The Management Team
STEPHANE ARGIVIER | CEO
Stephane is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in the In-Vitro Diagnostics and Life Science reagents industry, built over 22 years working for organisations such as the BBI Group, SCIPAC and Life Technologies. Since 1999, Stephane has held leadership and commercial executive positions in small, medium size and multinational organisations, bringing new products and technologies to market to address unmet needs and in response to customer demand for innovative and customised solutions. Stephane has a strong track-record of building and scaling business units and management teams.
He has led the transition to the next phase of business cycles from strategic planning to execution, delivering consistent double-digit growth for UK private owners or as part of NASDAQ quoted and Private Equity owned companies. During his career, he has led or facilitated successful divestments, acquisitions, and integrations. Stephane holds a Master in International Business and a Degree in Applied Biology.
ALAN THOMSON | CSO
Alan has over 20 years of experience in the diagnostics industry, having worked for Axis-Shield, Unilever, Unipath and Alere (formerly Inverness Medical) in his career. His roles have involved managing fundamental research, technical scouting, product launch and manufacturing, and on-market support for a number of diagnostic products. Alan has extensive experience of all aspects of the product launch cycle, including taking the Alere HeartCheck product from the patent stage as an inventor to full market launch with CE Marking and ISO Accreditation.
Alan’s most recent position prior to joining MIP was as Technical Director of Relitect Limited, a start-up company spun out of the University of Leeds. In that position he led the research and development, established premises, recruited the technical team, set up the company infrastructure and was instrumental in securing over £2M in funding. More recently, Alan has been instrumental in supporting the team in gaining the latest investment – leading to his promotion to CSO. In this new role he is key to growing the technical and R&D teams to advance the company’s core technology and increase production capabilities.
DR BRIAN BURKE | CCO
Dr Brian Burke has an extensive background in building successful business through technology translation and strategic partnering, focusing particularly on the application of technologies such as gene editing and next generation sequencing. Working in different sized businesses ranging from start-ups to multi-nationals, Dr Burke has led across multiple functions including sales, corporate development, strategy, and product management.
As part of the executive team at Horizon Discovery, he helped build the diagnostic reference standard and bioproduction businesses before moving to lead strategy. In 2020 as part of the Horizon executive team, he was instrumental in selling the company to PerkinElmer in 2020. Dr Burke has as first class honours degree from the University of Glasgow and a PhD from Leeds University.
MICHELLE COLLIS | CFO
Michelle is a Chartered Management Accountant with over 25 years of experience in finance, primarily working with Small and Mid-sized entities from single UK entities to complex, multinational organisations. She has supported companies through multiple funding rounds, mergers and acquisitions and IPO’s. She has extensive experience of working within companies that are pushing the boundaries of scientific and technological knowledge, in both biotech and hi-tech sectors.
Her experience incorporates contract negotiations, quality management, front line IT and HR support, through to strategic planning and execution, as well as leading and mentoring international finance teams.
JESSE SHEARIN | COO
Jesse joined MIP Discovery in October 2020 as an accomplished operations leader. Jesse has extensive experience in Operational Excellence strategy development and deployment with large multinational chemical companies, including PPG Industries and Sherwin-Williams. He has coached projects at all levels from the shop floor to the executive suite in a variety of environments.
For many years Jesse facilitated workshops and training sessions for the University of Pittsburgh’s Centre for Executive Education and the Office of Technology Management, focusing on leadership, creative thinking and leading change. Jesse holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering and an MBA.
Board of Directors
MIKE EVANS | CHAIRMAN
Dr. Mike Evans is a seasoned Chair / Non-Executive with a successful track record in Life Science and In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVD). Mike was formerly CEO of Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) for 13 years, where he led the company’s transformation from a licensing-led business model to a highly successful genomic products business before its sale to Sysmex Corporation in 2017. Before joining OGT, Mike held a number of senior positions at GE Healthcare/Amersham Biosciences, and Ascot plc.
Mike has also held several non-executive directorships and was Chairman of TAP Biosystems Group plc until its sale to Sartorius Stedim Biotech. Mike obtained a BA, MA, and DPhil in Biochemistry from Oxford University.
MICHELE PEDROCCHI
Michele Pedrocchi is an experienced international Life Science Executive, as Non-Executive Director. He has previously spent 27 years at Roche Diagnostics in various senior roles including Global Head of Strategy and Business Development for the Diagnostics division. Michele has built over 25 years of international management expertise in healthcare within corporate strategy, commercial and business development. He brings significant knowledge of diverse business segments including fully regulated healthcare products, life science, precision medicine and digital health products.
