Governance

PHAXIAM, management team and board of directors

Management Team

PHAXIAM's management team is a combination of the former ERYTECH and PHERECYDES management teams:

Thibaut du Fayet

Chief Executive Officer

Thibaut du Fayet brings over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry to PHAXIAM. After obtaining an MBA from ESSEC Business School in 1992, he was Senior Managing Director at Bossard-Gemini for six years. From 2000, he held management positions first at Rhône Poulenc as Strategy Director for four years, and then at BioMerieux where he was also Strategic Marketing Director for four years. In 2008, he joined Transgene where he held the position of VP Corporate Development, Alliances & Programs Management for 13 years, within the Management leadership team. Through his various leadership roles in development, strategy, business development, and program management, he has acquired important and diverse skills in the pharmaceutical industry.

Céline Breda

Chief Technical Officer

Céline Breda began her career at Sanofi Pasteur in France and the United States. In 2005, she joined the biotech company Valneva, where she headed up pharmaceutical operations for over eight years. Following the sale of Valneva’s bioproduction site in Nantes in 2013, she took over the Operations Management of this unit, initially for the company BE Vaccines, a subsidiary of the Indian pharmaceutical group Biological E, and then, from 2019, for the company Naobios, a subsidiary of CDMO Clean Biologics. She joined Pherecydes Pharma in 2021 as CMC Director.

Eric Soyer

Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy General Manager

Eric joined Erytech in 2015. Eric Soyer has a more than 20 year experience in Management positions in financial and operational fields in public or private companies including eight years as Chief Financial Officer of EDAP TMS S.A., and Managing Director of the French affiliate Chief Financial Officer for a company operating nursing homes and post-care clinics, Financial and legal director for an insurance services company. He started his career as a financial controller and cost accountant for Michelin Group. Eric Soyer graduated from the ESC Clermont School of Management (France) and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Kansas and an Executive M.B.A. from the HEC Paris School of Management (France).

Karine Charton, PhD

Chief Business Officer

Karine joined Erytech Pharma in September 2017, leading Business Development & Licensing to support the strategic development of products, establish collaborative partnership programs, licensing agreements, and drive competitive intelligence. She was appointed Director of Innovation and Valorization in 2022. In this role, she manages Erytech’s preclinical R&D team, external innovation and business development activities, before becoming Chief Business Officer following the merger in June 2023. With a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology, she began her career as a researcher in charge of R&D programs in the non-profit company Généthon (France), dedicated to the development of gene therapies for rare diseases, where she gained in-depth experience of innovative product development in the field of gene therapy. She then moved to the scientific Direction of AFM-Téléthon to support the detection, valorization and support of innovative projects to be funded in the field of rare diseases.

Pascal Birman, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Pascal Birman has 30 years of experience in medical research and pharmaceutical development, particularly in endocrinology and metabolic diseases. After a career as a physician at the AP-HP (1981-1990), he joined the Servier Group as Head of International Projects, and then held the executive positions of Director of Therapeutic Research and Clinical Operations Director for Europe and Asia. In 2004, Dr. Birman joined the pharmaceutical company Ipsen where he worked for 13 years in several key positions until becoming Vice President of Global Clinical Development Programs.

Frédérique Vieville

Chief Regulatory Officer

Frédérique gained initial experience in a clinical and research environment before moving into the pharma/biotech companies. There, she drew upon her background as a pharmacist and Engineer in Biotechnology to manage production first and then development over ten years (MSD Chibret, then Europhartech). Subsequently, she filled the position of Head of QA/QP Deputy, including the regulatory unit, in CARBOGEN AMCIS. Afterward, she was chosen to design and implement the quality system in 4D Pharma, managing as well IMPD submissions. She founded 5QBD-Biotech, a Quality and Regulatory consultancy company, applying QbD and Lean approaches and guiding small biotechs on regulatory strategies (LBPs, ATMPs…). In 2020, she became Quality & Regulatory Affairs Director at Pherecydes Pharma, liaising with cross-functionalteams on the clinical development of bacteriophages, including the in vitro diagnostic test (Phagogram) development.

Jérôme Bailly, Pharm.D.

