Dr. Francois Ricard is the Global Head of R&D for the Lonza Advanced Synthesis platform. He is currently responsible for leading a global innovation team in the discovery, development and industrialisation of innovative small molecules and bioconjugates platforms, processes and technologies for Lonza's network.
Dr. Ricard worked at GSK (UK) for 16 years leading multiple projects, engineering and materials sciences teams. He then took on the role of Head of CMC at Debiopharm (CH) managing a diverse oncology and anti-infective project portfolio from discovery to outlicencing and commercial supply. More recently, he was VP R&D at Hovione leading all innovation and CMC development activities globally. Dr. Ricard holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IChemE. Dr. Ricard has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and patents, and is passionate about translating innovation into industrial practice.