OUR LEADERSHIP
Anna Protopapas,
President, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company
Lisa Adler,
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Christophe Bianchi, M.D.,
Executive Vice President
Stephen M. Gansler,
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Laurie Bartlett Keating,
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
Kyle Kuvalanka,
Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Alliance Management
Todd Shegog,
Senior Vice President, Finance and Treasury
ANNA PROTOPAPAS
President, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company
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LISA ADLER
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Chief Responsibility:
Oversee internal and external communications to achieve and maintain best-in-class performance that is a competitive advantage for Millennium. Areas of responsibility include media relations, employee communications, branding & reputation management, visual arts, issue & crisis management, patient advocacy, corporate philanthropy & social responsibility, and community relations.
Experience:
Ms. Adler joined Millennium in 2004 with more than 20 years experience in healthcare communications. Prior to joining Millennium, she was an executive vice president and managing director at Feinstein Kean Healthcare (Ogilvy Public Relations subsidiary), where she was charged with building, expanding and overseeing the pharmaceutical communications practice. Her clients included Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Merck Vaccines. Much of Ms. Adler's experience has been in the areas of new product launches, national, multi-year direct-to-patient initiatives, third-party coalition building, and managing corporate/product crisis and issues. Previously, she was associate director for the Johnson & Johnson US Pharmaceuticals Group. Earlier in her career, Ms. Adler worked for Porter/Novelli Public Relations and Manning, Selvage, & Lee.
Education:
- Bachelor of Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
One of My Favorite Quotes:
"To be persuasive, we must be believable
To be believable, we must be credible
To be credible, we must be truthful." - Edward R. Murrow
In My Own Words:
At Millennium:
I lead a team of highly talented communications professionals who work hard to develop and deliver innovative, exciting communications inside and outside our company. We strive to provide every employee a 360-degree line of sight around our company so they can share in all our successes and better relate with our overall business plan and operations. Outside of the company, as part of the Takeda acquisition, we oversee corporate repositioning, branding and corporate advertising.
Working at Millennium is an incredible opportunity to be a part of a very entrepreneurial Management Team in a fast-paced environment that demands quick, strategic thinking. It is invigorating and demands my best. I admire the competence and skill of my peers and the extraordinary depth of talent within our company. The supportive team spirit thrives on over-achieving and brings out the best in people. Plus, there's never a dull moment!
The Main Reason I Chose My Field:
The fast-paced nature of communications coupled with my desire to continuously learn more about medical science made this an ideal career for me.
The Other Side of Me:
Outside of work, the most important thing to me is spending time with my husband and three teenage children. We love to travel and experience different cultures. But life at home is what I like best - nothing makes me happier than having a home filled with family and friends (although it can get exhausting). And I'm passionate about staying active and fit.
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CHRISTOPHE BIANCHI, M.D.
Executive Vice President
Chief Responsibility:
Dr. Bianchi's organization (marketing, sales, medical affairs, new products, government affairs, pharmaceutical, and commercial operations) is responsible for advancing the global competitive standing of all Millennium brands. The objective is to maximize the impact of our marketed brands in delivering benefits for the patients, healthcare providers, payers, and shareholders.
Experience:
Dr. Bianchi joined Millennium in February 2006 with 17 years of experience in the US pharmaceutical industry. He has built commercial and sales organizations, launched major brands, delivered sustained growth, and managed collaboration with partner companies. Dr. Bianchi came from sanofi-aventis where he led the $2 billion US oncology business unit with the well-known brands Eloxatin® and Taxotere. Previously at sanofi-synthelabo, Dr. Bianchi headed the internal medicine and central nervous system business unit with sales of $1.2 billion. Dr. Bianchi also had a very successful 10-year career at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, where he last served as vice president - head of global marketing and led many of the commercial efforts for the market-leading antithrombotic, Lovenox®.
Boards:
Education:
- Doctor of Medicine from the University of Reims-Champagne in France
- MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
One of My Favorite Quotes:
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein
In My Own Words:
At Millennium:
People, people, people: they make things happen and make the difference. Plus there is VELCADE: it makes the difference for the patients and their families.
