Company Info
Management Team
Therapure is a Canadian company whose ownership includes members of senior management.
Nicholas Green, B.Sc., MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
Nick has over 25 years experience in the industry. Since starting his career in the family owned business, Nick has held a number of senior management roles more notably, Managing Director of Nipa Laboratories, Head the Life Science Division of Clariant in the USA, President and CEO of Rhodia Pharma Solutions and President of Codexis Pharma Division.
Nick Holds a Bsc (Hons) in Chemistry from Queen Mary College London and MBA from the University of Huddersfield.
Dirk Alkema, B.Sc., Ph.D. (Biochemistry)
Vice President, Operations
Dirk is responsible for overseeing Therapure's clinical and commercial manufacturing operations and Biomanufacturing services. Prior to joining the company in early 1994, Dirk worked at Connaught Laboratories Ltd. where he held a number of production management positions until his appointment to Director, Viral Vaccine Manufacturing Division in 1989. During his tenure at Connaught, Dirk managed the plasma fractionation facility that serviced the Canadian market.
Vice President, Operations
Dirk is responsible for overseeing Therapure's clinical and commercial manufacturing operations and Biomanufacturing services. Prior to joining the company in early 1994, Dirk worked at Connaught Laboratories Ltd. where he held a number of production management positions until his appointment to Director, Viral Vaccine Manufacturing Division in 1989. During his tenure at Connaught, Dirk managed the plasma fractionation facility that serviced the Canadian market.
David N. Bell, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Vice President, Drug Development and Chief Scientific Officer
David's primary responsibility at Therapure has been the development of a pipeline of new protein and cell culture based product candidates for the treatment of anemia, cancer and infectious diseases. He also leads the team offering development services for new product entries. Prior to joining the company in 1994, David was Group Leader of Cancer Biology at BioChem Therapeutic, Inc. and before this, Laboratory Director of the BioVentures Division of FAA in Worcester, Massachussetts, USA. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Medicine of McGill University in 1988 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the McGill Cancer Centre.
Vice President, Drug Development and Chief Scientific Officer
David's primary responsibility at Therapure has been the development of a pipeline of new protein and cell culture based product candidates for the treatment of anemia, cancer and infectious diseases. He also leads the team offering development services for new product entries. Prior to joining the company in 1994, David was Group Leader of Cancer Biology at BioChem Therapeutic, Inc. and before this, Laboratory Director of the BioVentures Division of FAA in Worcester, Massachussetts, USA. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Medicine of McGill University in 1988 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the McGill Cancer Centre.
Brian Fielding, CA
Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Brian joined Therapure in March 2010. Brian brings more than 20 years of senior financial and operational management experience in the life sciences industry. Brian has held CEO, COO and CFO positions in a broad portfolio of public and private therapeutic, medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing and consulting organizations including Vice President of Finance at Connaught Laboratories Ltd. Brian has an extensive background in strategic planning, operational restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and financings. Brian is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto.
Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Brian joined Therapure in March 2010. Brian brings more than 20 years of senior financial and operational management experience in the life sciences industry. Brian has held CEO, COO and CFO positions in a broad portfolio of public and private therapeutic, medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing and consulting organizations including Vice President of Finance at Connaught Laboratories Ltd. Brian has an extensive background in strategic planning, operational restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and financings. Brian is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto.
Chris Talpas, B.Sc., Ph.D. (Biochemistry)
Director, Manufacturing & Process Development
Chris joined the company in 1994 and has held various positions within the company including Research and Development, Process Development, and Production Management. He has extensive experience in the scale-up of protein-based therapeutics and has been involved in all aspects of development from bench-top to commercial manufacture. Chris has significant expertise in the qualification and validation of complex processes and equipment.
Director, Manufacturing & Process Development
Chris joined the company in 1994 and has held various positions within the company including Research and Development, Process Development, and Production Management. He has extensive experience in the scale-up of protein-based therapeutics and has been involved in all aspects of development from bench-top to commercial manufacture. Chris has significant expertise in the qualification and validation of complex processes and equipment.
Gord Adamson, B.Sc., Ph.D. (Protein Chemistry)
Director, Drug Development
Gord is responsible for pipeline product development, including discovery, chemistry development and scale-up, as well as providing development services related to the production and characterization of protein-based therapeutics. Prior to joining the company in 1993, he completed post-doctoral studies of protein folding motifs with the Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence (PENCE) in Edmonton, Alberta. Gord received his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo in 1992, where he developed novel peptide inhibitors of serine proteases and methods for amino acid activation for peptide synthesis.
Director, Drug Development
Gord is responsible for pipeline product development, including discovery, chemistry development and scale-up, as well as providing development services related to the production and characterization of protein-based therapeutics. Prior to joining the company in 1993, he completed post-doctoral studies of protein folding motifs with the Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence (PENCE) in Edmonton, Alberta. Gord received his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo in 1992, where he developed novel peptide inhibitors of serine proteases and methods for amino acid activation for peptide synthesis.
