ViroGates Board of Directors
Jørgen Thorball, Chairman, Co-founder
Poul Anderson
Peter Benson, Co-founder
Jesper Eugen-Olsen, Co-founder
Niels Lysholm Engelhard
Jan-Ole Hansen, Vice-Chairman
Jørgen Thorball, Chairman of the Board, Co-founder
Over the past years Jørgen Thorball held the position of Vice President of Business Development at Novozymes (2001-2007) and currently operates as corporate strategic advisor to Novozymes. He has his own business development company, Medico Care, since 1985, through which he holds various other chairman and board positions (including iMotions, Vivolution, Lina Medical and C4-world) and lectures in innovation and leadership at a number of MBA schools and international seminars.
Prior to joining Novozymes, Jørgen Thorball was Director and Founder of BioGaia HealthCare, Sweden (1997) and Business Development Manager at Rhône-Poulenc Rorer (Sanofi-Aventis) for Denmark and Iceland (1996). His career started as Product Manager at Kabi Pharmacia (Fresenius Kabi), Denmark (1990) and he quickly rose to senior positions such as International Product Manager, International Marketing and Corporate Strategic Associate within the Pharmacia Corporation (Pfizer).
In addition, Jørgen Thorball is inventor and patent-owner of several medical applications and various clinical delivery systems. He is founder of the BiotechBuilders network and co-founder of the Danish Innovation Council and Gazelle Growth, a Danish-American entrepreneur coaching association.
Jørgen Thorball holds an MD from Copenhagen University Hospital (1990).
Poul Andersson
Poul Andersson is investor in ViroGates and assumed his role as Director in 2003.
Poul Andersson is CEO of Bioneer A/S and BioVision A/S. Prior to joining Bioneer, he was Manager, Applied Molecular Biology sector and later Business Development Manager at the Danish Institute of Biotechnology (1985-present) after having started his career at the Fibiger Laboratory (1978).
He holds an MD from the University of Copenhagen (1973), candidate and senior scholarships from both the University of Copenhagen (1973-1976) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1976-1978).
Peter Benson, Co-founder
Peter Benson is founder of ViroGates and assumed his role as Director in 2001.Peter is Managing Partner of Sunstone Capital Life Science Ventures. Prior to co-founding Sunstone Capital, Peter served as Partner and Head of Life Science Investments for Vækstfonden (2003-2007). Before joining Vækstfonden he was active in the creation and development of innovative business organizations through his private company (Due Mila S.A) and held a series of executive positions (1981-1996), among others as President of Pharmacia Hospital Care and Member of the Corporate Management Group at Pharmacia (1993-1996).
Peter Benson has extensive Board experience including publicly listed companies such as Ortivus AB (1998-2002), BioGaia AB (1999-2003), Optovent AB (now Accelerator) (1996-2003 and Cellavision AB (1997-2004), as well as international joint ventures as PfrimmerNutricia GmbH Germany (1993-95) and SinoSwed Pharmaceutical Corporation China (1990-96) and privately held companies as Antula (Sweden), M2 Holding Inc. (USA), NM Pharma (Denmark), and Zealand Pharma (Denmark) . He holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Lund (1978), an MA in Economics from the University of California (1980), and a Management Diploma from IMD Lausanne in Switzerland (1991).
Jesper Eugen-Olsen, Co-founder
Jesper Eugen-Olsen is founder and Executive Director of the board since 2001. His research and invention led to the establishment of ViroGates.Jesper Eugen-Olsen is Chief Scientific Officer of ViroGates and Laboratory Research Director of the Clinical Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark (1998- ). Prior to his current position at Hvidovre Hospital, he served as Research Associate at the Department of Infectious Medicine (1995-97) and as Principal Investigator at the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Hvidovre Hospital (1997-98).
He is a member of various scientific committees on e.g. XII and XIII International AIDS Conferences in Geneva and South Africa and the author and co-author of more than 50 scientific peer reviewed publications and holds 11 patents.
Jesper Eugen-Olsen holds a M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Copenhagen (1994) and a PhD in HIV prognostics from the University of Copenhagen (2003).
Niels Lysholm Engelhard
Niels Lysholm Engelhard has worked as Consultant with the Danish Invention Centre at the Danish Technological Institute specialized in Licensing and commercialization of early stage technology (1995-). Besides Licensing, he has been working as Business Advisor of start-ups and as Board Member of several High-Tech companies since 1998.
Niels Lysholm Engelhard is also a member of the board of Young Enterprise Region Storkøbenhavn (Greater area of Copenhagen).
He holds a Master of Agronomy from the University of Copenhagen (1987-1995).
Jan-Ole Hansen
Jan-Ole Hansen is Marketing Director for SVG Advisers Limited, a specialist private equity fund management and advisory business.
Prior to this he has for 14 years been CFO for Industriens Pension with responsibility for investment, accounting and administration. Before that he was head of equities for Alfred Berg Denmark. And before that again he was head of Privatbanken's Asset Management department.
He started his career as a bond and equity analyst in Privatbanken in 1984.
Jan-Ole Hansen is an experienced committee and board member and holds board positions in several companies.
Jan-Ole Hansen holds a BA from Odense University and a Master of Arts (Economics) from Aarhus University.
