People Spotlight — October 2023

Rentschler Biopharma SE, a biopharma contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) has promoted Björn Beckmann, PhD, to head of quality control for the company’s site in Laupheim, Germany, effective as of Oct. 1. In this new role, he is responsible for all aspects of quality control (QC), including for the development, production, release, and approval of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and therapeutics, and for ensuring that all quality standards and regulations are met. He also oversees the teams responsible for developing quality management strategies and preparing quality control audits by authorities and clients.

Hoffmann Neopac, a provider of packaging and dosing applications for pharma, has appointed two new co-directors to lead its US facility in Wilson, NC, which until recently focused mostly on small diameter tubes for the pharma sector. Friedrich Holz was hired as director of finance & administration and will co-lead the facility alongside Jonathan Tedder, who was promoted to director of operations. Holz joins the company with more than 20 years of experience in managing internal controls and financial operations within the manufacturing industry. Most recently, he was CFO at Haag-Streit, a medical device company in the eyecare field. As for Tedder, he joined Hoffmann Neopac in 2019 as head of production, and for several years oversaw the Wilson plant’s machinery to ensure safety, quality and productivity. Holz and Tedder’s new roles coincide with the retirement of managing director, Douglas Voreis,

MG America, the US subsidiary of MG2 of Bologna, Italy and a supplier of processing and packaging equipment, has hired longtime equipment sales and maintenance professional Toby Spohn as a regional sales manager for its processing division. In this role, he will be responsible for relationship building and sales efforts for the company’s portfolio of capsule filling, material handling and check weighing equipment. Spohn will concentrate largely on the Midwest and West Coast areas.

TekniPlex,a packaging company, has hired veteran IT executive Rahul Goturi as its chief information officer (cio). Goturi brings over 25 years of IT experience to TekniPlex, including a deep background with global manufacturing companies. He will replace outgoing CIO Jeff Rishel, who is retiring after a successful tenure spanning nearly a decade with TekniPlex. With more than 15 years of CIO-level experience, Goturi has led teams responsible for standardizing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and processes, business intelligence, infrastructure and cybersecurity.

Rahul Goturi. Image Credit: TekniPlex

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a CDMO, has appointed Dennis Schmidt Pedersen as chief people officer (CPO) effective immediately. He will report to president and CEO Lars Petersen and will serve as a member of the executive leadership team, leading the company's global people and culture team. Schmidt Pedersen is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of leading global teams through major transformation from business, organizational, cultural and leadership perspectives; he previously served as EVP, CHRO (global people and communication, sustainability & public affairs) at LEO-Pharma.

Axplora, a partner to pharma and biotech companies for complex APIs, announced the appointment of Stephan Haitz, PhD, as its new president of the Novasep CDMO business unit, effective Nov. 1, He’ll be taking over from Jean Bléhaut. Haitz comes with over 20 years of experience in the pharma industry, holding multiple management positions with CDMOs, such as Solvias and Lonza.