Chief Quality Officer, Deputy General Manager and Qualified Person

Jérôme Bailly, Pharm.D. has served as our Qualified Person since December 2011, and has served as our Director of Pharmaceutical Operations since 2007. Prior to 2007, he was the Director of QA/Production at Skyepharma and Laboratoire Aguettant. Dr. Bailly holds a Pharm.D. and a degree in Chemica Engineering, specializing in Biopharmaceutical Engineering and Cellular Production from École Polytechnique de Montréal (Canada).

Cindy Fèvre

Chief Scientific Officer

Cindy is a microbiologist, expert in bacteriology. She obtained a PhD at the Pasteur Institute (Paris) in the antibiotic resistance, virulence and genetic diversity of Klebsiella. She has also worked on other major pathogens in human clinical practice, such as listeria and staphylococcus aureus. Prior to joining PHAXIAM Therapeutics, Cindy developed new phage display methods and acquired substantial knowledge of bacteriophage biology and genomics. Her international experience (UMC Utrecht, Netherlands) has led her to manage R&D collaborations with industrial potential.

Anne-Cécile Fumey

Human Resources Director

Anne-Cécile Fumey was appointed Human Resources Director at Erytech Pharma in February 2016. Prior to joining the company, Mrs. Fumey served within several high-growth blue-chip companies. She was International HR Director with Clasquin Group and Senior HR Manager at National Bank of Canada in Montréal. Anne-Cécile Fumey started her career with BD where she was responsible for Human Resources management at the European headquarters, then within the Pharmaceutical Systems division, before being appointed Compensation and Benefits Manager France. Mrs. Fumey graduated from the Grenoble Institute of Political Studies (IEP) and has a postgraduate degree (DESS) in Human Resources Management from the Grenoble Graduate School of Management (IAE).

Board of Directors

The board of directors of PHAXIAM is composed of an equal number of directors from the former ERYTECH and PHERECYDES boards (without casting vote for the Chair):

Philippe Archinard

Independent Director

Philippe Archinard, Ph.D. has served as a member of ERYTECH board of directors since 2013. Dr. Archinard is Deputy CEO, Innovation and Scientific Partnerships of the Institut Mérieux. He was General Manager, Chief Executive Officer and director of Transgene from 2004 to 2020, after spending 15 years in various senior positions with bioMérieux, including directing its U.S. subsidiary. Prior to joining Transgene, he served as chief executive officer of Innogenetics N.V., from 2000 to December 2004. Dr. Archinard is a chemical engineer, holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Lyon (France), and completed Harvard Business School’s Program of Management PMD.

Gil Beyen

Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

Gil Beyen was Chief Executive Officer of ERYTECH Pharma from May 2013 to June 2023 and President of ERYTECH Pharma Inc. since 2016. He served as ERYTECH’s Chairman of the Board from August 2012 until June 2019. Between 2000 and 2013, Mr. Beyen was Chief Executive Officer and Director of TiGenix (Euronext: TIG), a company he co-founded. He previously served as the head of the Life Sciences division of Arthur D. Little, an international management consulting firm, in Brussels. Mr. Beyen holds a MSc in Bioengineering from the University of Leuven (Belgium) and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Martine George

Independent Director

Martine Ortin George, M.D. has served as a member of ERYTECH board of directors since 2014. She currently serves as principal and senior executive consultant-life sciences for Global Development Inc. Dr. George held the position of Vice President in charge of Global Medical Affairs for Oncology at Pfizer from 2010 to 2015. Previously, Dr. George held the positions of Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at GPC Biotech and Senior Vice President, Head of the Oncology Department at Johnson & Johnson. She is a qualified gynecologist and oncologist, trained in France and in Montreal. Dr. George began her career as Chief of Service at the Institut Gustave Roussy (France), was a visiting professor at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and then held positions of increasing responsibility at Lederle Laboratories (a predecessor company to Pfizer Inc.), Sandoz (now a division of Novartis AG) and Rhône-Poulenc Rorer (today part of Sanofi).

