TEAM AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Catalysts for sustainable growth

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Our experienced and qualified management team meets the challenges and promotes our values daily. They make up a dynamic team which guides our company towards sustainable growth and European expansion.

Vincent Stéphenne – General Manager

Vincent has taken on the responsibility of Managing Director at BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING, a position that he has held since September 2012, in which he can make good use of his top level training and professional experience. After graduating as a doctor in applied sciences, he also took an MBA at the Louvain School of Management (LSM – UCL). His professional career started in research and development at TOTAL, in particular providing technical market support, then for BAXTER as a Project Manager.

Christophe Montavon – Operations Director

After obtaining his degree in mechanical engineering (at UTBM in France), Christophe joined BAXTER R&D Europe in 2009 and held various positions in innovation, product development and production processes. After occupying the positions of Technical Leader then Manager of an engineering team, Christophe joined BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING in 2019 as a Project Manager.

Benjamin Mambour – Qualified Person

Benjamin is an industrial pharmacist and Qualified Person recognised by the Belgian authorities who started his career as a QA Manager/QP for 3 pharmaceutical production sites, in Belgium and the Netherlands, for FAGRON. After a consulting mission for GSK, Benjamin joined BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING in 2016.

David Van Zuylen – Administrative/Financial Director

David holds a Licence’s degree in Business Management with a focus on auditing and accounting (FuCam – UCL). He joined BePharBel Manufacturing in 2022. David worked at Deloitte for 4 years in audit before spending nearly 15 years at the VELUX Group in various financial leadership roles in Europe. He further diversified his experience by joining a IT company for almost 2 years, guiding it through its restructuring process until it was acquired by a major IT corporation. He then joined the financial consulting company ARGAFIN in 2022, where he serves as CFO at BePharBel.

Aude Loix – R&D Director

After more than 26 years of experience in Research & Development, mainly at Baxter International Inc., Aude enthusiastically joined the BePharbel Manufacturing team. She has notably led global teams in the development of new drugs as a seasoned leader. She has also managed a complex program in Clinical Nutrition. Aude demonstrates significant expertise in creating multicultural and multidisciplinary teams, as well as implementing new processes, especially in continuous improvement. Aude is the mother of 2 turbulent teenagers as we love them and particularly enjoys nature and sports.

Olivier Laloux – Quality Control Director

Olivier holds a PhD in molecular biology. He worked for GSK for more than twenty years, where he held various senior positions within the scope of vaccine development. Since 2016, he has actively contributed to the rise of BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING through his involvement in the management committee, implementing and managing the quality control laboratories, as well as ensuring the development of R&D projects in close collaboration with university partners.

Toan-Danh Dang – QA Director

After graduating with a master in industrial pharmacy, Danh has worked for 8 years in quality assurance. After obtaining his QP certification in 2013 with the Labima firm, he directly took on roles of responsibility enabling him to gain a clear vision of the pharmaceutical industry and quality systems (as Operational QA manager at DELPHARM and Deputy QP for ZOETIS). In 2018, he joined BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING as Deputy QP and became head of the QA team in 2020.

David Wyngaert – Business Development Director

David has been responsible for customer relations at BePharBel Manufacturing since August 2019, working as an independent consultant. After his university education in molecular biology at FUNDP (Namur), he devoted his career to commercial relationships within service companies in the pharmaceutical industry.

Scientific Advisors

Georges Guillaume

Georges is a qualified pharmacist and pharmacy manager. Through his experience as an industrial pharmacist, he has gained in-depth knowledge of production management and pharmaceutical distribution. After having occupied the positions of factory head pharmacist (STEROP) and vaccine production director (SMITH KLINE), he today still holds important positions within Belgian professional pharmacy organisations. Georges has been BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING since its creation in 2012.

Luc Ostyn

Following a long career at GSK, Luc has accumulated significant and successful experience of over 40 years in vaccine production. From field to management positions, he has covered almost all operational areas in primary and secondary production, QC, maintenance and engineering. By sharing his expertise and accumulated experiences, his advice greatly contributes to the development of Bepharbel Manufacturing.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bernard Jolly – President

Bernard Jolly graduated from the ICHEC. With his family, he runs one of the biggest organic farms in Belgium. Along with his wife, he created the NAXHELET GOLF RESORT (ranked 66th in Europe and the best in Belgium according to Leadingcourses).