The Main Reason I Chose My Field:
First, I could not join the US PGA tour. Second, pharmaceuticals have always been fascinating to me. They cost more than several jumbo jets to develop; yet, they ultimately are consumer goods. The development of pharmaceuticals is the single most important contributor to the improvement of human health that we have seen in the past century and I am proud to be a very small part of it.
The Other Side of Me:
Outside of work what am I passionate about? In no particular order: Coltrane, Miles, modern architecture, Sunday morning on Park Avenue, cold Champagne...and I keep working on my golf game hoping that, some day, I might finally qualify, if not for the PGA tour, at least for my club's championship.
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STEPHEN M. GANSLER
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Chief Responsibility:
Providing human resources, information technology facilities, and safety services to the employees of Millennium
Experience:
Mr. Gansler has more than 25 years of experience in senior Human Resources leadership roles. He joined Millennium from Synta Pharmaceuticals where he was Senior Vice President of Human Resources for this privately held biopharmaceutical start-up. Previously, he headed Human Resources for Covanta Energy Corp and four business units within the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. He began his career at General Motors Corp.
Education:
- Doctor of Jurisprudence degree and Masters in Business Administration from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.
- Bachelor of Industrial Administration from Kettering University in Flint, Mich.
One of My Favorite Quotes:
"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." - Sir Winston Churchill
In My Own Words:
At Millennium:
I oversee all human resource functions and help ensure that employees have a voice and are supported in their efforts to make a visible contribution to the success of our company. This requires an environment that affords employees career development and growth. We celebrate individual and team success through recognition and rewards. Our culture is supportive and caring, yet demands excellence, innovation, and integrity. We enjoy an entrepreneurial spirit and lack of bureaucracy. Quite simply, it's our people and our culture that make all the difference, and it's my job to make sure these critical assets are properly developed and that we continue to attract and retain people who are capable of sustainably growing our success.
The Main Reason I Chose My Field:
The chance to drive business results through an understanding of forces that engage employees in the business and encourage achievement.
The Other Side of Me:
Outside of work, a personal passion of mine is spending time with my family, and in particular having fun scuba diving, snorkeling, and boating.
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LAURIE BARTLETT KEATING
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
Chief Responsibility:
Ms. Keating is responsible for setting the Company's legal, intellectual property, and corporate quality strategies and priorities. She has the privilege of leading the very talented professionals in those organizations who tirelessly and proactively support the Company's global leadership goals, its commercial initiatives, and its endeavors to bring important new medicines to patients.
Experience:
Ms. Keating was the co-founder and first CEO of Hydra Biosciences, Inc., a venture-backed biotech company focused on developing drugs targeting novel ion channels. After joining Millennium in 2004, Ms. Keating remained a member of the Board of Directors of Hydra through 2007. Prior to Hydra, Ms. Keating served as an executive at high growth technology companies, including serving as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Iomega Corporation, a data storage company, and Sybase, Inc., a software company that grew from a few hundred to 6,000 employees during Ms. Keating's tenure on the management team. Based on her leadership at Sybase, Ms. Keating was named as one of the 45 most influential in-house lawyers in the United States under the age of 45. Upon graduating from law school, Ms. Keating practiced law at McCutchen, Doyle, Brown, and Enersen (now Bigham McCutchen) in San Francisco.
Education:
- Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, graduating Order of the Coif and winning election to the Thurston Honor Society
- Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley
Boards/Committees:
- Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
- The Boston Public Library Foundation
- The Executive Committee of BIO's General Counsel Committee
One of My Favorite Quotes:
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, do it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." - Goethe
In My Own Words:
At Millennium:
I work closely with my colleagues across the Company in executing ambitious, compliant plans that capture opportunities to bring the Company's medicines to patients more quickly and keep Millennium on track to become one of the top oncology companies in the world. Our Company has an exceptional patent estate protecting the inventions of our outstanding scientists; it also has a quality and compliance record all employees can be very proud of. I take particular interest in our Company's corporate and clinical development activities, doing all that we can to make our Company a partner and sponsor of choice. People see me and I see myself as a problem solver determined to get things done.
