Our experienced team members have successfully led multiple drug development programs from discovery to launch during their careers and gained professional experience at renowned global pharmaceutical and management consulting companies.
OUR TEAM
Our experienced team members have successfully lead multple drug development programs from discovery to launch during their careers and gained professional expierence at renowned global pharmaceutical and management consulting companies.
Zalán is a Harvard-trained scientist, ex-McKinsey consultant with extensive experience in the pharma and biotech industry. He is passionate about and experienced in topics where both scientific/medical expertise and management/business excellence are essential to drive maximum impact. He is a life-science focused leader with the ability to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams demonstrated by 10+ years of leadership in academic and business settings.
Zoltán Urbányi
PhD
Director of Biologics Development
Zoltán is a seasoned life science leader with 35+ years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D including 15+ years in the development of biologics at Gedeon Richter. His career encompasses extensive experience in drug research, management, and project leadership. He has a special expertise in the analytics and characterization of biopharmaceuticals, and he is experienced in the management of the whole preclinical R&D process as well. He participated in several R&D projects including ones with assets that are currently marketed or in clinical phase.
Tamás Kitka
PhD
Managing Director - CREATe Therapeutics
He is a pharmaceutical R&D expert and holds a PhD in Neurobiology. He has 10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in various positions: researcher/developer, project manager, research team leader, and business development manager. His experience embraces the full non-clinical R&D process in various types of projects (small molecules, biologics, etc.). He participated in several projects in either research or development phase that have later been tested in clinical trials.
Gábor Fodor-Papp
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Gábor holds a degree in finance from the Corvinus University of Budapest and CEU.
Sándor Farkas
MD, PhD
Director of Research and Intellectual Property
Sándor is a non-clinical pharmacologist and drug development scientist, with over 33 years of experience in the pharma industry. He worked as a research scientist at the University of Tokyo, Japan. His special areas of expertise include all phases of early drug development from target identification to non-clinical support of clinical development. He provided training and education in the discipline of pharmaceutical medicine. Author of 39 scientific publications and inventor of 23 patent applications involving 6 drug candidates that reached clinical development.
Irena Adkins
MD, PhD
R&D Director
Irena is an immuno-oncology scientist with a proven publication record and over 10 years of experience leading scientific and drug development teams across all stages, from drug discovery to candidate selection, IND/CTA-enabling studies, and regulatory submissions.
Zalán Péterfi
MD, PhD
Chairman of the Board, Managing Director
Zalán is a Harvard-trained scientist, ex-Mckinsey consultant with extensive experience in the pharma and biotech industry. He is passionate about and experienced in topics where both scientific/medical expertise and management/business excellence are essential to drive maximum impact. He is a life-science focused leader with the ability to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams demonstrated by 10+ years of leadership in academic and business settings.
Zoltán Urbányi
PhD
Director of Biologics Development
Zoltán is a seasoned life science leader with 35+ years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D including 15+ years in the development of biologics at Gedeon Richter. His career encompasses extensive experience in drug research, management, and project leadership. He has a special expertise in the analytics and characterization of biopharmaceuticals, and he is experienced in the management of the whole preclinical R&D process as well. He participated in several R&D projects including ones with assets that are currently marketed or in clinical phase.
Tamás Kitka
PhD
Director of Portfolio and Innovation
He is a pharmaceutical R&D expert and holds a PhD in Neurobiology. He has 10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in various positions: researcher/developer, project manager, research team leader, and business development manager. His experience embraces the full non-clinical R&D process in various types of projects (small molecules, biologics, etc.). He participated in several projects in either research or development phase that have later been tested in clinical trials.
Gábor Fodor-Papp
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Gábor holds a degree in finance from the Corvinus University of Budapest and CEU.
Sándor Farkas
MD, PhD
Director of Research and Intellectual Property
Sándor is a non-clinical pharmacologist and drug development scientist, with over 33 years of experience in the pharma industry. He worked as a research scientist at the University of Tokyo, Japan. His special areas of expertise include all phases of early drug development from target identification to non-clinical support of clinical development. He provided training and education in the discipline of pharmaceutical medicine. Author of 39 scientific publications and inventor of 23 patent applications involving 6 drug candidates that reached clinical development.
