Our dynamic team
ILC Therapeutics has a world-class scientific and commercial team lead by industry veterans who have started and grown multiple life sciences businesses.
Our executive team
Dr Alan Walker
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Alan is an experienced CEO with 51 years’ experience in big and small pharma and biotech. He spent 28 years in Warner Lambert and eight years as commercial head of ProStrakan before becoming joint (co-founder) CEO Internis until exit. Recently Alan was CEO of Ryboquin, the gene engineering company, and Nanogenics, which was acquired by Ryboquin.
Prof. W. H. Stimson FRSB, FRSE
Chief Scientific Officer
Bill is the founder of the Department of Immunology at The University of Strathclyde. He has been involved in eight start-up/spin-out biotech companies. He has also been a long-term consultant to five multinational companies including Akzo Nobel (Organon), Rhone-Poulenc, Johnson & Johnson and Viragen Inc. Bill has published 216 scientific papers and 75 patents. He was involved in the use of the first human monoclonal antibodies for cancer therapy.
Julie Teague
certified and chartered accountant
Julie is a certified and chartered accountant who has worked for over two decades in executive finance roles. Prior to joining ILC, Julie has served in CFO and MD roles, with oversight of finance, HR, sales & marketing and IT. In addition, she co-founded a health supplement e-commerce (exited 2023) and Turnkey, a venture partner studio providing services for equity in start-up/spin-outs. She has led multiple successful raises and exits and provides financial clarity for effective decision-making in fast-paced corporate environments.
Dr Dawn Firmin
HEAD OF TECHNICAL OPERATIONS
Dawn has over a decade of experience in managing the various phases of the drug development process, including pre-clinical, CMC, primary pharmacology, GLP toxicology and safety pharmacology, as well as clinical trials and regulatory involvement. Prior to joining ILC, Dawn has held key roles at Charles River Laboratories, MGB Biopharma and EnteroBiotix. Throughout her career, she has forged relationships with industry partners, academic institutions, regulatory institutes and funding bodies.
Our non-executive team
Peter Bains
Chair
Peter has more than three decades of leadership experience in the bio pharmaceutical industry including senior strategic and operational roles in a 20-year career with GSK. He more recently served as CEO of Syngene ,where he led a successful IPO and listing in India, and Sosei Heptares, a Japanese publicly listed company, where he led the acquisition of Heptares. Peter currently serves on the Boards of MiNA Therapeutics, a private UK biotech where he is also CBO, Indivior, a FTSE-listed public company, and he is a Managing Partner of Twiga Group LLC.
Kevin Grainger
Kevin is a serial technology entrepreneur with over 40 years’ experience. He has successfully established and exited a number of technology businesses. Kevin established the St Andrews-based EOS Investment Syndicate in 2014, which is a group of private angel impact investors focused on providing seed funding for Scottish early stage science and technology opportunities which have global potential.
Richard Morgan
Richard Morgan is a Managing Partner of Twiga Group LLC. He has played an active role in the development of over 40 life science and technology companies, including MediSense, Quidel, Celgene (all listed on NASDAQ) and, most recently, Kromek Group, MotifBio, and Polarean Imaging, each of which was listed on the London Stock Exchange. Richard co-founded Celgene in 1987 and was on the board for 20 years, serving as Chairman and CEO before recruiting a new CEO. He was Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Amphion Innovations plc. Prior to founding Amphion, he was a Managing Partner at Wolfensohn Partners LP, which followed 15 years at Schroders plc, then a leading British merchant bank.
Professor David Harrison
David is Professor of Pathology at the University of St Andrews, and Director of iCAIRD, a Scotland-wide AI research centre in pathology and radiology. He is also Honorary Consultant Histopathologist at NHS Lothian and clinical lead responsible for oversight of use of human tissue in research. His research interests include quantitative pathology and the determination of cell fate after injury.
Chris Brinsmead CBE
Chris is chairman of the board at Proveca Ltd, Bioscript Ltd and Peakdata AG. He is a non-executive director of Optibiotox Plc and ILC Therapeutics Ltd and a partner at EOS LLC. He has extensive non-executive board experience serving on public, private and charity boards in Life Sciences and other sectors following a 30-year executive career with AstraZeneca. Chris was appointed a CBE in January 2015 for services to Life Science.
Robert Kopple
Bob has practiced law in Los Angeles, California, for more than 40 years in the field of taxation and business law. As an entrepreneur, he has financed more than a dozen small companies, including several involved in medical science. Bob currently sits on the board of directors of several biotechnology companies, including MiNA Therapeutics.
Chris Wardhaugh
Chris has worked with a number of life sciences companies as both a Director and Non-Executive Director. He has broad experience with a strong commercial focus. He has led and executed transactions valued in excess of $800million.
