GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Waypoint Capital, the business enterprise for investments associated with the Bertarelli Family, today announced the appointment of Elias Zerhouni, M.D., a world-renowned physician-scientist, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.
Dr. Zerhouni is Professor Emeritus of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University, and was most recently the President, Global Research and Development for Sanofi from January 2011 to July 2018. Dr. Zerhouni’s academic career was spent at the Johns Hopkins University and Hospital where he was Professor and Chair of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering and Executive Vice Dean from 1996 to 2002. He was appointed to serve as Director of the United States National Institute of Health from 2002 to 2008. From 2009 to 2010, Dr. Zerhouni was named Presidential Envoy for Science and Technology by the U.S. President and was a Senior Fellow of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Among his many awards is the Medal of the Légion d'honneur of the French National Order. Dr. Zerhouni serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the Lasker Foundation, the Foundation for NIH and Research America. He is also currently a director of Danaher Corporation, a Fortune 500 science and technology innovator based in Washington, D.C. He has authored over 200 publications, holds eight patents and has founded five start-up companies.
Commenting on the appointment, Ernesto Bertarelli, Chairman of Waypoint Capital, said, “We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Zerhouni to our Board of Directors and are looking forward to benefitting from his immense experience and knowledge, which reaches from academia to government to industry. He is a world-renowned expert in science and medical technology and shares our commitment to investing in biotechnology and life sciences to help improve health outcomes.”
Dr. Zerhouni said, “I am excited to be supporting Waypoint in its effort to help drive innovation and advancement in science and medicine. I look forward to working alongside the rest of the Board and management team to share my perspectives and support Waypoint’s execution of its business growth and development.”
About Waypoint Capital
Waypoint is the Bertarelli family’s principal investment and advisory platform. Their history is that of a family of entrepreneurs and Waypoint and its diversified range of business interests reflects that spirit.
Chaired by Ernesto Bertarelli, Waypoint was founded in 2012 to give strategic leadership to the group and provide a broad range of professional services to its businesses and investment programs. It has offices in London, Geneva, Jersey, Boston and Luxembourg.
Waypoint has two principal areas of focus:
- Life Sciences and Healthcare, building on the Bertarelli family's long involvement in biotechnology and life sciences.
- Asset Management, where Waypoint uses its expertise to develop interests in areas such as hedge funds, private equity, real estate and venture capital.
Waypoint’s U.S. holdings include Gurnet Point Capital, a unique healthcare fund founded by Ernesto Bertarelli and Christopher A. Viehbacher, which has invested in Corium International, Innocoll Holdings plc and Auregen BioTherapeutics.
The companies and investments associated with Waypoint benefit from its advice and execution capabilities that span the full range of professional skills needed in a group of this size, success and vision. They are also supported by the extensive network of relationships within Waypoint and across its many investment programs, with the sharing of ideas and opportunities this creates.
As well as acting as the holding company for the investment businesses within the Waypoint group which manage and advise the funds in relation to its various investment programmes, Waypoint also manages investments directly, both majority holdings in established companies and minority venture capital investments in innovative companies at an earlier stage of their growth.