Irena Adkins
MD, PhD
R&D Director
Irena is an immuno-oncology scientist with a proven publication record and over 10 years of experience leading scientific and drug development teams across all stages, from drug discovery to candidate selection, IND/CTA-enabling studies, and regulatory submissions.
Zalán Péterfi
MD, PhD
Chairman of the Board, Managing Director
Zalán is a Harvard-trained scientist, ex-McKinsey consultant with extensive experience in the pharma and biotech industry. He is passionate about and experienced in topics where both scientific/medical expertise and management/business excellence are essential to drive maximum impact. He is a life-science focused leader with the ability to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams demonstrated by 10+ years of leadership in academic and business settings.
Péter Puskás
MD, MBA
Member of the Board
Peter is the co-founder and CEO of Sycamore Capital Partners; a Budapest-based Private Equity company and leads Vascular Group as CEO. Before assuming this position, he had gained extensive pharma industry experience at McKinsey and Company where he worked for 10+ years and was the CEE regional co-leader of McKinsey’s healthcare and pharmaceutical practice. Peter has a degree in Medicine (MD), a Master’s Degree in Economics from Corvinus University, and also obtained his MBA degree at INSEAD, Singapore.
János Kővágó
Member of the Board
János has 25 years of background as an investment banker and as a senior consultant in a number of public and private corporate finance transactions (listings and sales advisory). He has extensive experience in the following industries: automation, software, MedTech, BPO/outsourced services. He closed several international financial transactions in these industries. Over the past decade, he has worked for major international companies such as Daiwa Securities, ING Barings, Nomura Securities, Citibank, Egis Pharmaceuticals Zrt., and Grant Thornton before joining Széchenyi Funds as an Investment Director.
Natalia Novac
PhD
Independent Board Director
Natalia brings decades of leadership experience in pharma and biotech, having held impactful roles at Eli Lilly and Merck, served as a partner at Delin Ventures, and contributed her expertise to multiple biotech boards, including companies pioneering AI/ML platforms and therapeutic development. With a strong foundation in oncology and immunology, her career spans drug discovery, development, commercialization, strategic management, business development and corporate investment.
Zalán Péterfi
MD, PhD
Chairman of the Board, Managing Director
Zalán is a Harvard-trained scientist, ex-Mckinsey consultant with extensive experience in the pharma and biotech industry. He is passionate about and experienced in topics where both scientific/medical expertise and management/business excellence are essential to drive maximum impact. He is a life-science focused leader with the ability to recruit, train, and manage high-performing teams demonstrated by 10+ years of leadership in academic and business settings.
Péter Puskás
MD, MBA
Member of the Board
Peter is the co-founder and CEO of Sycamore Capital Partners; a Budapest-based Private Equity company and leads Vascular Group as CEO. Before assuming this position, he had gained extensive pharma industry experience at McKinsey and Company where he worked for 10+ years and was the CEE regional co-leader of McKinsey’s healthcare and pharmaceutical practice. Peter has a degree in Medicine (MD), a Master’s Degree in Economics from Corvinus University, and also obtained his MBA degree at INSEAD, Singapore.
János Kővágó
Member of the Board
János has 25 years of background as an investment banker and as a senior consultant in a number of public and private corporate finance transactions (listings and sales advisory). He has extensive experience in the following industries: automation, software, MedTech, BPO/outsourced services. He closed several international financial transactions in these industries. Over the past decade, he has worked for major international companies such as Daiwa Securities, ING Barings, Nomura Securities, Citibank, Egis Pharmaceuticals Zrt., and Grant Thornton before joining Széchenyi Funds as an Investment Director.
Natalia Novac
PhD
Independent Board Director
Natalia brings decades of leadership experience in pharma and biotech, having held impactful roles at Eli Lilly and Merck, served as a partner at Delin Ventures, and contributed her expertise to multiple biotech boards, including companies pioneering AI/ML platforms and therapeutic development. With a strong foundation in oncology and immunology, her career spans drug discovery, development, commercialization, strategic management, business development and corporate investment.
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