Board of Directors
Peter Allen
Chairman
Peter Allen ACA has been Non-Executive Chairman since December 2007, including a period as Acting Chief Executive from September 2010 to August 2011. He was CFO and Deputy CEO of Celltech Group plc between 1992 and 2004. In addition to managing the company's flotation process in 1993, leading to a listing on the London Stock Exchange, Peter played a key role in several strategic acquisitions, including Chiroscience, Medeva and Oxford Glycosciences. In May 2004, Peter was a key participant in the sale of Celltech to UCB. Prior to this, he was Group Financial Controller of Associated British Ports Holdings plc and Financial Controller with L'Oreal (UK) Ltd. In April 2005, he was appointed CFO of Abacus Group plc, the quoted electronics distributor. Peter Allen is chairman of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Audit Committee.
Tom Stratford
Chief Executive
Tom Stratford was appointed Chief Executive of the group in September 2011 following a period as Executive Vice-President, Business Development, where he was responsible for the licensing activities of the group. Since joining ProStrakan in 1997 he has previously held the posts of Discovery Director and Director of Business Development, based both in Boston MA and Scotland. Thomas has a PhD in Molecular Developmental Biology from Kings College, London. He has previously worked in research groups at Glaxo in Greenford and Ware and an academic placement at Tufts Medical School, Boston, US.
Allan Watson
Chief Financial Officer & VP Operations
Allan Watson joined ProStrakan as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in September 2009. Allan joined the Company from medical technology business, Optos plc, where he had been CFO since 2003. A pharmacy graduate, he has held a number of finance positions with companies both within and outside the healthcare sector since qualifying as an accountant.
Dr Michael Asbury
Non-Executive
Dr Michael Asbury is medically qualified and obtained an MRCP(UK) in 1973. He has held numerous general management and marketing positions in the pharmaceutical industry. In particular, he was International Marketing Director with Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and Vice President of Global Licensing at AstraZeneca. He has wide international experience of the development and marketing of ethical pharmaceuticals and all forms of corporate activity in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, he is the non-executive chairman of Photopharmica, a non-executive board member of IPR Pharmaceuticals Puerto Rico and a trustee board member of the David Lewis National Epilepsy Centre. Dr Michael Asbury is chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
Kazuyoshi Tachibana
Director of the Board, Executive Managing Officer of KHK
Kazuyoshi Tachibana is a main board Director, Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. (KHK). Since joining Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. in 1978, he has held various managerial positions within the company. He was President of Kyowa Pharmaceutical Inc. from 2002 to 2005 and Chief Strategic Officer from 2005 to 2010. He played a key role when Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. merged with Kirin Pharma Co., Ltd. in 2008 to create KHK. He received a B.A. from Kyoto University in Japan and an MBA with distinction from Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Mr Tachibana has been a non-executive director of ProStrakan since May 2011 and a member of the Nomination Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Audit Committee.
Yoshinori Yamashita
Executive VP, Corporate Liaison
Dr. Yoshinori Yamashita joined ProStrakan as Executive Vice President Corporate Liaison in May 2011. Dr Yamashita’s 26 year career includes experience in research, licensing and business alliance with Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd, and Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd. (KHK). He spent 18 months studying molecular biology as a visiting scientist in Princeton University. He gained a PhD in agricultural chemistry from Kyoto University. Dr. Yoshinori Yamashita has been a non-executive director of ProStrakan since May 2011 and is working with Development, Supply Chain and Business Development in supporting and co-ordinating strategy and implementation between KHK and ProStrakan.
