Sygnature Discovery appoints new industry leaders to their board of directors

SYGNATURE DISCOVERY APPOINTS INDUSTRY LEADERS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sygnature Discovery, a world-leading contract research organization providing integrated drug discovery services, is thrilled to announce the appointment of two esteemed industry professionals, Martin LeBlanc and Vanessa Malier, as non-executive directors to its Board of Directors, effective 1 November 2023.

With decades of experience and a wealth of expertise in their respective fields, both Martin and Vanessa bring unique and valuable perspectives to Sygnature Discovery's board. Their appointments further strengthen the company's governance and strategic leadership.

Vanessa Malier is a seasoned pharma, biotech and Venture capital executive. Most recently, she was 10 years Managing Partner at Kurma Partners (now part of Eurazeo), a Paris based venture capital firm active in biotech and digital health and particularly in early stage and company creation. She was previously 10 years at Ipsen in several roles including business development, strategic planning and Adenuric® Lead and Strategic Advisor to the CEO. Her large experience in pharma and biotech, strategic and operational roles, combined with a decade-long tenure in a major Venture fund investing in Biotech across Europe, positions her as a strong asset to the growing business. 

Martin LeBlanc is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with a successful track record in driving innovation and growth within the life sciences sector. A co-founder and long-time CEO of CellCarta, Martin was recently appointed as Vice-Chairman of CellCarta. He brings to the board significant industry experience in both preclinical and clinical drug development as well as personal experience in developing CellCarta as a global leader in precision medicine services and within the Canadian environment. Having worked with the NuChem Board for 18 months prior to their recent acquisition by Sygnature Discovery, his extensive experience in spearheading strategic initiatives and fostering corporate development will be instrumental in steering Sygnature Discovery towards continued success and expansion.

Dr. Simon Hirst, CEO of Sygnature Discovery, expressed his enthusiasm about the appointments, stating: "We are delighted to welcome Martin LeBlanc and Vanessa Malier to our Board of Directors. Their collective expertise and industry insights will be instrumental as we continue to grow through driving innovation and expanding our service offerings. I am confident that their guidance will play a pivotal role in our future strategic decision-making processes."

The addition of Martin LeBlanc and Vanessa Malier to Sygnature Discovery's board follows the appointment of NuChem Sciences’ President and Chairman Marc Lebel to the board as a result of its acquisition earlier in the year and reaffirms the company's commitment to fostering innovation, operational excellence, and continued growth within the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. 

Charles Woler, Chairman of Sygnature Discovery commented: “It has been an exciting year for Sygnature Discovery with the acquisition of SB Drug Discovery in January, and then more recently NuChem Sciences, positioning Sygnature as one of the world’s largest players in integrated drug discovery phase solutions. Now with the addition of Vanessa, Martin and Marc to the board, we are well placed for the future with their guidance and support. I am confident that next year and beyond will see further success.”

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About Sygnature Discovery

Sygnature Discovery is a world-leading integrated drug discovery Contract Research Organisation based in the UK and Canada with headquarters in Nottingham (UK). Additional sites are located in Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Glasgow, Montreal and Quebec City. Its team of over 1,000 employees, which includes 900 scientists, partners with global pharma, biotech and NFP organisations. Since 2004, Sygnature Discovery has delivered over 40 novel pre-clinical and 22 clinical compounds, with its scientists named on over 170 patents. Therapeutic areas of expertise include oncology, inflammation and immunology, neuroscience, metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, fibrotic diseases and more. 

For further information, visit www.sygnaturediscovery.com 

About Five Arrows

Five Arrows is the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co and has €23 billion of AuM with offices in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Luxembourg. With over €9 billion of assets under management, the corporate private equity business of Five Arrows is focused on investing in companies with highly defensible market positions; strong management teams; business models with high visibility of organic unit volume growth and strong unit economics; and multiple operational levers that can be used to unlock latent value. Sectors are limited to healthcare, data and software, and technology-enabled business services.

https://www.rothschildandco.com/en/merchant-banking/corporate-private-equity/

For further information and all media enquiries, contact:

Paul Overton, PhD

Chief Commercial Officer

Sygnature Discovery

E: paul.overton@sygnaturediscovery.com