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 Manager

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.

Valérie Roels – Human Resources Manager

Valérie has a bachelor in personnel administration and management as well as a diploma in coaching from the ICF (International Coaching Federation). Her professional career includes firm experience in administration, office management, recruitment, management and personnel development, both in the public sector, in which she worked for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (at the Belgian Embassy in London), and in the private sector (with WPP and FLEISHMANN-HILLARD, both public affairs and communication consultancy firms). As Senior HR Manager at BONE THERAPEUTICS from 2009, Valérie developed a HR network and gained a wealth of contacts in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Valérie joined the BEPHARBEL MANUFACTURING team at the start of 2020.

Arnaud Navez – Chief Financial Officer

Arnaud is a business engineer who graduated from the Louvain School of Management (LSM – UCL). He joined BePharBel Manufacturing in 2017. Arnaud previously worked for KPMG as a Junior Manager in auditing, then as CFO for Benelux and Europe for major multi-nationals. In 2015, he took on the running of a financial consultancy firm. Arnaud is active as a sponsor for the Réseau Entreprendre network and the Fondation pour la Jeune Entreprise (FJE). He also participates in the supervision of student groups of the CPME business creation programme run by LSM (UCL).

Olivier Laloux – Quality Control Manager

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 Manager

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.

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

Jean Stéphenne – President

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.

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.

Bernard Jolly

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.

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.

Anne Prignon

Anne Prignon graduated in economical science before obtaining a master in management and started her career as a university researcher and assistant. She then worked for the Belgian Finance Ministry and then, for more than fifteen years, in the banking sector, particularly in corporate banking. In 2003, Anne Prignon joined SOWALFIN to become manager of Service Invests and carry out implementation and management of SOFINEX. In late 2004, she joined the Cabinet of Minister Marcourt, at the Belgian Ministry of the Economy, Business and External Trade as deputy private secretary in charge of restructuring businesses and financing, including relations with public financial institutions and private investment funds. In July 2008, Anne Prignon took on the management of SAMBRINVEST.

Jacques Reymann

As a civil engineer, Jacques Reymann has achieved an international career in the sector of technical installations and services, chiefly for the FABRICOM group (with TRACTEBEL and then ENGIE) for whom he was Director and CEO for many years. He was then chairman of ENTREPOSE CONTRACTING and contributed to establishing several innovative start-ups including BONE THERAPEUTICS. This company, which he co-founded and advised until 2012, is specialised in the development of cell therapy.

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.