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SSPC appoints John Alexander as new governance committee chair

March 7, 2025

SSPC, the Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals is pleased to announce the appointment of John Alexander, as the new Governance Committee chair.

John brings a wealth of experience in management and governance, having previously enjoyed a diverse group of roles in Industry and has worked as Global Head of Novartis Country Quality as well as Novartis Quality Lead. He spent 5 years working for Sandoz (Germany) as Heads of Quality Assurance – Commercial Affiliates, Third Party QA and BioPharmaceuticals QA and 8 years as site head at Novartis in Ringaskiddy. John has a master’s degree in Bacteriology from Queen’s University Belfast and is currently supporting RCSI in Dublin regarding their Advanced Therapeutic Technologies undergraduate degree.

Commenting on his appointment John said, “As the new Governance Chair of SSPC, I am incredibly proud to be part of an internationally recognised Centre of Excellence. SSPC is particularly committed to breaking down traditional boundaries across academia and promoting new research and I am looking forward to being a part of overseeing the centre’s governance framework and promoting best practices in research integrity.”

The position marks the departure of previous chair Maeve Devlin, (ex Novartis), who brought over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to the role.

Professor Damien Thompson, added: “We are thrilled to welcome John to our team, he will be instrumental in guiding our governance efforts and supporting our researchers and SSPC in achieving excellence. We wish Maeve all the best and thank her for her outstanding support and dedication over the past six years, having upheld the highest standards of governance and contributed significantly to the centre’s ongoing success.”

SSPC has unprecedented links with the biggest names  in the pharma industry, collaborating with >50 partners, helping Ireland to punch well above its weight in attracting big players to our shores. SSPC supports a wide range of research projects, from molecule development to manufacturing processes. SSPC’s research impacts society by improving and advancing the sustainable production and the availability of medicines globally.

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Partners: Eli Lilly, MSD, Pfizer, JnJ, sk biotek, apc, almac, WAB, arran chemical, UCC, UCD, UL.

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