BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PAUL R. FONTEYNE

CHAIRMAN

With more than 30 years of global pharmaceutical experience, Paul Fonteyne’s career spans over three decades of leadership roles across North America and Europe with companies including Boehringer-Ingelheim, Merck, and Abbott Laboratories. Until 2018, he was President and CEO, Boehringer-Ingelheim USA. He is past board member of the National Pharmaceutical Council and PhRMA, He serve on the boards of ResTORbio Inc., Gelesis Inc, and Ypsomed AG, Mr. Fonteyne holds an MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, and a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Brussels, Belgium.

FOUZIA LAGHRISSI-THODE, M.D.

DIRECTOR

Fouzia Laghrissi-Thode, was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of DalCor Pharmaceuticals in April 2018. Most recently, Dr. Laghrissi-Thode was Vice-President at AstraZeneca of the US Renal-Cardiology Therapeutic Area. In her previous roles she led the global product and portfolio strategy of the cardiovascular, metabolism and renal therapeutic areas at AstraZeneca and Roche. She has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical industry leadership experience in US and Europe through working in clinical development, global strategic marketing, business development, licensing and M&A. She is a director on the board of Minerva Neurosciences Inc., Nuro Corp. and DalCor Pharmaceuticals. She served as a board member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Europe and was recognized by HBA in 2012 for her work in developing and promoting women leadership in healthcare. From 1992 to 2014, she held an appointment as faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Dr. Laghrissi-Thode is board certified in Psychiatry and holds Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Tours School of Medicine in France.

HENRY D’ABO

DIRECTOR

Henry d’Abo is an experienced bio-tech investor, who has been involved in a number of different Cambridge based start-up companies. Mr. d’Abo serves a director at DalCor and runs his own investment portfolio and has extensive property and agricultural interests in the UK and Germany. Previously, he owned a controlling interest in a US based CRO which was sold in 2000.

LAURENCE RULLEAU

DIRECTOR

Laurence Terrisse Rulleau is currently a Partner at CTI Life Sciences Fund. Previously, Dr. Rulleau served as a life sciences analyst covering the Canadian life sciences sector for more than 10 years. She worked at different firms including Desjardins securities, Yorkton securities and Blackmont securities where she was involved in numerous mergers and acquisitions as well as IPOs. Dr. Rulleau was ranked the number one Canadian life sciences analyst by the Starmine survey (a Thomson Reuters Company) and number one independent analyst by Brendon Wood survey. Dr. Rulleau was also CEO of HLA-G Technologies a biotechnology start-up based in France and more recently she served as Vice-President Business Development of Univalor, the technology transfer office of Montreal’s university and affiliated schools. Under her responsibility at Univalor in the last 3 years, more than 40 licenses with the industry were signed and 8 companies started. Dr. Rulleau has a master’s degree in biology from The Université du Quebec à Montreal (UQAM) and a doctorate from Montreal University executed at Montreal Clinical Research Institute.

MARK SMITH

DIRECTOR

Mark L. Smith is the President of Pandion Investments Ltd, a private family office that manages the affairs of Bill Sinclair in addition to the investment affairs of André Desmarais. Bill Sinclair is the co-founder of JDS Uniphase, the world’s largest fiber-optic company. André Desmarais is the Vice-Chairman and Co-CEO Power Corporation of Canada, a diversified international and investment and management holding company. Power Corporation of Canada has total assets under administration in its group inexcess of $1 trillion. Mr. Smith attended McGill University’s Business School where he obtained his CA and was a Rhodes Scholar finalist and James McGill scholar. Mr. Smith served as President of Claridge SRB Investments, Senior Vice-President of Investments of the entire Claridge Group and Chief Operating Officer of Claridge Israel. Mr. Smith has a wide range of investment experience in a wide range of industries including the financial services industry, telecommunications, technology, sports, pharmaceuticals, food, media and entertainment, health care and medical services and agro-chemical industries. Mr. Smith’s directorships include and have included Netstar Communications, Medisys Medical Group, Enterprise Capital, Venture Coaches, Interset, Osem Food Group, ECI Telecom Inc., The TNA Group, Campbell Resources, Crowntek Business Systems and CBCI Telecom. In 2013, Mark was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his outstanding contributions to Canada.

