Jim Van heusden has served as member and executive chair of our board of directors since March 2018. Jim has more than 25 years’ experience in research and development and financial, business and operating management in the biotech industry. He is the managing director of bioskills bv. Previously, Jim served as chief executive officer of Karolinska Development, a publicly listed Nordic life science investment fund, where he executed a strategic turnaround and repositioned the company to become a leading Nordic life science investment company. Jim worked as a partner at Gimv, a Belgian based investment company, from 2001 – 2013 focusing on investments in life sciences.

Former investments and BoD representation include: Ablynx (acquired by Sanofi), ActoGeniX (acquired by Intrexon), Ambit Biosciences (acquired by Daiichi Sankyo), ChemoCentryx, CropDesign (acquired by BASF), Fovea Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Sanofi-Aventis), Hypnion (acquired by Eli Lilly), Movetis (acquired by Shire), Memory Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Hoffmann-La Roche), Multiplicom (acquired by Agilent Technologies), Nereus Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Triphase), Plexxikon (acquired by Daiichi Sankyo), Pronota (acquired by MyCartis), Prosensa (acquired by BioMarin), Santhera Pharmaceuticals, and Xanthus Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Antisoma).

Jim holds BSc and MSc degrees in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Antwerp and a PhD in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Maastricht.