Chris Molloy, Chief Executive Officer of the Medicines Discovery Catapult will be stepping down in September 2021 after five years in the role
Prof. Chris Molloy, CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) will be stepping down in September 2021, after establishing MDC in 2016.
Chris has led MDC to make a strong impact on the life sciences ecosystem in the UK. Under Chris’ leadership, MDC has run over 180 partnered projects with academia and industry, helped develop new commercial AI technologies, pioneered new national platforms for translational drug discovery and coordinated the largest diagnostics lab project in UK history.
Chris has dedicated his career to the life sciences, commencing at GlaxoSmithKline before taking on leadership positions in biotechnology companies in the UK, EU and Asia, prior to joining MDC as CEO. He is also currently Chair of the National Industry Consortium for COVID-19 rapid testing diagnostics, Non-Executive Chairman of NorthWest EHealth of Exploristics; and chair of the IP Advisory Committee of the Association of Medical Research Charities.
Chris will continue his non-executive work and look to his next industry challenge.
Prof. Chris Molloy, CEO, MDC, said:
“MDC is now recognised as a ‘go-to’ for translational R&D and innovation with a warm culture of skilled, committed support for all sectors of the UK medicines community, and the nation. It has been a rare privilege to lead this wonderful company of people through its first five years. It is now time for this innovation engine to be fuelled with fresh ideas and leadership as it moves from high growth to sustained growth and plots a path to even greater things.”
Dr Robin Brown, Chairman, MDC, said:
“Both personally and as Chairman of MDC I am disappointed to see Chris leave but recognise that he leaves MDC in a particularly strong position. The team at MDC under Chris‘ guidance has achieved some remarkable things in growing the Catapult to its current operational maturity and have responded magnificently to the challenge of building the national testing network that are the Lighthouse Labs. These are impressive legacies, which we’ll now look to build on under the guidance of a new CEO”.
Chris’ successor will be responsible for shaping MDCs evolution from a high growth start up into its next phase of growth dedicated to driving collaborative innovation. An open search for MDC’s next CEO is now underway led by the MDC Board, and will go public in the coming days.
