Brussels, 24 June 2011

At its Annual General Assembly, held on June 23rd in Brussels, EuropaBio formally appointed Stephan Tanda[1], member of the managing board of DSM, as Chair of the Association.  He succeeds Andrea Rappagliosi, who has completed his mandate and will continue to represent GSK as a member of the EuropaBio Board.  Mr Tanda previously acted as treasurer of EuropaBio.

The General Assembly also confirmed the appointment of the following Vice-Chairs: Lars Christian Hansen, Novozymes, as Chair of the Industrial Biotechnology Council; Thomas Bols, Merck Serono, was re-elected Chair of the Healthcare Biotechnology Council; Serge Zybach, Syngenta, will remain Chair of the Agriculture Biotechnology Council, Jan Wisse, NIABA, was re-elected as Chair of the National Associations Council and Tom Saylor Arecor Ltd, will remain as Chair of the SME Platform.

The association also elected five new Board Members, bringing the number of representatives of companies and associations from across Europe to 23 on the EuropaBio Board.

In addition to these appointments, eight new members have also joined EuropaBio, bringing the total number of corporate members, National Associations, BioRegions and associate members to 93.  These are: Addex Pharmaceuticals; LaboratoiresGenévrier; BioBlank International; BioAmber; Deinove; SITRA; Areta International and MLP Vision Biotech S.L.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Tanda said: “Determined innovation is the key driver for sustainable growth for countries and companies, large and small. Europe has made a commitment to innovation through the EU2020 Innovation Strategy, and Biotechnology is uniquely positioned to contribute significantly to both Europe's economic success and to the health and wellness of its citizens. By working together with stakeholders from government, industry and civil society we can greatly accelerate progress in areas like pharmaceuticals, agriculture and materials and energy derived from renewable resources. This will ensure that also future generations can live in a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous Europe with the help of a vibrant bio-based economy."

In welcoming the new appointments and members, Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio stated: “We are delighted to welcome our new Chairman, new Board members and new members to EuropaBio. One of our biggest strengths as an association is to represent all the sectors through which this incredible technology makes a contribution to our daily lives, the other great strength is the dedication and expertise of our members on which we rely entirely.”

[1]http://www.europabio.org/eu_board.htm

~ENDS~

Additional Resources/Notes to the Editor

(1)     Biography of Stephan Tanda

Stephan B. Tanda (Austrian) studied polymer engineering at the University of Leoben, Austria, and Business Administration at the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Stephan joined DSM on March 1, 2007 and became a member of the Managing Board on May 1, 2007, where he is responsible for the Nutrition Cluster. In addition he has Corporate Responsibilities for the Americas, Switzerland, and the Sales and Marketing Functions. Previously he held also responsibility for DSM’s Pharmaceutical Cluster.

Mr. Tanda started his career in 1991 with DuPont, where he held increasingly responsible positions in Europe and the United States. In 1998 he was appointed Director Corporate Planning and later Vice President Strategic Planning & New Business Development Agriculture, Nutrition and Bio-Based Materials for DuPont in the USA. In 2000 he was appointed President of Protein Technologies International, Inc. and later President and CEO of The Solae Company, an innovative food ingredient Joint Venture between DuPont and Bunge.

In 2004 Stephan was appointed President and CEO of Freudenberg Nonwovens, a global group of industrial businesses, based in Weinheim, Germany, and Durham, USA.

Stephan and his wife Sabina maintain residences in Brussels, Belgium and Riverdale, NJ, USA.
They have two daughters.

Supervisory directorships and other positions held:

·         Chairman of EuropaBio (European Biotechnology Industry Association)

·         Board member of SGCI (Swiss Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry Association)

(2)     Addex pharmaceuticals:http://www.addexpharma.com/

(3)     Laboratoires Genévrier: http://www.laboratoires-genevrier.com/fr

(4)     BioBlank International:http://www.bioblank.fr/

(5)     BioAmber:http://www.bio-amber.com/

(6)     Deinove:http://www.deinove.com/

(7)     SITRA:http://www.sitra.org.uk/

(8)     Areta International:http://www.aretaint.com

(9)     MLP Vision Biotech S.L.: http://www.metabolon.com/

If you require more information please contact:

Nathalie Moll.

Secretary General, EuropaBio

Tel : +32 739 1171

Gsm : +32 473 88 45 78

Email : n.moll@europabio.org

Rosalind Travers

Communications & Association Liaison Officer

Tel: +32 2 739 11 73

Gsm: +32 478 68 0301

Email: r.travers@europabio.org

 Rosalind Travers

Communications & Association Liaison Officer

EuropaBio - The European Association for Biotechnology Industries

Ave de l’Armee 6

1040 Brussels Belgium

Tel - +32 2 739 11 73

Fax - +32 2 735 49 60

Gsm - +32 478 680 301

email – r.travers@europabio.org