BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PAUL R. FONTEYNE

CHAIRMAN

With more than 30 years of global pharmaceutical experience, Paul Fonteyne’s career spans over three decades of leadership roles across North America and Europe with companies including Boehringer-Ingelheim, Merck, and Abbott Laboratories. Until 2018, he was President and CEO, Boehringer-Ingelheim USA. He is past board member of the National Pharmaceutical Council and PhRMA, He serve on the boards of ResTORbio Inc., Gelesis Inc, and Ypsomed AG, Mr. Fonteyne holds an MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, and a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Brussels, Belgium.

FOUZIA LAGHRISSI-THODE, M.D.

DIRECTOR

Fouzia Laghrissi-Thode, was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of DalCor Pharmaceuticals in April 2018. Most recently, Dr. Laghrissi-Thode was Vice-President at AstraZeneca of the US Renal-Cardiology Therapeutic Area. In her previous roles she led the global product and portfolio strategy of the cardiovascular, metabolism and renal therapeutic areas at AstraZeneca and Roche. She has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical industry leadership experience in US and Europe through working in clinical development, global strategic marketing, business development, licensing and M&A. She is a director on the board of Minerva Neurosciences Inc., Nuro Corp. and DalCor Pharmaceuticals. She served as a board member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Europe and was recognized by HBA in 2012 for her work in developing and promoting women leadership in healthcare. From 1992 to 2014, she held an appointment as faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Dr. Laghrissi-Thode is board certified in Psychiatry and holds Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Tours School of Medicine in France.

HENRY D’ABO

DIRECTOR

Henry d’Abo is an experienced bio-tech investor, who has been involved in a number of different Cambridge based start-up companies. Mr. d’Abo serves a director at DalCor and runs his own investment portfolio and has extensive property and agricultural interests in the UK and Germany. Previously, he owned a controlling interest in a US based CRO which was sold in 2000.

LAURENCE RULLEAU

DIRECTOR

Laurence Terrisse Rulleau is currently a Partner at CTI Life Sciences Fund. Previously, Dr. Rulleau served as a life sciences analyst covering the Canadian life sciences sector for more than 10 years. She worked at different firms including Desjardins securities, Yorkton securities and Blackmont securities where she was involved in numerous mergers and acquisitions as well as IPOs. Dr. Rulleau was ranked the number one Canadian life sciences analyst by the Starmine survey (a Thomson Reuters Company) and number one independent analyst by Brendon Wood survey. Dr. Rulleau was also CEO of HLA-G Technologies a biotechnology start-up based in France and more recently she served as Vice-President Business Development of Univalor, the technology transfer office of Montreal’s university and affiliated schools. Under her responsibility at Univalor in the last 3 years, more than 40 licenses with the industry were signed and 8 companies started. Dr. Rulleau has a master’s degree in biology from The Université du Quebec à Montreal (UQAM) and a doctorate from Montreal University executed at Montreal Clinical Research Institute.

MARK SMITH

DIRECTOR

Mark L. Smith is the President of Pandion Investments Ltd, a private family office that manages the affairs of Bill Sinclair in addition to the investment affairs of André Desmarais. Bill Sinclair is the co-founder of JDS Uniphase, the world’s largest fiber-optic company. André Desmarais is the Vice-Chairman and Co-CEO Power Corporation of Canada, a diversified international and investment and management holding company. Power Corporation of Canada has total assets under administration in its group inexcess of $1 trillion. Mr. Smith attended McGill University’s Business School where he obtained his CA and was a Rhodes Scholar finalist and James McGill scholar. Mr. Smith served as President of Claridge SRB Investments, Senior Vice-President of Investments of the entire Claridge Group and Chief Operating Officer of Claridge Israel. Mr. Smith has a wide range of investment experience in a wide range of industries including the financial services industry, telecommunications, technology, sports, pharmaceuticals, food, media and entertainment, health care and medical services and agro-chemical industries. Mr. Smith’s directorships include and have included Netstar Communications, Medisys Medical Group, Enterprise Capital, Venture Coaches, Interset, Osem Food Group, ECI Telecom Inc., The TNA Group, Campbell Resources, Crowntek Business Systems and CBCI Telecom. In 2013, Mark was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his outstanding contributions to Canada.
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Véronique Missout

DIRECTOR

Véronique Missout is currently Manager Private Equity and Impact Investing – Life Sciences at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. She serves as director at Dalcor since 2022. Previously, she worked as a Senior Manager at the National Bank in the Health & Life sciences specialized group. She has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry and in financing and risks management. She is an active member of the WIB-Greater Monreal Excellence in Canadian Board Governance (ECBG) program comite.

Véronique Missout earned a master’s degree in management sciences from HEC – Université de Liège, Belgium.
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Didier Leconte

DIRECTOR

Mr. Didier Leconte is a seasoned investor and highly regarded leader in the Canadian life sciences sector. With a wealth of experience as former Vice-President of Life Sciences and Technologies at Investissement Québec and Vice-President of Life Sciences and Funds of Funds at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Mr. Leconte has been instrumental and innovative in improving fostering collaboration between entrepreneurs and investment funds to advance Canada’s life sciences sector. Previously, he was also actively involved in technology transfer and managed a seed investment fund affiliated with leading universities. Mr. Leconte holds an MBA in technology and innovation management from the Université du Québec à Montréal, a certification in governance from Université Laval and an engineering degree in materials science from the École d’ingénieurs Sup Galilée, Institut Galilée, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord.

Marc Afilalo, Dr

DIRECTOR

Director of the Emergency Department (ED) at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) since 1986. Despite being one of the busiest ED in Quebec, it achieved the status of a very efficient emergency. The Ministers of Health cited the ED at the (JGH) as a model. Past President of the Quebec Association of Emergency Physicians and of the Association of Emergency Specialists in Quebec. One of his accomplishments is the research program of the ED. The research division is one of the leading research groups in Canada in the areas of clinical research, operations management, Frailty, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data. In 2000, appointed by the Ministry of Health “President of the Expert Committee of Quebec Emergency Departments”, he implemented data and information management. He co- authored the "The Guide of Management of EDs in Quebec". In 2016, he was appointed as the first full Professor at McGill University. In 2018, Dr. Afilalo was appointed chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, the first in Quebec.

Dr. Afilalo is an International Expert Consultant and Advisor, and is the recipient of multiple honors and awards.

Samer A. Katerji

DIRECTOR

Samer is an experienced investment banker and professional with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services and investments industry for over 27 years.
 
Throughout his career, he has led the formulation and structuring of complex corporate finance transactions across a multitude of industries and regional markets. 
 
He is skilled in M&A, Strategic Financial Advisory, Capital Optimization and Restructuring as well as structuring of Capital Markets financing instruments, both in equity and debt products.
 
Prior to this role, Samer led the Financial Institutions and Financial Sponsors advisory practice for Citigroup Global Markets in the Middle East and played a key role in the development of the franchise in the region. He has also held key positions at SHUAA Capital in Dubai, PrimeCorp Finance and Middle East Capital Group, in Beirut.
 
Samer holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and Bachelor Degree in Science Biology from the American University of Beirut.
 
Samer served as a member of the board for Air Arabia PJSC. He is also a member of GCC Board of Directors Institute and Arab Bankers Association of North America.

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