• Small Molecules
    • Biologics
    • Other Drug Modalities
    • SynVent Integrated Drug Discovery
      • SynVent Integrated Drug Discovery

        SynVent is Syngene’s platform for fully integrated therapeutic discovery and development across large and small molecules. 

    • Industries
    • Emerging Biopharma
      • Emerging Biopharma

        Emerging biopharma work at the forefront of science, often venturing into disease areas where little or no real-world data exists to work with or regulatory frameworks to work within.

    • Dedicated Centers
      • Dedicated Centers

        Our Dedicated Centers offer dedicated multi-disciplinary scientific teams, support personnel, and a tailormade ring-fenced and fire-walled infrastructure as per client specifications to support their  R&D  goals

    • Center for Advanced Protein Studies (CAPS)
      • Center for Advanced Protein Studies (CAPS)

        Centre for Advanced Protein Studies [CAPS] is a state-of-the-art advanced national facility located in the Syngene campus, Bangalore.

  • Careers

Executive Leadership

Leadership

Peter Bains

Managing Director and CEO

Peter has over three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. At Syngene, he is responsible for strategy and execution, steering the investment decisions, leading the executive team and the Company’s business operations.

Peter has extensive global experience in strategic and operational leadership including at the Board, CEO and Senior Corporate Leadership levels. He has an extensive track record of success in building companies, businesses, teams, and brands. His experience in biopharmaceuticals straddles business and technology segments (biotechnology, vaccines, branded generics, life sciences, CRO) and geographies encompassing both advanced and emerging markets.

Peter served as CEO of Sosei Group (now Nxera Pharma), a Japanese listed biopharmaceutical company. Prior to this, Peter worked with GlaxoSmithKline over a period of 23 years, where he held several roles including Head of Global Marketing and Senior Vice President of commercial development for GSK’s international regions.

Peter also served as CEO and on the Board of Syngene for almost six years starting 2010 and led the company to its successful public listing in 2015.

Peter holds a bachelor’s degree in science (combined honours in Zoology and Physiology) from the University of Sheffield, UK.

Deepak Jain

Chief Financial Officer

Deepak oversees the finance, supply chain, legal, secretarial and plays an important role in driving strategy, improving profitability, identifying new opportunities, improving cash generation and enabling organizational growth.

Deepak was previously with Ather Energy, where he led the company to significant revenue growth over four years as the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that he was the India CFO for First Advantage, and for Apple wherein he was part of the team which led to Apple’s expansion in the India market. He has also held leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, and started his career at Ernst & Young India.

Deepak has over 25 years of experience managing multi-location operations and transactional revenues. He has successfully led business growth strategies working in different industries and is skilled in process engineering, distribution modelling, sales finance, tax compliance, and finance controlling across various regions and organizational structures.

Deepak is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Calcutta University.

Andrew Webster

Chief Human Resources Officer

Andrew holds a Business Studies degree from Blackburn College of Technology, UK, and a professional qualification from the Institute of Personnel Management awarded by Salford Technical College, UK. His broad experience in the Human Resources function includes management of mergers and acquisitions; driving culture change; building a leadership and talent pipeline; and delivering a diversity agenda.

Andrew joined Syngene in December 2022 from management consultancy, Teneo, Hong Kong. Prior to joining Teneo he was CHRO for global retail group, DFS and held HR leadership roles at global biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca PLC. He started his career as an HR professional in the UK retail groups House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer PLC. Andrew is a member of the Executive Committee.

Alok Mehrotra

Chief Quality Officer

Alok holds an M. Tech in Chemical Technology (Food Technology) from Harcourt Butler Technological Institute. He comes with more than 25 years of experience spread across Manufacturing Operations, Quality Assurance, Sustainability/EHS, Production, and Supplier Technical Assurance across varied industries. Over the years, Alok has worked with leading corporates, including Dr. Reddy’s, Reckitt Benckiser, Pepsi Foods Ltd,  Godrej Foods, and Beverages Ltd. In his recent assignment as Head of Global Quality Management at Dr. Reddy’s, he harmonized and integrated Quality management systems Globally and was also responsible for quality from all external suppliers and vendors. As Syngene’s CQO, Alok leads the Quality and Compliance function and will be in charge of initiatives to further strengthen our track record in quality and compliance

Kenneth Barr

Senior Vice President – Discovery Services

Kenneth holds a Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic/Organometallic Chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has pursued his Postdoctoral study in Natural product synthesis from the University of Texas. He has over two decades of experience in the areas of drug discovery for both small molecules and biologics and has been associated with organisations like Merck, Amplyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sunesis. Prior to joining Syngene, Kenneth was the Head of R&D Strategic Global Operations at FORMA Therapeutics, where he was responsible for driving research effectiveness through optimisation of internal and external R&D research efforts, providing alliance management for key CRO relationships.

