Rentschler Biopharma Appoints New Executives to Join U.S. Team

• New heads of Process Sciences and Human Resources departments
• Both positions newly created as site expands and ramps up business 

LAUPHEIM, Germany and MILFORD, Mass., Nov. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rentschler Biopharma SE, a world-class contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biopharmaceuticals, today announced the hiring of two executives for its facility in Milford, MA, USA, in the greater Boston area.  Hemant Kumar has joined the team as Vice President, Process Sciences.  Lorraine Blackman has been hired as Head, Human Resources, US.  These are newly created positions and both will be part of the senior leadership team at the rapidly growing site.

Dr. Ralf Otto, COO of Rentschler Biopharma SE as well as President and CEO of its U.S. subsidiary, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Hemant and Lorraine to Rentschler Biopharma.  Lorraine’s and Hemant’s expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand our client base and facility as we grow our U.S. footprint and establish our North American Center of Excellence in Milford.”

Dr. Hemant Kumar brings over 20 years of experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing to Rentschler Biopharma, where he will lead the upstream, downstream and analytical process development and technical services teams. Hemant will play a key role as the site develops new technologies and transitions to a multi-product facility.  He will oversee all scientific and technical aspects and provide technical support for the Milford site.  Hemant joins Rentschler Biopharma from AnaptysBio, where he was Senior Vice President, Process Development & Manufacturing Operations.  Prior to that, he was Global Head of Biologics Product Development at Merck Biologics & Vaccines, which followed tenures at Sanofi Genzyme, Lonza Biologics, Sanofi Pasteur and Ortho/J&J.

Lorraine Blackman brings nearly 20 years of human resources and operations experience, including in fast-growth environments. Her strong expertise in change management and HR strategy will be critical as she leads all aspects of human resources recruitment, training and retention at the Milford site and drives the U.S. integration. She will work closely with the senior leadership to foster an environment of collaboration and innovation where employees can thrive. Prior to joining Rentschler Biopharma, Lorraine was Director, Human Resources, North America at a biopharmaceutical CDMO.  She previously worked as an HR executive at a variety of firms and has experience building the HR function during a time of rapid expansion.

Karen Savage, Vice President and Milford site head, added:  “It is exciting to fill these two ‘mission critical’ positions with such highly qualified individuals, and I am pleased to welcome both Lorraine and Hemant to Milford.  Hemant is an experienced technical industry veteran, and I am confident that, under his leadership, our process sciences group will thrive, developing new, innovative solutions for our clients. Lorraine’s wealth of HR experience in rapidly changing environments is just the expertise we need as we look to not only hire new but retain existing talent and create the best atmosphere for our employees to prosper and our business to grow.”

About Rentschler Biopharma’s U.S. site

Rentschler Biopharma acquired its U.S. site, located in Milford, MA in the greater Boston area, in early 2019. The acquisition is greatly amplifying the Company’s ability to develop new technologies and offer clients highly innovative solutions. Rentschler Biopharma has taken the first step in an expansion project to grow its U.S. footprint and establish a Center of Excellence in North America, putting into operation a single-use bioreactor for the 93,000 square foot Milford facility. The system is planned to be client-ready in mid-2020. With its innovative and highly flexible business model, the Milford site is already taking on new projects, including complex and difficult-to-manufacture proteins, such as multispecific antibodies. Further expansion planning includes another building for large-scale manufacturing, which will also be single-use bioreactor manufacturing, as well as lab capacity for new modalities.

About Rentschler Biopharma SE

Rentschler Biopharma is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), focused exclusively on client projects. From its headquarters in Laupheim, Germany, and its site in Milford, MA, USA, Rentschler Biopharma offers process development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals as well as related consulting activities, including project management and regulatory support. Rentschler Biopharma's high quality is proven by its long-standing experience and excellence as a solution partner for its clients. A high-level quality management system, a well-established operational excellence philosophy and advanced technologies ensure product quality and productivity at each development and manufacturing step. In order to offer optimal solutions across the entire value chain, the Company has entered into a strategic alliance with Leukocare AG for formulation development and with Rentschler Fill Solutions GmbH for fill & finish services. Rentschler Biopharma is a family-owned company with more than 850 employees. For further information, please visit www.rentschler-biopharma.com.

Contact:

Rentschler Biopharma SE
Dr. Cora Kaiser
Senior Director Corporate Communication
Phone: +49-7392-701-874
communications@rentschler-biopharma.com