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Management and Operations team

Stefan Johansson

             Stefan Johansson,                             CEO & Co-founder

Stefan Johansson is a Consultant Neonatologist and Associate Professor and has a Ph.D. in epidemiology and biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet. He founded 99nicu.org and ebneo.org, and has vast knowledge in research design through several large-scale projects. 
Philipp Novak

                       Philip Novak,                                               Co-founder

Philipp Novak holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine and an MSc in pharmaceutical medicine and has more than 14 years of industry experience. Philipp is the CEO and founder of Orphanix GmbH, a firm for niche and orphan medical treatments.

Vera Westin

                    Vera Westin,                               Customer Support Manager

Vera Westin is a dietitian and worked at the Karolinska University Hospital between 1980 and 2018. She holds a Ph.D. in neonatal nutrition. She has expertise in preterm infants’ nutrition and growth.

Frank Alkenbrecher

         Frank Alkenbrecher,                    European Sales Manager

Frank Alkenbrecher is located in Berlin, has an MBA degree from the University of North Carolina and a MA degree from the University of Economics, Austria. He has 28 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical industry internationally and has worked with various specialty field. 
Caroline Boström

                Caroline Boström,                                  Sales Manager UK

Caroline Boström is located in London, holds an MSc in Biomedical Physics and BSc in Biomedical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. She has also studied International Business in the US. She has previously worked at hospitals as a Biomedical Engineer and wrote her master’s thesis in the Biophysics area.
Gabriella Gröndahl

                Gabriella Gröndhal,                                  Business Analyst

Gabriella Gröndahl holds a BSc in Business Management and Administration from Corvinus University, Hungary, and pursues a Master’s Degree in Accounting and Management Control at Stockholm University. Gabriella has experience working as a Financial Analyst within the investment banking industry.
Sneha Challapilli

                  Sneha Challapilli,                                   Project lead: NPD

Sneha Challapilli holds a BSc in Biotechnology Engineering from India and an MSc in Bioentrepreneurship from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. With experience in both life science and digital marketing, she coordinates sales and marketing strategies.
Vesa Loponen

                     Vesa Loponen,                                    Business Consultant

Vesa Loponen has extensive international experience in business management. He has worked almost 4 decades in marketing, sales and general management for both national and international pharmaceutical companies. 
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                    Dóra Markó,                                        Business Analyst

Dora holds a BSc in Corporate Finance from a joint program of International Business School and Buckingham University and pursues MSc in Accounting and Management Control at Stockholm University. She has prior experience working in the healthcare industry.
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                     Víctor Navas, 

S          Senior Medical Officer-                                      Spain

Victor Navas (MD, Ph.D.) is a medical doctor with 7 years in clinical practice and has 24 years of extensive experience in the pharma industry within roles such as Medical Affairs Director and General Manager.  
Carla - professional photo

                   Carla Martino, 

S          Regional Sales Manager,                                         Italy                               

Carla Martino holds an MSc in Industrial Biotechnology from the University of Milano-Bicocca and a postgraduate specialization in pharmaceutical marketing and management from ISTUM Institute, Italy. She has over 3 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in different therapeutic areas.

 

Scientific Advisory Board

Janet Berrington

Janet Berrington is a consultant neonatal paediatrician and senior lecturer in Newcastle, UK. Her MD research was on neonatal immunology and she has ongoing research including clinical and translational elements. Janet Berrington is manager of the Great North Neonatal Biobank, a co-app in the EME funded mechanistic microbiomic and metabolomic study (MAGPIE, Mechanisms Affecting the Gut of Preterm Infants in Enteral feeding trials), and a member of the UK Neonatal Nutrition Network.

Francesco Cardona

Francesco Cardona is a Consultant Neonatologist at the Medical University Vienna, Austria. He has a Masters Degree in Epidemiology. His previous research was at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology conducting interventional studies. Currently he is doing research on the Austrian birth registry. Francesco Cardona is also an administrator of the 99nicu.org community, project-leading the annual conference Future of Neonatal Care, AKA as the #99nicuMeetup.

Nicholas Embleton

Nicholas Embleton is a Consultant Neonatologist (appointed 2003) and Honorary Reader at Newcastle University, UK. His MD research was on protein requirements in preterm infants (awarded 2002). Since then he has developed a wide research portfolio including large studies funded by the NIHR. Nicholas Embleton is a member of the Committee of Nutrition, ESPGHAN. He also has extensive experience of qualitative studies with parents of preterm infants who did not survive. His research group website is www.neonatalresearch.net.

