INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harlan Laboratories, Inc., a leading contract research organization and research models and services company, announces today that Dr. Manuela Leone has been recruited to replace Dr. Kuno Sommer as president of contract research services (CRS) for the company.
After becoming CEO of Harlan in April 2010, Hans Thunem worked with the Harlan board of directors, Dr. Sommer and the Harlan CRS management team to refresh the strategy for the business. Thunem and Sommer collaborated to define the traits of the ideal leader to drive the CRS business according to the refreshed strategy. This resulted in a lengthy recruiting effort culminating in the appointment of Dr. Leone.
“We felt that in order to leverage the work of the past several years, the next leader for Harlan CRS needed to be a strong business leader with a unique combination of scientific, market-facing and operational skills,” said Thunem. “Each of these areas is critical to the proper execution of our CRS strategy in the next 12 to 24 months. Manuela has that unique combination of skills and experiences.”
Dr. Leone brings a breadth of experience to her new role at Harlan. Over the past 18 years, she has progressively occupied more senior roles at Pharmacia, Fidia, MDS Pharma Services, Galderma and ICON Clinical Research. In these roles, she held responsibility for global businesses as large as $300 million, and distinguished herself in her ability to bring non-profitable businesses back to strong profitability. Prior to her industry experience, Dr. Leone was a practicing pediatrician and an academic for seven years.
“I’m excited to take on the role of president of contract research services for Harlan Laboratories,” said Dr. Leone. “The company’s vision and deep commitment to drive excellence in service execution for clients matches my personal values and the experience I bring to this assignment. It is the perfect juncture in my career to take on this challenge and continue to develop and leverage the capabilities that the CRS team has initiated.”
Dr. Leone obtained her doctorate in medicine and certificate in pediatrics at the University of Pavia, Italy, and at University Hospital Necker in Paris, France, followed by a two-year fellowship in viral immunology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Dr. Leone will formally assume her new role on May 2, 2011 and will be based at Harlan’s CRS facility in Itingen, Switzerland.
From proven research models and services to world-class contract research, Harlan Laboratories, Inc. offers the experience, quality and consistency that are essential to research program success. Its mission is helping you do research better.
To learn more about the company’s unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.harlan.com.
About Harlan Laboratories, Inc.
Harlan Laboratories is a leading provider of essential, non-clinical contract research, research models, animal diets and services to the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, agrochemical and chemical industries, as well as universities, government and other research organizations. The company’s focus is on providing customers with products and services to optimize the discovery and safety of new medicines and compounds. Harlan Laboratories, Inc. is a privately held company. Harlan, Harlan Laboratories and the Harlan logo are trademarks of Harlan Laboratories, Inc. To learn more about the company’s unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.harlan.com.