After nearly 25 years at Charnwood Molecular, a leading UK-based pre-clinical discovery CRO serving the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology market, Prof. Steve Allin has announced he is stepping down as CEO, and will be succeeded by Lee Patterson from Tuesday 5 July 2022.
From founding the business as a Loughborough University spin-out, alongside Prof. Phil Page in 1998, to ultimately supporting the acquisition of Charnwood Molecular by global growth investor, Synova, in 2019, Steve has been at the forefront of the company’s growth and development.
Steve, who will remain as an investor and Board advisor explained: “Now is the right time for me personally, to hand over the reins to Lee who will be instrumental in driving the company forward over the next few years.”
“I’d like to thank all the Charnwood Molecular team, past and present, for their fantastic contributions and constant support over the years. Our reputation as a provider of research excellence in drug discovery and development is down to the efforts and dedication of the entire team. Finally, I’d like to wish Lee Patterson all the best – I’m confident that his time at Charnwood Molecular will be as happy and fulfilling as mine” he added.
Ben Cons, Chairman commented “Steve has led the business through significant milestones creating a strong foundation for growth, most recently this includes the move to the world class facility at the Charnwood Campus, Loughborough and the expansion of services with the acquisition of Aurelia Bioscience and the addition of DMPK capability”
“I am excited for Lee to join Charnwood Molecular” he added. “He brings almost 30 years experience within global CRO’s, a focus on people and a passion for customer service, making him the ideal leader to build upon the great work of Steve and the team.”
Lee Patterson joins Charnwood Molecular with extensive experience gained across the drug discovery sector. Most recently this included senior executive leadership roles at Concept Life Sciences and Covance. Lee also brings a scientific background in Pathological and Biomedical Sciences.
“I’m delighted to be joining Charnwood Molecular at such an exciting time for the company. I have been very impressed with the scientific excellence, customer focus and growth ambitions of the business and I am really looking forward to joining the team, building on the solid foundation and realising the exceptional growth potential of Charnwood Molecular.” commented Lee.
This appointment comes after the company recently added a DMPK department alongside bioscience, medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and process research and development. Based in world-class facilities at Charnwood Campus, Charnwood Molecular is ideally placed as the integrated discovery and development CRO of choice for global clients.