At CFO (Boardroom Media) we track over 1,000,000 startups and over 5,000,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top Hessen based CFO’ operating in the Biotechnology space. If you think a CFO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on [email protected].
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Matthias Zachert
CFO of Merck
Matthias Zachert, born in 1967 in Bonn, Germany, has been a member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Merck since June 2011. Prior to this, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Lanxess AG from 2004 to 2011, where he played a key role in establishing the global finance organization, restructuring the portfolio, and realigning the Bayer spin-off. Before joining Lanxess, as of 2002 Matthias Zachert was Chief Financial Officer at Kamps AG, where he helped to restructure the company. From 1999 to 2002, Matthias Zachert worked in Paris as Chief Financial Officer of the International Region of Aventis Pharma AG, which was formed by the merger of Hoechst Marion Roussel (HMR) and Rhône-Poulenc Rorer. Before the merger that created Aventis, Matthias Zachert held various senior management positions in the pharmaceutical business of Hoechst AG. Matthias Zachert completed an industrial management apprenticeship at Mercedes-Benz AG from 1988 to 1990. Afterwards, he studied business administration with a concentration in finance and international management from 1990 to 1995. He graduated with a degree in business administration (Diplom-Kaufmann). He is married and has three children.
Follow Matthias Zachert:
About Merck: Merck is a pharmaceutical and chemical enterprise that develops prescription drugs and over-the-counter products.
Jens Holstein
Chief Financial Officer of MorphoSys
Jens Holstein joined MorphoSys from Fresenius Kabi AG, where he most recently served as Regional CFO for the region EME (Europe/Middle East) and as Managing Director of Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH. Over the last almost 16 years at Fresenius he had held a variety of financial and general management positions. From 2006 to 2010, he was Regional Chief Financial Officer of Fresenius Kabi Asia Pacific Ltd., based in Hong Kong. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Holstein was Managing Director of Fresenius ProServe GmbH and Finance Director and Labor Director of the company’s subsidiary Wittgensteiner Kliniken AG. Earlier positions within Fresenius included General Manager of hospitalia care GmbH, Commercial Manager of the Projects & Service business unit of Fresenius AG and Commercial Manager of hospitalia international GmbH. Prior to joining Fresenius, Mr. Holstein spent several years in the consulting industry, with positions in Frankfurt and London. Mr. Holstein holds a Diploma in Business Administration from University of Münster. He currently does not hold any other board memberships.
Follow Jens Holstein:
About MorphoSys: MorphoSys is a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of fully human antibodies.
Melanie Hammerschmidt-Broman
Chief Financial Officer of Leica Microsystems
Follow Melanie Hammerschmidt-Broman:
About Leica Microsystems: Leica Microsystems designs and produces precision optics systems for the analysis of microstructures.
Thomas Pfaadt
CFO and Managing Director of c-LEcta
Thomas joined c-LEcta in 2018 as CFO and managing director. Previously he worked for a private equity owned operator of rehabilitation clinics in Berlin as well as for a family owned integrated healthcare group and was responsible for M&A respectively for corporate finance and investor relations. Before that he gained experiences as banker and consultant with a strong focus on the healthcare sector. Thomas studied business administration at Goethe University in Frankfurt/M and at University of Southampton/UK.
Follow Thomas Pfaadt:
About c-LEcta: c-LEcta operates as a biotechnology company focusing on enzyme engineering and bioprocess development for regulated markets.
Thomas Pfaadt
CFO and Managing Director of c-LEcta
Thomas joined c-LEcta in 2018 as CFO and managing director. Previously he worked for a private equity owned operator of rehabilitation clinics in Berlin as well as for a family owned integrated healthcare group and was responsible for M&A respectively for corporate finance and investor relations. Before that he gained experiences as banker and consultant with a strong focus on the healthcare sector. Thomas studied business administration at Goethe University in Frankfurt/M and at University of Southampton/UK.
Follow Thomas Pfaadt:
About c-LEcta: c-LEcta operates as a biotechnology company focusing on enzyme engineering and bioprocess development for regulated markets.
Manfred Bender
Chief Financial Officer of BRAIN
Before joining BRAIN AG, Manfred Bender spent almost 20 years in various senior management positions at Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG, a publicly listed company headquartered in Asslar, Germany. For a period of more than three years he acted as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) prior to assuming the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from July 2007 to November 2017. In this position, Manfred Bender successfully focused on continuously growing the technology company in regard to sales, EBIT, and market capitalization as well as on establishing PFV as a global player operating international production facilities and maintaining a worldwide sales organization. Manfred Bender holds a degree in Business Administration (Diplom-Betriebswirt) from the University of Applied Sciences in Giessen, Germany, and started his career at Schunk GmbH, likewise based in Giessen. Currently he serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schunk GmbH and is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Volksbank Heuchelheim eG cooperative bank. Manfred Bender was appointed to the Management Board of BRAIN AG with effect from December 1, 2018 and will take over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company on January 1, 2019.
Follow Manfred Bender:
About BRAIN: BRAIN provides biodiversity-based solutions for applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.