A former alumnus of Southampton University’s School of Biological Sciences has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of global pharmaceutical company Genentech. Ian Clark also heads the North American Commercial Operations at the drug discovery company based in San Francisco, California. The company - which is owned by Roche - is currently using genetic engineering techniques and advanced technologies to develop medicines for a wide range of life-threatening diseases.

Mr Clark graduated from Southampton in 1981 with a BSc in Biology. He says, ‘My degree was vital to my career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.’ Having grown up in Warwickshire, he chose to study at Southampton University because the city appealed to him, as did the flexibility created by the modular system. 

His career in pharmaceuticals began at Searle, and led to vice presidential roles in sales and marketing for Sanofi (Aventis) and Ivax in the UK and Eastern Europe. Mr Clark became Chief Operating Officer for Novartis in the UK, then served as president of Novartis Canada, overseeing all operations in that country, before he moved to Genentech in 2003.

‘Pharmaceuticals and biotechs offer tremendous opportunities for young scientists - most entrants have a bachelors degree, researchers typically have a PhD,’ he explains. ‘Being part of an organisation that discovers and develops medicines that hugely improve and at times save lives gives you a real sense of purpose.’

Find out more about the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton.

Content added on 25th November 2009.

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