UCB’s new CEO elected to the Ministerial Industry Strategy Group

UCB today announced that the company’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Christophe Tellier, has been selected to join the Ministerial Industry Strategy Group (MISG). Elected to the MISG by members of the European Medicines Group (EMG), Tellier will act as group representative for the European pharmaceutical companies.

Co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and the Chairman of the British Pharma Group, the MISG offers an opportunity for government and industry representatives to work together on advancing the bio-pharmaceutical environment in the UK, and supporting breakthrough research.

Commenting on the appointment, Jean-Christophe explained, “The UK life sciences industry is one of the most successful at a global level and it is an important contributor to the country’s economic prosperity. Therefore, I am pleased to be sharing some of UCB’s experience as an inward R&D inward investor with the MISG, in an effort to shape a positive climate that incentivises innovation for the improvement of patient care.”

Jean-Christophe joined UCB in 2011 as an Executive Vice President, after serving as the President of Ipsen North America and CEO of Novartis Pharma France. His 25-year career in the industry has been built on his medical background as a rheumatologist, combined with executive business programmes at Harvard and INSEAD.

In 2014, two other UCB executives were elected onto the leadership of the main UK trade associations: Steve Arnold, Managing Director of the British and Irish Isles, is on the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Board of Management, and Dr Mark Bodmer, Vice President, NewMedicines™ Therapeutics, joined the BioIndustry Association Board. These appointments are reflective of UCB’s position as one of the UK’s leading bio-pharmaceutical R&D investors.