Alex Del Priore

Senior Vice President - Manufacturing

Alex has three decades of experience in developing, commercializing and life-cycle management of products in various life science industries. Holding positions in both the US and Europe, his experience includes senior roles with global P&L responsibility. Alex was Vice President Operations and Health COO at Johnson Matthey in Greater London in his last assignment. In addition, he has been instrumental in M&A, strategy development and new product introduction.

As a member of the Executive Committee, Alex plays a techno-commercial role, providing technical expertise to the API plant at Mangalore while building a sustainable client base for the business in collaboration with the commercial and business development teams. In addition, Alex is also responsible for biologics operations. Alex is based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA.

Caroline Hempstead

Head of Customer Centricity and Special Projects

Caroline Hempstead has a degree in French studies from Manchester University, UK. Her career spans more than 35 years in multinationals in sectors ranging from retail and financial services to oil & gas and pharmaceuticals. She joined Syngene in 2019 as Head of Corporate Affairs. Prior to joining Syngene, she held similar roles at AstraZeneca plc and LafargeHolcim (now Holcim), preceded by leadership roles in corporate communications at Royal Dutch Shell, Inchcape plc and the London Stock Exchange. As a member of the Executive Committee and the ESG Council, her responsibilities include embedding a deep focus on customer-centricity and stewardship of projects designed to expedite business performance.

Pramuch Goel

Head of Corporate Affairs

Pramuch has completed the Global Program for Management Development from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He holds an MBA from the Birla Institute of Management Technology, New Delhi, and an English (Hons) degree from the University of Delhi. He also possesses certifications in digital marketing and a PGDM in public relations. Pramuch joined Syngene in August 2024 from the Mahindra Group, where he served as vice president and head of group communications. Prior to Mahindra, he has held positions at companies including Samsung India, Cisco Systems, IBM India, and Quark Inc. As a member of the Executive Committee and the ESG Council, his responsibilities encompass Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities.

Jayashree Aiyar

Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)

Jayashree has over 30 years of experience as a molecular pharmacologist and has led drug discovery programs in global organizations in the US like AstraZeneca, Merck, Ambrx and Theravance and Jubilant Biosys in India. Jayashree has more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters to her credit and two issued patents.

Jayashree joined Syngene in 2016 to lead the Discovery Biology function which has grown significantly under her leadership. In her role as Chief Scientific Officer, Jayashree plays a pivotal role in driving our scientific strategy and innovation in R&D,  as well as strengthen academic and industry collaborations, ensuring that Syngene  continues to  lead with cutting-edge solutions for our clients.

Jayashree holds a Ph.D in Immunology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California at Irvine.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Non-Executive Chairperson

Ms. Shaw is a first-generation entrepreneur with over 45 years of experience in the field of biotechnology. She is a recipient of ‘Padma Shri’ and the ‘Padma Bhushan’ awards. She was also conferred with the highest French distinction – Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Legion d’honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) in 2016. She is a recipient of ICMR’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare in 2019. She was Honoured with Order of Australia, Australia’s highest civilian award and was named EY World Entrepreneur of the year in 2020. She is also the Chairperson of Biocon Limited, Independent Director on the Board of United Breweries Ltd and Narayana Hrudayalaya.

Peter Bains

Managing Director and CEO

Peter has over three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. At Syngene, he is responsible for strategy and execution, steering the investment decisions, leading the executive team and the Company’s business operations.

Peter has extensive global experience in strategic and operational leadership including at the Board, CEO and Senior Corporate Leadership levels. He has an extensive track record of success in building companies, businesses, teams, and brands. His experience in biopharmaceuticals straddles business and technology segments (biotechnology, vaccines, branded generics, life sciences, CRO) and geographies encompassing both advanced and emerging markets.

Peter served as CEO of Sosei Group (now Nxera Pharma), a Japanese listed biopharmaceutical company. Prior to this, Peter worked with GlaxoSmithKline over a period of 23 years, where he held several roles including Head of Global Marketing and Senior Vice President of commercial development for GSK’s international regions.

Peter also served as CEO and on the Board of Syngene for almost six years starting 2010 and led the company to its successful public listing in 2015.

Peter holds a bachelor’s degree in science (combined honours in Zoology and Physiology) from the University of Sheffield, UK.

Professor Catherine Rosenberg

Non-Executive Director

Professor Rosenberg is the Canada Research Chair in the Future Internet, the Cisco Research Chair in 5G Systems and a professor in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. At Syngene, she is Chairperson of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, and a member of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, the Stakeholders Relationship & ESG Committee and the Science & Technology Committee.

