Copenhagen-based Symphogen has appointed Martin Olin as its new chief executive officer after Kirsten Drejer stepped down from the post.
Drejer co-founded Symphogen in 2000 and has served as chief executive officer of the private biopharmaceutical company since then.
She now becomes an independent member of the board of directors, bringing over 30 years of pharma and biotech industry experience to the role, including serving as director of Diabetes Discovery at Novo Nordisk.
Göran Ando, chairman of Symphogen’s board of directors, said: “The board has nothing but admiration and gratitude for the dedication Kirsten has shown to her more than 16 years of stewardship.
“She has built upon her own scientific expertise to bring her corporate vision to the table and to establish Symphogen as a world-class leader in the antibody mixture field.”
He added: “In our search for a replacement for Kirsten, we simply could not find anyone more qualified than our internal candidate, Martin Olin, and we look forward to working with him through the transition and beyond.”
Olin has served as Symphogen’s chief financial officer since 2012, having joined the board of directors as an independent member and investor in 2002.
Prior to this, he was a senior investment manager at Scandinavian Life Science Invest and finance director, EMEA for Novo Nordisk.
Olin said: “Due to Kirsten’s vision and entrepreneurial execution, Symphogen has become a successful biotech company with a vibrant and energizing company culture with operations both in Denmark and the US.
“I am honoured and excited to lead Symphogen through its next phases and look forward to working with Kirsten and the rest of the board to realise the true potential of mAb mixtures for patients and our shareholders.”