People, September, 2011

Astellas Pharma Europe has appointed Dr Christopher Thomson as executive director of its new European oncology unit. He takes up the newly created position after three years as director of business development. Dr Thomson joined Astellas in 2008 from IMS Health where he was group marketing director for medical and patient information, Europe Middle East and Africa. He started his career in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative with Schwarz Pharmaceuticals before moving on to hold senior positions within Bayer. 

IDEA Pharma has added project managers Suzanne Axford-Bryars and Lidia Markovic to its team. Axford-Bryars has 10 years of consultancy experience. Having previously worked for IDEA, she left to experience working in Italy for a medical education and healthcare advertising firm. Markovic joined IDEA from Movianto UK, part of the Celesio Group, where she acted as key account manager.

Meelis Reidla, Bayer's country division head for consumer care, has been elected as the new president of PAGB, the UK trade association for manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines and food supplements. 

RBW Consulting has appointed Katherine Biglen as a researcher in its healthcare communications division.

Spectrum Regulatory Solutions, part of the Zaicom International group of companies, has appointed Trevor Brett as commercial director to lead the strategic and tactical direction of business unit relationships and market opportunity development. Spectrum has also appointed Charlotte Cunningham as a project co-ordinator. 

Branding agency 1HQ has added Burton Paul as a client director to head its health division. Paul has more than 15 years of experience in managing projects and clients across a wide range of sectors. His work includes brand delivery for companies including BMS, Cephalon, GE Healthcare, King Pharmaceuticals, Mylan, Peptech and SSL (Reckitt Benckiser). 

Addex Pharmaceuticals has selected Dr Bharatt Chowrira as its new chief executive. Dr Chowrira joined Addex after serving at Nektar Therapeutics. He has also worked for Merck & Co. and Sirna Therapeutics. 

The MSI Consultancy has appointed Russell Powter as a senior consultant. Powter has more than 20 years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry, gained in his native Australia, in the UK and in Europe. He held a variety of senior sales, marketing and training roles with Merck Sharp & Dohme, and subsequently with Pfizer.

Delphine Duchateau has become group director, Phoenix Marketing International, at its offices in Richmond, in the UK. Duchateau has 18 years'  experience in the pharmaceutical sector, having started her career as a sales representative in France and then moving to the UK. She previously worked at TNS Healthcare (now Kantar Health) for eight years, rising to divisional director in the specialist qualitative unit, and more recently spent five years at Hall and Partners as a partner in the health division.

Rock medical communications has added four new people to its specialist medical education team. Sam Flynn has joined as account manager, while Ash Rishi has become account director.Both previously worked at Ogilvy Healthworld Medical Education. Sammy Harfield has been appointed as a senior medical writer. Harfield has six years of agency experience, having previously worked for Ogilvy 4D and Caudex. Lauren Donley has also joined the company as an account executive from Adis International in New Zealand where she was a medical writer.