Per Torp Sangild

Per Torp Sangild is a Professor in Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition at University of Copenhagen, Denmark and holds part-time appointments at Copenhagen and Odense University Hospitals. His degrees are PhD (1990), DVSc (1996) and DMSc (2010), all from University of Copenhagen. Research focus is on clinical nutrition and developmental gastroenterology with long experience in using animal (piglet) models for infants, particularly preterm infants. He is leading an international research network, NEOMUNE/NEOCOL, investigating milk and microbiota effects on immunity, gut and brain development (Danish Research Council, 2013-2021, www.neomune.ku.dk).

Marijn J. Vermeulen

Marijn J. Vermeulen is a Consultant Neonatologist, at Erasmus University Medical Center in The Netherlands, since 2008. Her clinical focus is on nutrition and growth after preterm birth. She is actively involved in the national neonatal parent advocacy organisation. As a senior researcher and clinical epidemiologist, she runs clinical studies (mainly in premature infants) and population based studies (embedded in Generation R and Generation R Next), on fetal and neonatal growth and the role of nutrition (including breast feeding, iron status) and circadian rhythm.

Frank Jochum

Frank Jochum is a paediatrician specialised in neonatology, paediatric intensive medicine, and paediatric clinical nutrition. After being the medical director of the Ev. Waldkrankenhaus Spandau in Berlin 2008-2014, he is now the Head of its Department of Paediatrics. Frank Jochum has several board and advisor appointments, including the “Vereinigung leitender Kinderärzte und Kinderchirurgen Deutschlands“ (VLKKD) and the German Hospital Federation (DKG). He is also author on numerous national and international publications in medical journals and books.


Board of Directors

Mårten Österlund 

Mårten Österlund has a PhD from Uppsala University and post doctorate studies at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France. He spent his working years in various leading positions at a number of pharmaceutical companies such as Karo Bio, Affibody and Meda. With extensive knowledge from the pharmaceutical market and having participated in research and clinical development of pharmaceuticals and documented knowledge in successful launches of innovative products. In 2018 Mårten Österlund founded Pharma Way AB.

Ann-Charlotte Beckman

Ann-Charlotte Beckman has extensive experience from marketing and sales in the European life science industry. She has over 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship and board work in owner-led companies and over 5 years of experience of being a business angel and external member of start-ups and scale-up companies in life science and healthtech. Ann-Charlotte was previously CEO at Netdoktor.se and has a background as a nurse.  

Stefan Johansson

Stefan Johansson, also CEO, is a Consultant Neonatologist and Associate Professor, and holds a PhD in epidemiology and biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet. In addition to be a social entrepreneur, being founder of 99nicu.org and ebneo.org, he has vast knowledge in research design and works in several large-scale projects. With his methodological expertise, Stefan Johansson has published on a large variety of research topics, including very preterm birth, maternal obesity, patent ductus arteriosus, neonatal jaundice, Down syndrome and birth asphyxia.

Kristina Magnusson Borg

Kristina Magnusson Borg has worked more than 35 years within the pharmaceutical and probiotic industries. Her experience ranges from basic and clinical research, business development to marketing & sales in senior and strategic positions on a global market. Kristina holds a Ph Licentiate degree in Medical Science, Karolinska Institute, as well as an Executive MBA. 

Philipp Novak

Philipp Novak, also COO, holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine and an MSc in pharmaceutical medicine, and has more than 14 years of industry experience, involving global roles in Research & Development and Innovation. Philipp Novak is also CEO and founder of orphanix GmbH, a development firm for medical treatments of rare and neglected diseases.

Jens Sandström

Jens Sandström has a broad commercial and industrial background with many years in leading positions with emphasis on strategy development and implementation, investment assessments, leadership and change management, sales, product management and marketing. Jens has a background in operational roles within the life science industry and in management consulting.  

Staffan Thunell (Chairman)

Staffan Thunell has a long background in entrepreneurship within the life science industry. He has 20+ years of experience from positions as Founder, Chairman, CEO and CFO within medical affairs consulting and small pharma (most recently for Arex Advisor). Previously, Staffan had executive positions in marketing and portfolio development in big pharma and specialty pharma companies.


Business Advisors

Gustav Johansson

Gustav Johansson holds a Bsc of business and economics, focused on accounting and finance, from Stockholm School of Economics. His analytic experience includes internships at Goldman Sachs (London office) and Altor (Stockholm office).

Bernd Kuntscher

Bernd Kuntscher has a BSc in Business Administration and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics. He has 28 years of experience in marketing and sales, market research and general management from the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. Bernd Kuntscher has worked at big pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca and small, very specialised, companies such as Recordati Rare Diseases (previously Orphan Europe) where he is working now as General Manager for the Nordics & Baltics. He has experience from many different therapeutic areas, incuding rare metabolic diseases.