Makis Sigalas, PhD, MBA

Makis Sigalas, PhD, MBA, is Senior Director, Business Development for Europe at ViroCell Biologics.

He has a PhD in Molecular Oncology, a postgraduate degree in Administration and Management from Harvard University and has worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School.

Makis has more than 25 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical business and a solid experience in the entire product life cycle, from research and development to product launch and successful commercialisation of a range of novel biotechnology and pharmaceutical products.

Makis worked in the sales, marketing, and business development departments of local and multi-national pharma companies like Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, and Bayer, where he gained experience in the development and implementation of successful marketing, sales, and business development activities. He also engaged with experts in a wide spectrum of therapeutic areas. Through local and regional roles, he also had the opportunity to lead multiple teams physically and virtually, and to engage with diverse external and internal stakeholders, thus exposing himself to different organizational priorities and cultures.

Makis has been the founder of distinct biotechnology companies in the cell and gene therapy sector and had the opportunity to lead the development of innovative advanced cell therapies that rely mainly on the use of stem cells. He also held the position of Business Development Manager at Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, where his role was to identify and work with companies and academic institutions that develop innovative cell and gene therapies or therapy-enabling technologies. The goal was to help them translate early-stage research into commercially viable and investable products.

Before joining ViroCell, he was Director of Business Development for the UK and Ireland at Catalent, where he played a significant role in evaluating, assessing, and developing contract manufacturing opportunities within the cell and gene therapy sector in the UK.