Didier Hoch

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Didier Hoch is a director of a listed company, OSE Immunotherapeutics, and was previously a director of DBV Technologies and Genticel. From 2011 to 2013, he was Chairman of Pevion Biotech, and from 2013 to 2018, of the Biovision Forum and of the startup gas pedal “Big Booster”. Didier Hoch was from 2000 to 2010, President of Sanofi-Pasteur- MSD, a joint venture company dedicated to vaccines between Sanofi & Merck. Didier Hoch also held various managerial positions at Rhône Poulenc Rorer, then Aventis (“VP Middle East – Africa”). He is a former President of the vaccine manufacturers association “Vaccine Europe” and Chairman of the Biotechnology Committee of LEEM.

Eric Leire

Independent Director

Eric Leire is Chairman and CEO of Genflow Biosciences and a director of publicly traded and privately held biotechnology companies (Immunethep, BSIM Therapeutics, Inhatarget Therapeutics and Ose Immunotherapeutic). Dr. Leire has served as CEO of several privately held and publicly traded U.S. biotechnology companies. He has listed several biotech companies on various exchanges (OMX.Nasdaq; OTC.QB and Nasdaq). He was a Research Associate at the Harvard AIDS Institute and a Partner at Biofund Venture Capital. He holds an MD from the University of Grenoble and an MBA from HEC and Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He is also the inventor of several patents in the pharmaceutical field.

Leïla Nicolas

Permanent representative of Go Capital

Leïla Nicolas started her career in 2004 as a product manager at Bayer Schering Pharma in the field of multiple sclerosis and oncology. She then joined the start-up world as Strategic Marketing Manager for Polyplus-transfection, where she signed licensing agreements and acquired a strong sensitivity of intellectual property. Leïla Nicolas subsequently participated in the creation of an environmental health company before joining GO Capital in late 2013. Since then, Leïla has made over 15 investments in healthcare sector (biotech and medtech), serving on the boards of several companies in the field, and is now a partner at the management company.

Robert Sebbag

Independent Director

Robert Sebbag is attaché of the Paris hospitals at the Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital in the department of infectious and tropical diseases. He is also Director and founding member of Action Contre la Faim and Director of Fondation Mérieux. From 2006 to 2016 he was Vice President Access to Medicines at Sanofi. Previously he held various positions at Rhône Poulenc Santé, Fondation Elf, and Aventis-Pasteur. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the CEO round table of the Gate Foundation and a director of Leem (Les entreprises du médicament).

Hilde Windels

Independent Director

Hilde Windels has served as a member of our board of directors since 2014 and has served as the representative of Hilde Windels BV, the legal entity that holds this seat, since 2017. She has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance, capital markets and strategic initiatives. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Antelope Dx BV and Director of MDx Health NV and Celyad SA. Prior to Antelope Dx BV, she was executive chairman of the board of directors and co-Chief Executive Officer of Mycartis NV, a private immune diagnostics company in Belgium and a spin-out of Biocartis Group NV. Ms. Windels initially joined Biocartis in August 2011 as its Chief Financial Officer, a position she held until September 2015 when she was appointed co-Chief Executive Officer, a position she held until early 2017, when she became interim Chief Executive Officer of Biocartis until September 2017. From early 2009 to mid-2011, she worked as an independent chief financial officer for several private biotechnology companies. Ms.Windels served as Chief Financial Officer of Devgen from 1999 to 2008 and as a member of its board of directors from 2001 to 2008. Ms. Windels holds a Masters in Economics from the University of Leuven (Belgium).

Guy Rigaud

Censor

Guy Rigaud has 30 years of experience in private equity in more than 300 young regional companies (more than half of them in the technology sector). Founder and President of the Management Board of Rhône Alpes Création from 1990 to 2012, Guy Rigaud has participated in five IPOs on Euronext Paris and two on Nasdaq (in the context of industrial disposals). Guy Rigaud was a member of the Board of Directors of April Group (insurance), a company listed on Euronext Paris, for 12 years. Since 2012, Guy Rigaud is the founder and associate director of a seed capital fund created with four “family offices.”

Contact
our team

Journalist, investor, healthcare professional, partner or candidate... if you have any questions about PHAXIAM, please do not hesitate to contact our teams.

Contact us