RODY YARED

DIRECTOR

Rody Yared is an accomplished investment banker with over 17 years of experience spanning North America and the Middle East. Rody serves as a director at DalCor and is a managing director of Trussbridge. Prior to Trussbridge, Mr. Yared was responsible for growing J.P. Morgan’s investment banking business in Abu Dhabi from 2010 to 2014. He also managed J.P. Morgan’s equity capital markets business in the MENA region, and was one of the founding members that established the bank’s investment banking franchise in the region in 2007. Previously, Mr. Yared served as head of the Syndicate & Equity Capital Markets department at SHUAA Capital in Dubai, after spending six years at Credit Suisse in New York.

He studied finance at Concordia University.

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Véronique Missout

DIRECTOR

Véronique Missout is currently Manager Private Equity and Impact Investing – Life Sciences at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. She serves as director at Dalcor since 2022. Previously, she worked as a Senior Manager at the National Bank in the Health & Life sciences specialized group. She has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry and in financing and risks management. She is an active member of the WIB-Greater Monreal Excellence in Canadian Board Governance (ECBG) program comite.

Véronique Missout earned a master’s degree in management sciences from HEC – Université de Liège, Belgium.
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Didier Leconte

DIRECTOR

Mr. Didier Leconte is a seasoned investor and highly regarded leader in the Canadian life sciences sector. With a wealth of experience as former Vice-President of Life Sciences and Technologies at Investissement Québec and Vice-President of Life Sciences and Funds of Funds at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Mr. Leconte has been instrumental and innovative in improving fostering collaboration between entrepreneurs and investment funds to advance Canada’s life sciences sector. Previously, he was also actively involved in technology transfer and managed a seed investment fund affiliated with leading universities. Mr. Leconte holds an MBA in technology and innovation management from the Université du Québec à Montréal, a certification in governance from Université Laval and an engineering degree in materials science from the École d’ingénieurs Sup Galilée, Institut Galilée, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord.

Marc Afilalo, Dr

DIRECTOR

Director of the Emergency Department (ED) at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) since 1986. Despite being one of the busiest ED in Quebec, it achieved the status of a very efficient emergency. The Ministers of Health cited the ED at the (JGH) as a model. Past President of the Quebec Association of Emergency Physicians and of the Association of Emergency Specialists in Quebec. One of his accomplishments is the research program of the ED. The research division is one of the leading research groups in Canada in the areas of clinical research, operations management, Frailty, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data. In 2000, appointed by the Ministry of Health “President of the Expert Committee of Quebec Emergency Departments”, he implemented data and information management. He co- authored the "The Guide of Management of EDs in Quebec". In 2016, he was appointed as the first full Professor at McGill University. In 2018, Dr. Afilalo was appointed chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, the first in Quebec.

Dr. Afilalo is an International Expert Consultant and Advisor, and is the recipient of multiple honors and awards.

Samer A. Katerji

DIRECTOR

Mr. Samer A. Katerji is an Independent Non-Executive Director and award-winning Senior Investment Banker with over 25 years’ progressive advisory experience with leading regional and international financial institutions. As the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Trussbridge Advisory (DIFC) Limited, one the UAE’s leading investment banking boutiques, he is currently responsible for leading a team that provides strategic and financial advisory services to Middle Eastern corporates and family-owned conglomerates on matters related to M&A, capital raising, capital restructuring and strategic growth. Throughout his career, Mr. Katerji has been involved in originating and executing transactions in excess of US$30 bn across products and sectors, many of which have been recognized through various awards. He has extensive knowledge and experience in multiple sectors, including contracting, logistics, transportation, banking, healthcare, and consumer. His value proposition for companies and Boards is centered around supporting the development and review of strategic plans; identifying challenges/issues; proposing actionable measures to address them; and providing financial advisory expertise focused on achieving business objectives, optimizing capital structures and financial performance. Previously, Mr. Katerji led Citigroup’s Financial Institution and Financial Sponsors Advisory Practice and was responsible for investment banking coverage for key clients in the Middle East including sovereign wealth funds, government related entities and family offices. During his tenure at Citigroup, he also played a key role in growing the team and the development of the franchise, which was recognized by Euromoney as the best Investment Bank in the UAE (2011) and best Investment Bank in the Middle East (2012). Prior to Citigroup, he was a founding member of the investment banking team at SHUAA Capital PSC where he led the execution of several landmark equity capital markets transactions with a total value US$7 bn. Mr. Katerji serves as a Board Member and Member of the Audit and Investment Committees, Air Arabia PJSC, UAE. He is also Member of GCC Board of Directors Institute and Member of Arab Bankers Association of North America.

He holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.