Stephen A.

Global Biopharmaceutical Executive | Science, Technology, Asia enthusiast | McKinsey, CERN, Yale, NASA Alumnus | Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Zürich Metropolitan Area

About

I am a strategic, resourceful, results-oriented international executive with strong financial acumen and a passion to build teams and to deliver high impact strategic growth, business excellence, transformation, corporate development, and innovation initiatives. Across various roles, I have had P&L responsibility for USD 30 to 200 Million. I have a leadership track record of achievements in complex environments of international companies and research centers across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemicals, consumer goods, commodity, and pure research sectors. I value independent thinking, balanced decision making, and continuous learning, and have experience leading large cross-function teams, with and without direct authority by interpersonal influence. My skills include strategy, change management, finance, modelling, forecasting, Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, risk management, capital expenditures, evaluation and execution of major investment portfolios, GMP and GLP quality management, analytics, digitalization, big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. I have extensive international experience especially in Asia, and I am proficient in 4 languages.

Experience

  • Lonza (12 yrs 11 mos)
    • Vice President, Global Head of Value Assurance
      Sep 2025 - Present · 11 mos

      "The only place where Success comes before Value is in a dictionary." • Serve as a strategic partner to Lonza’s Executive Committee (EC) and CFO to identify and drive opportunities across all business platforms and modalities • EC Investment Committee member and coordinator with responsibility for Value delivery of a multi-Billion US$ portfolio of large growth and investment projects • Establish and maintain a pipeline of Value Creation Opportunities to achieve Lonza’s Full Potential • Executive sponsorship of the Lonza Business Management System (LBMS), a Lean-based operational excellence improvement program embedded in Lonza’s culture and throughout our global network of 30 sites • Drive high-impact strategic initiatives, including Lonza’s China Strategy

    • Head of CEO Office & Strategy
      Apr 2021 - Sep 2025 · 4 yrs 6 mos

      • Led strategic initiatives to drive profitable growth across all businesses during intense times of change, transformation and growth, reporting to three successive CEOs • Created and implemented Lean-based “Lonza Business Management System” with transformations, innovations, improvements yielding +US$ 100 million profit-level impact per annum • Drove priorities, engaged with senior stakeholders, fostered ownership within organization, facilitate collaborative efforts, and deliver outcomes through influence • Served as a trusted advisor to leadership, coaching and contributing to strategic decision making • Member of Lonza’s 12-member top leadership team, reporting to CEO

    • Board Member of Lonza Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (ロンザ 株式会社)
      Apr 2020 - Dec 2021 · 1 yr 9 mos

  • SGS ()
    • Global Business Controller - Life Science Services
      Aug 2012 - Aug 2013 · 1 yr 1 mo

      • Global business financial controller for worldwide network with sales of US$200 million: achieved substantial improvements in cost base, operating income • Led strategy, planning, and budget process with top management: achieved first ever above-budget-expectations results for business unit • Led due diligence and achieved successful integration of new acquisitions such as M-Scan (biopharmaceutical protein characterization), and Vitrology (bio-safety, virology, molecular biology) • Developed and deploy Life Science-oriented Corporate Security Risk assessment

    • Global Head of Quality & Operational Excellence - Life Science Services
      Dec 2010 - Jul 2012 · 1 yr 8 mos

      • Led harmonized GMP quality management system for global network of 20 sites providing deep expertise in multiple areas of pharmaceutical manufacturing and clinical research • Achieved significant reduction in audit findings from customers and regulatory authorities • Led global program of risk-based quality assurance audits • Ensured compliance with regulatory authority requirements such as US FDA, MHRA, Swissmedic, etc. • Pioneered Lean-based operational excellence improvements in highly regulated environments

    • Global Program Manager, Head of Lean for Laboratories
      Sep 2005 - Dec 2010 · 5 yrs 4 mos

      • Leader of Strategy and Continuous Improvement programs, created and led Lean-based operational excellence program for global network of more than 300 commercial testing laboratories for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemicals, consumer goods, agriculture, commodity industry sectors • Achieved more than US$25 Million of profitability improvements by leading 40 international performance improvement projects at prioritized sites in Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, North and South America • Achieved massive scale-up and performance improvements across entire organization of 10 business divisions by training and coaching more than 300 top managers as Lean Leaders • Created and deployed forecasting models for global trade commodity businesses guiding data-driven executive decisions to maintain profitability during 2008 financial crisis

  • Research Fellow and Scientist at CERN
    Oct 2001 - Aug 2005 · 3 yrs 11 mos

    • Led three international teams conducting cutting-edge research and innovation including Higgs Boson searches with the Large Hadron Collider, a US$5 Billion research program at the world's largest and most respected physics research center • Achieved innovations and improvements saving years of cost- and manpower-intensive run time • Received prestigious CERN Research Fellowship (2001-2003), then Research Scientist with Brookhaven National Laboratory, based at CERN (2003-2005) • Supervised, mentored, coached research scientists and Ph.D. students

  • Consultant at McKinsey & Company
    Jan 2001 - Oct 2001 · 10 mos

    • Created innovative insight models across global initiatives: achieved growth in new client base • Assessed strategic global business opportunities for McKinsey • Consulted clients in Financial Services, Media, Entertainment sectors

  • Scientific User at CERN
    1992 - 2000 · 8 yrs

    Research focus areas included: • Electroweak symmetry breaking and Higgs Boson physics • Heavy quark physics • CP Violation/Matter-Antimatter asymmetries