David Hardy, BSc. (Microbiology)
Director Quality Operations
David is a seasoned Quality Management professional with over 30 years QA/QC experience, and particular expertise in sterile manufacturing. David is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance and for overseeing all Quality Systems related to the development, validation, manufacturing, testing , release and distribution of products manufactured by Therapure.
Director Quality Operations
David is a seasoned Quality Management professional with over 30 years QA/QC experience, and particular expertise in sterile manufacturing. David is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance and for overseeing all Quality Systems related to the development, validation, manufacturing, testing , release and distribution of products manufactured by Therapure.
Rajan Puri , BSc., MSc., MBA
Director, Business Development
Rajan joined Therapure in November 2008 and is responsible for managing both its marketing and business development efforts. Prior to Therapure, Rajan held senior business development positions with two different Canadian biopharmaceutical companies. Rajan started his career with Eli Lilly Canada where he held progressively expanding positions in both regulatory affairs and product management.
Dina Iezzi
Director, Marketing & Special Projects
Prior to joining Therapure in September 2010, Dina worked for Draxis where she held a number of director positions in various divisions of the organization including Director of Commercial, Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing division. Dina started her career in the pharmaceutical industry holding a range of positions in sales and marketing and lead many initiatives involving medical, regulatory (FDA, EMEA, Health Canada) and government affairs. Dina has extensive experience in the marketing and sales of pharmaceutical products and contract services targeting the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Director, Business Development
Rajan joined Therapure in November 2008 and is responsible for managing both its marketing and business development efforts. Prior to Therapure, Rajan held senior business development positions with two different Canadian biopharmaceutical companies. Rajan started his career with Eli Lilly Canada where he held progressively expanding positions in both regulatory affairs and product management.
Dina Iezzi
Director, Marketing & Special Projects
Prior to joining Therapure in September 2010, Dina worked for Draxis where she held a number of director positions in various divisions of the organization including Director of Commercial, Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing division. Dina started her career in the pharmaceutical industry holding a range of positions in sales and marketing and lead many initiatives involving medical, regulatory (FDA, EMEA, Health Canada) and government affairs. Dina has extensive experience in the marketing and sales of pharmaceutical products and contract services targeting the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Mark Krause, BSc., MBA, CMA
Director, Strategic Planning and Special Projects
Mark joined Therapure in February of 2011. Prior to joining Therapure he held progressively senior positions within the finance operations at Valeant (formerly Biovail) culminating as Director, Financial Analysis and Planning. Mark worked closely with business development, R&D, and manufacturing particularly during licensing transactions where he was a member of the negotiating team with a focus on determining structure and value of transactions. Mark has a BSc in Biology from the University of British Columbia, an MBA from Richard Ivey School of Business and is a Certified Management Accountant.
John R. Rydall, MSc.
Senior Director, Commercial Project
Prior to joining Therapure John served as Vice President of Operations at Natrix Separations Inc., where he established routine operations functions and directed the design and construction of the company’s head office, R&D laboratories,pilot and commercial manufacturing facility. In addition, John led the creation and implementation of an ISO 9001:2008 certified quality management system within the organization. John has directed the design, construction, and fit-out of Therapure’s 130,000 ft2 fully integrated biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility and corporate head office and led the team responsible for licensing the facility. He is highly skilled in operations management, product and process development, scale-up, validation, manufacturing, and commercialization of large and small volume parenterals, biologics and blood-derived therapeutics and is well versed in Canadian, US, and European regulations and requirements to bring new products to market.
David Walshaw
Senior Director, Manufacturing
Senior Director, Manufacturing
David joined Therapure in 2011 in the role of Senior Director CMO Operations, he comes with over 30 years of Operational and General Management experience. In the past David worked at Avecia in the UK where his last position was as General Manager of the Early Phase Delivery Business. More recently David was VP Operations at Silicon Valley based Codexis Inc where he built the Operations Department to manufacture and supply Biocatalysts and Pharmaceutical Intermediates/APIs.
Safa'a Al-Rais, BSc., MSc., MBA
Director, Project Management
Director, Project Management
Safa’a joined Therapure in May of 2009. As a Director for Project Management, his main responsibility is to plan, direct and control Project Management activities for both internal and Client funded projects. Additional responsibilities include streamlining operation systems, people/projects, process improvement and operations’ optimization. Safa’a has over seven years of hands-on project and product management experience in both automotive and pharmaceutical industry, where he successfully delivered a number of high value, high profile and challenging projects. He has an extensive engineering, project management and business planning background, which allows Safa’a to coordinate multiple projects and teams simultaneously. Safa’a received his Bachelor and Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Wayne State University and his MBA from the University of Michigan.