SK Bioscience Hires Two Global Executives... Accelerates Global Expansion

Harry Cleanthos, Vice President of SK Bioscience's U.S. Corporation.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] SK Bioscience has taken steps to become a global company by recruiting two high-ranking officials from international organizations and establishing a U.S. subsidiary.

On the 21st, SK Bioscience announced that it newly recruited Harry Klienssos, Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as Vice President in charge of vaccine R&D strategy and external innovation for its U.S. subsidiary.

Vice President Klienssos is an expert who has led bio and vaccine research and business strategies at global institutions for over 30 years, having served as Deputy Director of the UK biotechnology company Akambis Research Institute and Vice President of Scientific Innovation at Sanofi Pasteur.

SK Bioscience plans to accelerate its entry into the U.S. market through the recruitment of Vice President Klienssos. Earlier, SK Bioscience appointed Kim Hoon, CTO and executive in charge of vaccine R&D, overseas business, and production, as head of the U.S. subsidiary to open an office early next year.

After establishing the office, the U.S. subsidiary will actively undertake roles such as ▲ technology transfer and collaboration opportunities for SK Bioscience’s core technologies and capabilities ▲ building a U.S. bio-cluster network ▲ acquiring market information on the U.S. and global bio industries ▲ discovering and promoting new vaccine and bio business projects through open innovation and cooperation on innovative and platform technologies.

Sally Choi, Head of Regulatory Clinical Division at SK Bioscience.

Additionally, SK Bioscience has further recruited Sally Choi, former Director of the Office of Generic Drugs under the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as Head of the SK Bioscience Regulatory and Clinical Affairs Division.

Director Choi has worked at global pharmaceutical companies such as BMS and Pfizer and served as an executive in the consulting division of Parexel International. She then worked at the FDA for 12 years, holding positions including Deputy Director of the Office of Research Integrity and Surveillance and the Office of Translational Sciences.

SK Bioscience stated that through the recruitment of global experts, it aims to internalize advanced capabilities in the overall management of biopharmaceuticals at the level of developed countries.

SK Bioscience President Ahn Jae-yong said, "During the pandemic, we developed our own vaccine and successfully carried out contract manufacturing, which has significantly increased global interest and accelerated the joining of overseas talent. Through strategic R&D and investment, we will secure competitiveness comparable to major big pharma companies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.