Michele has a track record of profitably growing businesses in emerging and mature markets. He is currently an Independent Strategic Advisor and Non-Executive Director to private and public healthcare companies.
MARK PAYTON | MERCIA
Dr Mark Payton has extensive private investment and scale-up experience. Since co-founding Mercia he has led the sales of Hybrid Systems (to Myotec) to create PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd, Warwick Effect Polymers Ltd (to Polytherics Ltd) to create Abzena plc and led the founding investment in Allinea Software Ltd (sold to ARM). Prior to Mercia, Mark played a leading role within Oxford University Innovation (“OUI”, the technology transfer operation of the University of Oxford), spinning out BioAnalab (sold to Millipore), Oxford Immunotec (listed on NASDAQ), Oxitec (sold to Intrexon) and Natural Motion (sold to Zynga).
Following his time at OUI Mark was the vice president corporate development at Oxxon Therapeutics Inc, prior to its sale to Oxford BioMedica plc. He gained his PhD jointly between the University of Oxford and the University of London (King’s College). Mark also has an MBA from the University of Warwick, is a Sainsbury Management Fellow for Life Sciences and was awarded the 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year(regional and national).
ELIZABETH KLEIN | CALCULUS CAPITAL
Elizabeth joined Calculus Capital in 2022 and has over 20 years’ experience in Life Science investing. Elizabeth joined Calculus from Klein-Edmonds Associates, which she founded in 2015 to support and advise stakeholders in the UK’s Life Sciences industry. Her career spans equity research and investment analysis, and her client base included – amongst others – Radnor Capital Partners, Grant Thornton, and the Bio-Industry Association. She has a BSc in Applied Biology, an MA in History of Medicine, and an MBA. Elizabeth’s role is to source and execute new deals, as well as advising several Calculus’ portfolio companies.
NATHAN HEATH | BGF
Nathan joined BGF in 2018 from Grant Thornton, where he was an Associate Director in their Corporate Finance Team. Nathan has experience of working across a range of sectors – as an investor he sees a lot of the common challenges faced by growing SME’s, both within the life sciences sector and more broadly, and greatly enjoys working with investee companies as they navigate through strategic challenges and opportunities. Nathan is a Chartered Accountant with the ICAEW and lives with his wife and young daughter in Cambridge.
WILL BROOKS | DOWNING
Growing up in the Western Highlands of Scotland gave Will an appreciation for the outdoors and a thick skin for rugby that he follows religiously. A love for travel took him out of Scotland to the University of Munich for post-doctoral research where his career and expertise has gone from strength to strength. Will is now a leading authority in the healthcare investment space with over 30 years’ experience in healthcare and biotechnology and over 18 years’ experience in venture capital across Europe and the US.
He is now based in Brussels. The thing that Will is really excited about is the human genome being sequenced that he heralds as a development that is going to transform society.
STEPHANE ARGIVIER | MIP DISCOVERY
Stephane is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in the In-Vitro Diagnostics and Life Science reagents industry, built over 22 years working for organisations such as the BBI Group, SCIPAC and Life Technologies. Since 1999, Stephane has held leadership and commercial executive positions in small, medium size and multinational organisations, bringing new products and technologies to market to address unmet needs and in response to customer demand for innovative and customised solutions. Stephane has a strong track-record of building and scaling business units and management teams.
He has led the transition to the next phase of business cycles from strategic planning to execution, delivering consistent double-digit growth for UK private owners or as part of NASDAQ quoted and Private Equity owned companies. During his career, he has led or facilitated successful divestments, acquisitions, and integrations. Stephane holds a Master in International Business and a Degree in Applied Biology.
MICHELLE COLLIS | MIP DISCOVERY
Michelle is a Chartered Management Accountant with over 25 years of experience in finance, primarily working with Small and Mid-sized entities from single UK entities to complex, multinational organisations. She has supported companies through multiple funding rounds, mergers and acquisitions and IPO’s. She has extensive experience of working within companies that are pushing the boundaries of scientific and technological knowledge, in both biotech and hi-tech sectors.
Her experience incorporates contract negotiations, quality management, front line IT and HR support, through to strategic planning and execution, as well as leading and mentoring international finance teams.
