Board of Directors

Chairman of the Board
Mr. Gérard Limoges, C.M., F.C.A.
Mr. Limoges is a Senior Executive with more than 40 years of experience in accounting, auditing, consulting, mergers and acquisitions in a wide spectrum of industries across Canada. In 1999, he retired as Deputy Chairman of Ernst & Young Canada. In 2000, Mr. Limoges served as Commissioner on the Quebec Government's Clair Commission on health care and social services. He sits on the Board of Directors of several organizations and companies, including Alexis Nihon REIT, Hartco Corporation, Aeterna Zentaris Inc., Atrium Innovations, Supratek Pharma Inc, and the Clinical Research Institute of Montréal. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Limoges is a member of the Order of Canada.

Mr. Jan Mellegers
Jan Mellegers is CEO of Biotech Turnaround Fund (BTF) which he founded in October 2000, building on his broad experience in international financial markets and his experience with investing in biotech companies for more than 19 years. Jan started his career in 1973 in the Dutch Air Force and received his pilot training in Canada. He flew close to 2,500 hours in fighter planes, was promoted to section leader, flew many hours in the Air Force NF-5 Demonstration Team, and was NF-5 test pilot for many years. In 1982, Jan joined Drexel Burnham Lambert and managed their Amsterdam securities office which was later taken over by Wertheim Schroder. From 1990 onwards, Jan started to invest in biotechnology companies.

Mr. Paul-Henri Gagnon
In June 2003, following a career in corporate finance, Mr. Gagnon founded PHG Capital inc., a private company with a mission to provide financial counseling services and to offer management consulting and capital asset tracking. Mr. Gagnon was a partner with the Fonds de solidarité FTQ (a venture capital investment fund) for 7 years, between 1996 and 2003. Previously, he was Vice-President of Investment at Investissement Québec (a Quebec government organization dedicated to financing SMEs). Mr. Gagnon also worked for nearly 15 years with the Bank of Montreal, where he held many positions, including director of market development for Quebec, director of two branches, and credit officer at the central office. He possesses extensive Board experience, having been a member of the boards of directors of more than 20 companies.

Mr. Nitin Kaushal
Mr. Kaushal is currently a Managing Director at Desjardins Securities. He sits on the Boards of Directors of Victhom Human Bionics, Forbes Medi-Tech and Protox Therapeutics. He is a former member of the Institutional Sales team at Orion Securities, a leading Canadian independent investment dealer.
Mr. Kaushal was the President and Managing Director of Vengate Capital, a Life Sciences and Healthcare Investment Banking & Advisory Firm based in Toronto, Ontario. Prior to this, he was a Managing Director at HSBC Securities in its Healthcare Group and a Senior Investment Manager with MDS Capital Corp, a Health and Life Sciences Venture Firm. He was also the Assistant Manager at Pricewaterhouse. Mr. Kaushal earned his Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) from the University of Toronto and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Dr. Camille Limoges
Former Deputy Minister for Research, Science and Technology in Quebec, Dr. Limoges has had a long career in the public and academic sectors, where he also held posts as President of the Science and Technology Council of Quebec and Director of the Interuniversity Center for Research on Science and Technology (CIRST). Dr. Limoges received his doctorate from the Sorbonne, Paris in 1968 and taught at the Université de Montréal, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and Université du Québec à Montréal.
Dr. Limoges is the author or co-author of six books, over one hundred other scientific contributions and fifty reports and other works on science policy issues. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, has received two doctorates honoris causa and is the recipient of the “Medal of Merit” from the Institut de recherche clinique (2002) and the “Prix du Québec” (2004) for his contribution to the conception and implementation of science policy in Quebec.

Dr. Eric Leire
Dr. Eric Leire is a Partner at BioFund Management Oy Ltd in Finland. He is mainly responsible for investments in pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Prior to joining BioFund, he was President and CEO of several biotechnology companies including ParinGenix and APT Therapeutics. He was principal at the BioStrategies Group for five years working with leading biotechnology companies. Dr. Leire has 15 years of pharmaceutical experience, having worked at Pfizer, Pharmacia and Schering-Plough. While at these companies, he served as a Division Director, led key product launches, managed several sales forces, participated in clinical development, evaluated therapeutic licensing opportunities and participated in licensing negotiations at national, European and worldwide levels. He also served at the Harvard AIDS Institute for 5 years as a Research Associate. Dr. Leire holds a MD from Grenoble University and a MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Business and ISA (HEC).

Dr. Daan van den Noort
Dr. Daan van den Noort has been a member of the Business Advisory Board at Biotech Turnaround Fund (BTF) since
it was founded. He became a full-time employee at BTF in January 2002 and is presently its Chief Investment Officer where he focuses on research, marketing and business development analysis. Until October 2001, Dr. van den Noort was General Manager at Ferring Drugs, specializing in the marketing and product development of pharmaceuticals. Prior to that, he was Product Manager at Servier France in Paris and later on in The Netherlands (from 1986 to 1989). He was Marketing Manager Peptide Hormones and Hospital Products at Kabi Pharmacia from 1989 to 1994, Managing Director at Genentech from 1994 to 1996 and General Manager at Pharma Asta Medica from 1996 to 1999. Dr. van den Noort obtained his medical degree at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

Pierre-Yves Desbiens, C.A., C.F., M.B.A.
Pierre-Yves Desbiens has twenty-five years of professional experience mostly in the Biotech/Pharmaceutical Industry. He is a Chartered Accountant, received a Corporate Finance qualification from the CICA and has an MBA from the Hautes Ētudes Commerciales of the University of Montréal. Before joining PurGenesis, Mr. Desbiens was Vice-President, Finance and Administration at Supratek Pharma Inc., Vice-President, Finance and Administration at Chronogen Inc., Investment Portfolio Manager, Life Sciences, at the Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs du Québec (FSTQ) and Chief Financial Officer and General Manager of Horizon Sciences & Technologies Inc., a biopharmaceutical company based in Montréal. Before joining the health care sector, Mr. Desbiens held different positions in corporate finance with mid-size to multinational corporations, including Domtar Inc. and Oceanex Inc. He is presently a member of the Board of Directors of Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. and Horizon Sciences & Technologies Inc., both public companies. He also chairs audit committees for these companies.