Part 4 of 4.Â
My guest for this week’s episode is Derek Hennecke, a veteran biotech entrepreneur and board member with over 30 years of experience in the CDMO industry, whose mission is to support the biotech revolution and create value for patients, customers, and investors.
In addition to his Board work, Derek previously held leadership positions at DSM and was the Founder and CEO of Xcelience, a Florida-based CDMO specializing in preformulation, micronization, analytical services, formulation development, cGMP manufacturing, and more. Derek eventually sold Xcelience to Capsugel (now Lonza) in 2016.Â
His extensive pharma and cell therapy expertise makes for an insightful conversation that founders can learn from.
Join us this week and hear about:- The process of building and scaling Xcelience, from leveraging innovative technology to disrupt the market to navigating the impact of the 2008 Recession
- Derek’s experience with strategic buy-side and sell-side transactionsÂ
- His commitment to continuous learning
- His transition into investing and work as a board member
Please enjoy my conversation with Derek Hennecke.
Find Our Guest, Derek Hennecke, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennecke/https://kincellbio.com/
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Social & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/Â
Enriched Notes:
Topics Mentioned:Xcelience: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xcelience-llc/MicroSize: https://www.microsize.com/Capsugel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CapsugelLonza (Capsugel’s Parent Company): https://www.lonza.com/Austin Px: https://www.austinpx.com/Micronization: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicronizationBiotech Partnerships: https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-researchM&A Strategies in Biotech: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights/life-sciences-m-and-a-shows-new-signs-of-lifeBiotech Funding Options: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsMarketing and Sales Strategies in Biotech: https://www.excedr.com/blog/marketing-sales-strategies-for-biotechsHow To Run an Efficient Board Meeting: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-run-an-effective-board-meetingElephant Slides: https://rapport.bio/all-stories/elephant-in-boardroom
Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:48 Disrupting the market with Xcelience03:34 Derek’s M&A experience and acquisition strategy on the buy-side04:36 Financing Xcelience’s acquisition of another micronization company06:32 Derek’s sell-side experience with Capsugel12:03 Challenges of work and life post-acquisition; Working with Lonza14:32 Going back to school, starting as an investor, and transitioning to board work17:35 Bringing confidence and decision-making skills to board member roles20:21 Running effective board meetings and finding CEO mentorship26:53 Final reflections and Derek’s advice for founders30:11 OutroThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business
and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.
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