Rentschler Biopharma SE, a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biopharmaceuticals, today announced the appointment of Dr. Martin Kessler as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rentschler Biopharma Inc., the Company’s wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, and as Senior Vice President (SVP) Transformation of Rentschler Biopharma SE, effective March 1, 2021.
Martin Kessler brings more than 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical operations and strategy. At Rentschler Biopharma, he will drive the transformation throughout the company as it grows strategically into new fields and technologies. In his role as head of the U.S. business, he will lead the ongoing expansion at the company’s Greater Boston area site, which includes expanding capabilities, capacity, and talent.
“We are delighted to welcome Martin to Rentschler Biopharma. He is a highly talented executive who already knows our company well, having served in a consulting capacity on critical growth projects for the past few years. I have been impressed with his ability to look at complex problems from a variety of perspectives to find optimal solutions and to effectively implement those plans,” commented Dr. Frank Mathias, CEO of Rentschler Biopharma SE. “With the further implementation of our strategy 2025, Martin will take the lead role in driving that transformation as we continue to play an important role in vaccine manufacturing to fight the ongoing pandemic and as we move into new areas like cell and gene therapy. As head of Rentschler Biopharma Inc., he will be an important bridge across the Atlantic to ensure seamless operations as the site expands and continue the close and synergistic cooperation true to our motto – many hands, many minds, one team.”
Martin Kessler added: “I am very excited to join this team. Rentschler Biopharma is a great company with strong culture and tradition but at the same time also an innovator in the biopharma CDMO space. I admire the entrepreneurial spirit of the people and believe there is a lot we can achieve together. As the next years will bring rapid change in the global industry, it is critical that we stay ahead of the curve. Our continuous transformation and the U.S. expansion will play vital roles in this context. For example, we plan to invest significant resources into the Milford site to serve U.S.-based and global clients while providing the Rentschler-typical service experience. The transformation on the other hand aims at delivering continuous improvement and innovation in the areas of operational efficiency, service model and digitization. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the U.S. and in Germany to further drive our growth and global presence.”
Martin Kessler held several leadership positions in the industry and in the consulting business before joining Rentschler Biopharma. In his last position, he was Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company and led the medical device operations practice in Europe. He served leading pharma, biopharma, and med-tech companies in optimizing operations, specifically, supply chain, manufacturing, and quality. Martin brings additional expertise in strategy and portfolio optimization, as well as clinical development, including in the mRNA space. As a consultant, he has been working closely with Rentschler Biopharma across a variety of areas, including operations transformation, strategic innovation, and overall strategy for the U.S. site. Prior to his seven years with McKinsey & Company, Martin held several roles in the healthcare supply chain and logistics industry. He started his professional career as a lecturer at the Berlin University of Technology where he also received his PhD in engineering. Together with his PhD advisor, Professor Dr. Helmut Baumgarten, he was awarded the German Scientific Supply Chain Award in 2012.