The Main Reason I Chose My Field:
I decided to become a lawyer after reading Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis and John Hersey's The Algiers Motel Incident. My entrepreneurial drive and love of building businesses took me from the law firm setting into growth companies. After co-founding Hydra Biosciences, I knew that for me the challenge and excitement of science-based companies developing new medicines for patients in dire need of new therapies were compelling. Building Millennium into a leading oncology company fires me up.
The Other Side of Me:
When not working, what floats my boat is the time my husband and I have with our two teenage sons, whether we're hiking, skiing, sailing, playing tennis, exploring new places and cultures, or just taking in a movie, walking on a beach, or cheering at soccer and basketball games! For more than 30 years I've collected children's literature, and I'm constantly searching for exciting new authors...and more bookshelf space.
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Kyle Kuvalanka
Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Alliance Management
Chief Responsibility:
Lead the team responsible for the overall strategic planning process for the oncology business including defining the strategic plan for driving Takeda to a global leadership position in oncology. As a member of the Business Development Team, I work on commercial-stage and regional-specific transactions and on collaborations in support of our translational medicine initiatives, such as companion diagnostic partnerships. I also hold responsibility for alliance management.
Experience:
In my 10+ years at Millennium, I have held a variety of positions in the business function including Finance and Business Development. I served as the Head of Investor Relations for four years prior to the acquisition of Millennium by Takeda. Prior to Millennium, I worked as a management consultant in corporate and marketing strategy specific to the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Education:
- Masters in Business Administration, The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania
- Bachelors of Arts with Honors, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
One of My Favorite Quotes:
"If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell." - Lance Armstrong
In My Own Words:
At Millennium:
I am driven by the challenge to lay out the foundational strategy to drive Takeda to global leadership in Oncology. I am surrounded by extremely talented colleagues who inspire me daily.
The Main Reason I Chose My Field:
The opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone else has always motivated me. Today’s ideas are tomorrow’s cures, and I am proud to work around so many talented individuals at Millennium who are working to make the cure happen. I find it highly rewarding to be able to potentially remove obstacles and enable our scientists and researchers to find ways to improve the care of cancer patients.
The Other Side of Me:
I enjoy many things including spending time with my partner, cooking, eating, exercise, good books and restoring my antique home.
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TODD SHEGOG
Senior Vice President, Finance and Treasurer
Chief Responsibility:
Responsible for the effective management of the Company's financial resources, corporate planning, financial reporting, and compliance.
Experience:
Joining Millennium in 1998, Mr. Shegog draws on 15 years of finance experience in the biotechnology industry. Previously, he spent several years at Genetics Institute (now Wyeth) in a variety of financial positions supporting the Research and Development organizations as well a member of the Commercial Operations team supporting the launch of BeneFIX®.
Education:
- Masters in Business Administration from the Tepper School of Management, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at Lafayette College, Easton, PA.
One of My Favorite Quotes:
"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." - Henry Ford
In My Own Words:
At Millennium:
I oversee the Finance and Strategic Sourcing functions responsible for leading corporate business planning, financial management, financial accounting, compliance, and corporate reporting, as well as financial analytics for decision support. That's a lot of "support," but I have a great team who helps me make it happen. I co-chair our Company's Investment Review Committee and participate on the Management Team, Pipeline Review Committee, and VELCADE Joint Steering Committee.
The Main Reason I Chose My Field:
Early experiences in the biotechnology industry opened my eyes to the amazing work, passion, and intelligence that drives this industry to deliver hope to patients. I've been hooked ever since then.
The Other Side of Me:
Outside of work, a personal passion of mine is enjoying time with my wife Barbara and our two children. Together we are very active exploring the great outdoors and family time through sports.
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The study of genetic material in the chromosomes of a particular organism and its activity.