Rentschler Biopharma SE, the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biopharmaceuticals, announced the hiring of two executives for its facility in Milford, MA, USA, in the greater Boston area. Hemant Kumar has joined the team as Vice President, Process Sciences. Lorraine Blackman has been hired as Head, Human Resources, US. These are newly created positions and both will be part of the senior leadership team at the rapidly growing site. 

Dr. Ralf Otto, COO of Rentschler Biopharma SE as well as President and CEO of its U.S. subsidiary, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Hemant and Lorraine to Rentschler Biopharma. Lorraine's and Hemant's expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand our client base and facility as we grow our U.S. footprint and establish our North American Center of Excellence in Milford."

Lorraine Blackman brings nearly 20 years of human resources and operations experience, including in fast-growth environments. Her strong expertise in change management and HR strategy will be critical as she leads all aspects of human resources recruitment, training and retention at the Milford site and drives the U.S. integration. 

She will work closely with the senior leadership to foster an environment of collaboration and innovation where employees can thrive. Prior to joining Rentschler Biopharma, Lorraine was Director, Human Resources, North America at a biopharmaceutical CDMO. She previously worked as an HR executive at a variety of firms and has experience building the HR function during a time of rapid expansion.

Dr. Hemant Kumar brings over 20 years of experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing to Rentschler Biopharma, where he will lead the upstream, downstream and analytical process development and technical services teams. He will oversee all scientific and technical aspects and provide technical support for the Milford site. 

Hemant joins Rentschler Biopharma from AnaptysBio, where he was Senior Vice President, Process Development & Manufacturing Operations. Prior to that, he was Global Head of Biologics Product Development at Merck Biologics & Vaccines, which followed tenures at Sanofi Genzyme, Lonza Biologics, Sanofi Pasteur and Ortho/J&J.

Karen Savage, Vice President and Milford site head, added: "It is exciting to fill these two 'mission critical' positions with such highly qualified individuals, and I am pleased to welcome both Lorraine and Hemant to Milford. Hemant is an experienced technical industry veteran, and I am confident that, under his leadership, our process sciences group will thrive, developing new, innovative solutions for our clients. Lorraine's wealth of HR experience in rapidly changing environments is just the expertise we need as we look to not only hire new but retain existing talent and create the best atmosphere for our employees to prosper and our business to grow." 

Image source:UMT