Open Orphan PLC (LON:ORPH), the rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is a world leader in the provision of virology and vaccine challenge study services, and has Europe’s only 24 bedroom quarantine clinic with onsite virology lab in Queen Mary’s Hospital London, today announced the appointment of Leo Toole to the role of Group Chief Financial Officer with immediate effect. Leo was previously Interim Chief Financial Officer of Open Orphan plc and Finance Director of the Open Orphan division following the merger with hVIVO.
It is Open Orphan’s intention that Leo be appointed to the Board of Open Orphan as soon as possible, subject to the satisfactory completion of regulatory due diligence checks.
Leo Toole brings over 20 years’ experience in senior finance roles in Pharmaceuticals, Medical Technology and FMCG sectors. He has held senior finance positions at Procter and Gamble, ResMed and Sublimity Therapeutics. Through positions in multinational companies across Europe and in the venture capital space in the UK and Ireland, he has extensive experience in building finance teams, corporate development, equity and debt financing, public markets, and mergers and acquisitions. Leo is a Business graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and HEC Liège, Belgium. He also holds an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD in France and Singapore.
Commenting on the appointment, Trevor Phillips, CEO of Open Orphan said:
“We are pleased to confirm Leo as the permanent CFO of Open Orphan. Leo brings relevant industry experience and public market experience to the Company and we look forward to him joining the PLC board upon the completion of his regulatory due diligence checks.”
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman of Open Orphan said:
“I am delighted that we have appointed Leo as CFO. He has worked with Open Orphan for the past year and is therefore well placed to assist with the rapid integration of hVIVO, deliver on our synergies programme and target profitability in the near term. We feel he is an important addition the executive team as we target the rapidly growing CRO pharmaceutical services sector.”
