Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult CEO to Retire
Keith Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, will be retiring in April 2020 after eight years in the role
LONDON, UK, 26 September 2019 – Keith Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), will retire in April 2020 having established the company in 2012 and will have dedicated eight years to building a Cell and Gene Therapy industry in the UK. Going forward, Keith intends to stay engaged with the industry with a portfolio of activities.
Keith has led the company to make a strong impact on building the cell and gene therapy ecosystem both in the UK and internationally. He has built a team of over 200 cell and gene therapy experts in state-of-the-art laboratories in London and a unique large-scale manufacturing centre in Stevenage forming Europe’s largest cluster of Cell and gene therapy companies.
Keith has dedicated his career to the life sciences, he is also currently a Director of the UK Bio Industry Association, a Director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine and serves on the ISCT Strategic Advisory Council. His career has spanned leadership positions in Biotechnology companies in the UK and US as well as the Scottish National Blood transfusion Service prior to the CGT Catapult.
John Brown, Chairman of the CGT Catapult, said:
“Keith has done a magnificent job in leading and developing the CGT Catapult into the world leading organisation it is today. It has been a privilege to work with him. There are few people with his breadth and depth of experience, and I hope we will see his continued involvement in other roles in this fast growing sector. "
Keith Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, said:
“It has been my absolute pleasure to serve as Chief Executive of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and grow it from just an idea to the major force it has become. We have undoubtedly succeeded in our mission to accelerate the growth of the industry in the UK which is now thriving amidst one of the world’s best developed advanced therapy ecosystems. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved at the Catapult and it has been a privilege to work with such talented colleagues across the whole organisation and with many partners and collaborators. The time is right for me to step back and I have taken the decision to retire at the end of April 2020 when I will be 63 and after 8 years leading the Catapult. This will give plenty of time for our Chairman John Brown to recruit a successor and effect a transition. Whilst I am retiring as CEO I do plan to stay engaged with the industry with a portfolio of activities. I am sure that the Catapult will go from strength to strength, in the meantime I will remain fully focussed on delivering the Catapult’s mission.”
The process to appoint his successor will start shortly.
About CGT Catapult
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 180 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, it works with partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. It offers leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. Its aim is to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information please visit ct.catapult.org.uk or visit http://www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.