He represents the family holding CHENICLEM Private Equity on the board of directors of several companies in which they have stakes, including NOMAINVEST and BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING.

Denis Bedoret

Denis Bedoret joined Imcyse in September 2020 as CEO. Prior to joining Imcyse, Denis was CEO at MaSTherCell SA Belgium and President of MaSTherCell Global Inc.U.S. for four years. Under his leadership, the company expanded significantly growing from 60 to 260 employees and positioning as a leader in the field of CDMO’s dedicated to cell and gene therapies products. Prior to his position at MaSTherCell, Denis held the position of CEO at Quality Assistance S.A. Through these experiences, Denis has gained strong expertise in the global development of innovative human medical products with a focus on biologicals as well as in corporate strategy development and implementation. Denis holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine, a Ph.D. in Life Sciences from the University of Liège and a postdoc in Immunology from Harvard Medical School.

Fabrice Carosella

Fabrice Carosella, currently financial advisor with SAMBRINVEST, a regional public investment firm, has proven skills in commercial development and financial management of small and medium-sized businesses (with SODIE, an economic development consultancy). He has acquired broad experience of contacts and dealing with banks, investment firms and local authorities, having developed many projects on their behalf.

Jean-Jacques Delens

Jean-Jacques Delens graduated as a construction civil engineer from UCL and devoted a significant part of his professional career to the domain of construction and property development with the BESIX group. These experiences led him to amplify certain sensitivities, especially corporate responsibility approaches and the development of micro-credits in Africa. Investment in start-ups and small and medium-sized businesses is part of his strategy. The recent creation of a private social housing fund is further evidence to back up this approach.

Antoine De Mortemart

Antoine de Mortemart is the co-founder of the IRIS investment firm.

Yves Noel

Yves Noël graduated in economics (Ulg). He represents NOMAINVEST on the BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING Board of Directors and is Chairman of NMC International SA as well as being a director of various Belgian and German companies.

NOMAINVEST is a Belgian family holding based in Eupen. Among its main investors are NMC International (Luxembourg), SPRIMOGLASS (Sprimont, Belgium) QUIP AG (Baesweiler, Germany), NANOCYL (Sambreville, Belgium) and several other companies from Belgium, Germany, France and Luxembourg.

Bernard Pluta

Bernard Pluta is serving as member of our Board of Directors after previously serving as President Development Services and Managing Director Venture Fund at Recipharm. Bernard brings over 25 years of senior management experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining Recipharm, he has worked in R&D, strategic alliances, commercial development, and industrial operations for Theramex, Merck Serono and Teva. During these years, Bernard held general management, strategy and operations roles, owning global P&L responsibility, running multiple functions and leading multi-site organizations across geographies and markets; and he played a pivotal role in driving growth strategies, business scale-up and turnarounds. Bernard Pluta holds an engineer degree from French Grande of Arts & Métiers and an executive Master of Business Administration from Hult Ashridge, UK.

Jean Stéphenne

Jean Stéphenne put his skills for 40 years as an agronomist specialised in chemistry and bio-industry at the service of development and production of vaccines for GSK BIOLOGICALS. Under his direction, the Belgian production site developed into a renowned international centre, incorporating research, clinical studies, production and global marketing. His experience has led him to hold the presidency of the Union Wallonne des Entreprises business federation and to involvement in a number of companies as a board member. In recognition of his contribution to the Belgian economy and global public health, he has obtained many distinctions and has been rewarded with the honours of several titles from the Belgian and British governments.

Vincent Stéphenne

Cyril Wolkonsky

Cyril Wolkonsky is a member of a family that is very active in the pharmaceutical industry and boasts double experience in banking (after 30 years with the financing and investment divisions of PARIBAS and then BNP PARIBAS) and entrepreneurship (through investments in private equity). Today, he is the co-founder and leader of the IRIS investment firm, whose goal is to invest in small and medium-sized businesses with high growth potential.