bill Meury as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. His priority is to build upon Incyte’s exceptional R&D and commercial capabilities to accelerate new product flow, drive sustainable growth and create value for all stakeholders.
Looking ahead to Q3 2025, the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences sectors are expected to sustain strong recruitment momentum, fueled by advancing scientific breakthroughs and an increasingly competitive global market.
Key hiring trends will likely centre on talent acquisition in emerging areas such as mRNA technology, cell and gene therapies, and real-world evidence, as companies seek to translate innovation into market-ready solutions. The demand for cross-functional expertise – blending scientific knowledge with digital fluency – will remain high, particularly as AI-driven platforms and data-centric decision-making continue to transform R&D and commercial strategies.
Organisations are also anticipated to deepen their focus on workforce agility and talent retention, refining hybrid work policies and investing in professional development to foster long-term engagement. With talent shortages persisting across high-skill domains, strategic recruitment will be crucial to sustaining pipeline productivity and meeting the sector’s evolving global health mandates.