Ghent, Flemish Region, Belgium
Strategic and execution-driven business development leader with over 7 yearsโ experience in licensing, R&D collaborations, new venture creation, project and alliance management in biotech. Proven ability to lead high-impact deals from scouting to signature across therapeutic areas and technologies. Strong track record of internal and external stakeholder management, cross-functional co-creation and acting as an organizational ambassador to the biotech sector. Skilled in translating science into business, supporting C-level decision making and building relationships across the innovation ecosystem (academic labs, tech transfer offices, biotechs, pharma, investors). Passionate about bringing breakthrough science to patients, with a mindset that combines creativity, empathy, integrity, accountability and a collaborative spirit. ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐: โข ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ: Proactive, hands-on self-starter who takes ownership of initiatives and motivates others to act decisively and collaboratively. โข ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ & ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Bring external insights and tools into team workflows to boost collaboration and efficiency. Keen adopter of tech to optimize performance. Enthusiastic team-builder. Organized VIBโs Innovation & Business Summer School, a one-week course on BD, drug discovery, IP and new ventures. Created and delivered VIBโs online course โIntroduction to Tech Transferโ for postdocs and PhDs. โข ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ & ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐: Regularly advises younger colleagues on BD and venture creation matters. Recognized for enabling cross-functional peers to grow by playing to their strengths, encouraging ownership and celebrating their successes. โข ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐: Skilled at navigating multidisciplinary teams and aligning interests across science, legal, BD and external partners. โข ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ-๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Anticipates tension points early and addresses potential obstacles. Pragmatic yet creative approach to overcoming organizational and dealmaking challenges. โข ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐: Experienced public speaker and persuasive communicator in investor, partner and executive settings. Skilled at simplifying complex topics for diverse audiences. ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ผ๐๐: โข Guest speaker on the Advanced Master in Biotech & Medtech Ventures (Solvay Business School, BE, since 2024)
Lead the identification, maturation and launch of new biotech spin-offs based on innovative VIB science. โข ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป-๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ & ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Assess scientific results for spin-off potential. Define unmet need, product concept, positioning, value roadmap, and development plans across disease areas. โข ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ & ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Build investor syndicates and lead the VC fundraising process from targeting and pitching to due diligence and deal closing. โข ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Define business model, financial plan, IP strategy, risk mitigation, exit rationale and strategic fit with key experts. โข ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐: Build trust and alignment among scientists, clinicians, TTOs, legal, VCs, biotech & pharma partners, internal teams and VIB management to co-create successful ventures. โข ๐ข๐๐-๐ผ๐ณ-๐๐ต๐ฒ-๐ฏ๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Combine creative deal-making with hands-on execution to overcome legal, scientific, and operational barriers. Identify and proactively address hidden risks and unspoken objections throughout the process. Define scientific and business workstreams, track deliverables, facilitate decision-making and manage complex alliances. Ensure transparency, issue resolution and momentum throughout the launch process. โข ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป & ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐: Represent VIB at major investor events and build strong one-on-one VC relationships. โข ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ: Despite my focus on venture creation, I have remained actively involved in licensing and R&D collaboration deals, supporting the BD team and mentoring colleagues through complex processes. โข ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ & ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐: Supervise young colleagues and interns, helping them grow into their roles. Enable their development by letting them shadow me, then gradually entrust them with leading processes independently.
Led business development activities for the VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology and the Center for Structural Biology. Served as primary point-of-contact for PIs regarding valorization and deal-making. โข ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Led multiple licensing and R&D collaboration deals with biotech and pharma partners, managed full process from opportunity evaluation to negotiation and contracting. โข ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด & ๐ฑ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: Identified, evaluated and pitched licensing opportunities, performed competitive analyses, defined USPs and guided internal due diligence efforts. โข ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ & ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Facilitated alignment between both internal and external scientists, IP/legal teams, TTOs, drug discovery units and leadership to structure and advance BD opportunities. โข ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Co-led the creation of VIB spin-off ExeVir Bio (raising โฌ 23M in 5 months), co-authored regulatory briefing books, pitched to investors, drove fundraising and negotiated all spin-off agreements. โข ๐๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: Provided alliance management support post-deal, resolved friction points with partners to safeguard collaboration success. โข ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Grew and nurtured VIBโs network through active representation at BIO partnering meetings and other BD events. โข ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ & ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Supported high-value grant applications (EIC, FWO SBO) by aligning scientific rationale with commercial strategy.
โข Successfully led a multi-institutional translational project in oncology. The project was a collaboration between Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), The Beatson CRUK Institute (Glasgow, UK), The Earlham Institute (Norwich, UK) and Cancer Research UK/The Francis Crick Institute. In this project, we identified and validated novel regulators of autophagy as potential drug targets in pancreatic cancer. โข Discovered novel regulators of autophagy in pancreatic cancer, coordinated in vitro and in vivo validation. โข Frequently invited as public speaker for CRUK fundraising events, engaging high-value donors and public audiences. Raised over ยฃ1M from institutional and individual donors. Nominated in 2017 for CRUKโs nationwide Flame of Hope Awards in the category Research Engagement in recognition of public speaking and fundraising impact.
During my PhD project (โThe small GTPase Arf6 is essential for TLR4 signaling in multiple (path)waysโ) at the VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology (Jan Tavernier Lab), I unravelled several new functions of the protein Arf6 in the TLR4 signaling pathway. I successfully applied for an IWT PhD grant, designed and performed scientific in vitro experiments, analysed data, mentored students and presented data during lab meetings and (inter)national conferences.