Dr. Vijay Kuchroo

Independent Director

Dr Kuchroo has a doctorate in Pathology from the University of Queensland, Australia. He is also the Samuel L. Wasserstrom Professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School, Senior Scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Institute Member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, all in the United States. Dr Kuchroo has won many awards for the discovery of TIM-3 ‘checkpoint’ molecules for cancer immunotherapy and Th17 cells in the induction of autoimmunity. Dr Kuchroo holds over 50 patents and has published over 400 research papers in immunology. He is a member of the scientific advisory boards of leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi and GSK. He has founded eight biotech companies, including CoStim Pharmaceuticals and Tempero Pharmaceuticals. At Syngene, Dr Kuchroo is the Chairman of the Science & Technology Committee and a member of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee and the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.

Vinita Bali

Lead Independent Director

Ms Bali is a global business leader with extensive experience in leading and transforming large companies both in India and overseas. She served as Chief Executive Officer & MD of Britannia Industries Ltd., from 2005 to 2014. Prior to that, she worked for The Coca-Cola Company and Cadbury Schweppes Plc in a variety of Marketing, General Management and Chief Executive roles in the UK, Nigeria, South Africa, USA and Chile. At present, she is a Non-Executive Director on the global boards of SATS Ltd and Cognizant Technology Solutions, and in India, she serves on the board of Bajaj Auto Limited. At Syngene, she is the Chairperson of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit Committee and the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.

Sharmila Karve

Independent Director

Ms Sharmila Abhay Karve is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She retired as audit partner from Price Waterhouse in June 2019. During her tenure in Price Waterhouse, she was an engagement partner with several large Indian and multinational clients. She was appointed as the Chief Ethics Officer. In 2009, she was appointed as the Assurance Leader of the firm and was elevated to the role of Assurance Risk & Quality Leader in April 2012. In her last role as Global Diversity Leader since December 2016, Ms. Karve focussed her efforts on bringing more diversity throughout the PwC network. At present, she is a Director on the boards of CSB Bank Limited, EPL Limited, Vanaz Engineers Limited, Aadhar Housing Finance Limited and Thomas Cook (India) Limited in India. Her overseas directorships include Fairfax India Holdings Corporation, EPL Packaging (Guangzhou) Ltd., EPL America LLC, and Lamitube Technology Ltd, Mauritius. At Syngene, she is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee and the Stakeholders Relationship & ESG Committee and a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Dr. Kush Parmar

Independent Director

Dr Parmar holds an MD from Harvard Medical School, a Ph.D. in experimental pathology from Harvard University and a BA in molecular biology and medieval studies from Princeton University. Currently, he is a Managing Partner at 5AM Ventures, a life sciences venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco. Dr Parmar serves on the Advisory Boards of Harvard Medical School, Penn Medicine, Princeton University’s Department of Molecular Biology, and the Grace Science Foundation. At Princeton University, Dr Parmar worked on developmental genetics with Nobel Laureate Eric F. Wieschaus. Dr Parmar also serves on the Boards of Ensoma, Entrada Therapeutics, GlycoEra, Precede, Rallybio, and is a founding member of the COVID R&D alliance. At Syngene, Dr Parmar is a member of the Risk Management Committee and the Science & Technology Committee.

Nilanjan Roy

Independent Director

Nilanjan Roy has deep experience in international finance as a result of his 33-year career in roles including Chief Financial Officer at Infosys Limited, Global Chief Financial Officer at Bharti Airtel Limited, and senior positions at Unilever. He has worked in a range of geographies in Europe, the United States and India.

Nilanjan’s broad expertise includes traditional finance functions such as treasury, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, taxation, financial accounting, and reporting. Beyond this, his experience covers corporate governance, ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) and risk management. He has industry sector experience in information technology, telecommunications and consumer products.

Nilanjan holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) degree from Delhi University and is a Chartered Accountant. At Syngene, Nilanjan is the Chairperson of the Risk Management Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee and the Stakeholders Relationship & ESG Committee.

Manja Boerman

Independent Director

Manja Boerman is a distinguished leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with a deep specialization in protein, cell and gene therapy. With over 20 years of experience, she has played pivotal roles in numerous companies, significantly impacting the development and commercialization of advanced therapies. Manja’s career highlights include her tenure as President of Catalent Protein, Cell and Gene Therapy, Aesica Pharmaceuticals, Patheon Biologics, and DSM Biologics, as well as her leadership as CEO of Kiadis Pharma and Regenesance. She is currently the CEO of Prothya Biosolutions (a blood plasma product company).

Manja holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the State University of New York, reflecting her strong academic background in life sciences. She began her career at DSM, where she held various positions in business development, licensing, and technology within DSM Biologics. Throughout her career, Manja has been recognized for her expertise in clinical operations, strategic planning, and business development. She has contributed to numerous scientific publications and has been a prominent speaker at industry conferences. Her ability to drive growth and foster innovation has earned her a respected reputation in the biotechnology sector, particularly in start-up environments and global late-stage clinical development for cell therapy products.

At Syngene, she is a member of the Risk Management Committee, Science and Technology Committee and the Stakeholders Relationship & ESG Committee.

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