BELS Brief Chats podcast

Justin Gover is the ex-CEO of GW Pharma—a great UK success story—known for treatments for epilepsy and the multiple sclerosis treatment product nabiximols which was the first natural cannabis plant derivative to gain market approval in any country. Justin shares his journey from studying politics at Bristol University to honing his skills at the global village that is INSEAD, the renowned graduate business school in Paris. He cut his teeth in life sciences by selling opiates in China. Back in the UK, he joined Ethical Holdings where he first met Geoffrey Guy and Brian Whittle, who envisioned creating a business for the medical use of cannabis. Thus GW Pharma was born. Justin was asked to join G(uy) and (W)hittle as CEO, and so began a 22-year journey. This visionary tale, helped along by the UK government, particularly the Home Office, culminated in 2021 with the acquisition of GW by Jazz Pharmaceuticals for $7.2B.  It is a great UK success story.  Justin notes the astonishing connections that exist in the life sciences between the UK and the US, exemplified in recent years as he relocated to run GW from San Diego which is awash with UK-educated talent.

"BELS encompasses a powerful set of voices that can feed into the UK life sciences."

John Young, Chief Business Officer at Pfizer, is that increasing rarity in today’s world, a one-company man who has never even interviewed elsewhere. John shares his journey from being raised in rural Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and schooled in Lockerbie, to studying biological sciences at Glasgow University, doing postgrad work at Strathclyde University, to deciding the lab was not going to be his domain and taking a job in sales with Pfizer, where he has grown and been challenged every since.  After an initial 15 years of increasing seniority in sales roles, he expanded to marketing and then to more general senior management roles.  His international career eventually took him to New York and his current position as CBO in the senior Pfizer management team where he played a pivotal role in the vaccine developed with BioNtech that was first cleared in the UK.  John sees an important role for BELS involving the themes of collaboration and relationships.

“Science is highly democratic and we see the scientific ecosystem as being global. Pfizer is agnostic about where science comes from in terms of which country, company, university, or within our own walls. I'm a passionate advocate for the benefits of the NHS. The UK has many great ingredients. Its enormous positives include a strong academic system and the NHS which in terms of executing clinical studies has one of the most effective environments to deliver in a timely manner.  No one country has all the ingredients perfectly optimized.”

Mark Stevenson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific, grew up in the West Country in Gloucestershire (though he sheepishly admits to having lost his burr). He attended Reading University, attracted by their programme of industrial placements. Mark shares his journey from studying science and business to a training program at Perkin Elmer to developing his keen passion for new techniques around discoveries involving PCR, cell technologies and sequencing the human genome to his leadership role at Thermo Fisher and its many important contributions to fighting the COVID pandemic in the UK and globally.

“The BELS community is an incredibly important part of the UK ecosystem to enable connections to it. The role that BELS can play is in the domain knowledge of this UK sector--government's strategy, strategic roads and pathways like the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult and the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre.”

Dr Rupert Vessey—Former President of Early Development and Research of Bristol MyersSquibb, now Chief Scientific Officer & Executive Partner at Flagship Pioneering—shares his journey from following the family tradition into medicine with Sir John Bell at Oxford University as his advisor while juggling a love and talent for rugby to then honing in on a career in research that led to his leadership role in R&D at Bristol Myers Squibb. 

"The UK is in a great spot right now. I think they need access to experience and expertise, and I think BELS is able to tap into people who have a real passion for what the UK is doing and what it can continue to do. They [members of the BELS community] can lend their expertise and insights. There really isn't any other organization that can bring that network of people to bear. And I think that now, more than ever, BELS can have an impact."

Dr David Pyott—portfolio board member, philanthropist, and former CEO & Chairman of Allergan—was destined for an international life which led to him live in 10 countries and work in 7. He shares his journey, from growing up in India and becoming fluent in Marathi, to attending Edinburgh University and London Business School, to becoming CEO of Sandoz Nutrition in Switzerland, to moving to California where he spent 17 years growing then-50-year-old Allergan as its third CEO.  David and his board famously fought a “battle royale”, staving off a predatory acquirer before engineering a lucrative shareholder exit with Allergan's $66 billion sale to Actavis.  David now splits his time between sunny Orange County and skiing in the Colorado Rockies while tending to his blossoming portfolio of corporate boards and philanthropic efforts. He shares his admiration for the UK which he considers to be a wonderful place where large and small companies can pursue their scientific goals.

"BELS really has something major to contribute. This is a really great forum that, for almost at no cost, is just lying at everybody's feet to be used."

Dr Clive Meanwell—founder & CEO of Population Health Partners; founder & former CEO of The Medicines Company—shares his journey emanating from a family of teachers in Birmingham to earning his medical degree at University of Birmingham and playing first class rugby to a corporate career that led to him founding and leading The Medicines Company (acquired by Novartis in 2020) to launching a SPAC focused on transforming population health outcomes.

"Very few countries have as strategic a viewpoint on life sciences as the UK."

Nigel Gaymond, BELS Founder & Executive Chairman, provides a brief overview of BELS (British Educated Life Scientists) & the BELS Brief Chats podcast.