Vice
Provost for
Strategic
Initiatives:
Les Hudson
Dr.
Les Hudson, has
been appointed
to the recently
created post of
Vice Provost for
Strategic Initiatives,
effective June
15, Provost Robert
Barchi announced
last week. Dr.
Hudson joins the
University from
Pharmacia Corporation,
where he has most
recently served
as group vice president
and general manager,
World-Wide Ophthalmology
Franchise, responsible
for their over
$1 billion ophthalmology
business. He also
brings academic
experience to the
post, having served
as First Professor
of Immunology and
Department Chair
at St. George's
Hospital Medical
School in London,
England, 1979-1988
and as a Visiting
Scientist at Harvard's
Medical School,
1994-1995.
As
the Vice Provost
for Strategic Initiatives,
Dr. Hudson will
assume responsibility
for the development
and implementation
of Penn's strategy
for technology
transfer and entrepreneurial
initiatives as
well as the University's
Corporate Relations
Strategy. He will
integrate Penn's
involvement in
regional economic
development initiatives;
develop a cohesive
approach to commercialization
and long-term multi-dimensional
corporate relations;
and oversee the
Center for Technology
Transfer and the
new Office of Corporate
and Industrial
Relations.
"President
Rodin and I are
delighted that
Les will be joining
us in this critical
position," said
Dr. Barchi. "He
has an excellent
track record of
picking top notch
people, identifying
innovative research
in emerging technologies,
and identifying
and developing
successful new
products. Les is
the ideal candidate
to help Penn develop
an overall strategy
in these critical
areas, align our
efforts with those
of our faculty,
making the best
use of the intellectual
property our faculty
create, and spurring
additional economic
development in
the region."
Dr.
Hudson has successfully
led new and turn-around
discovery and development
R&D organizations
for two major pharmaceutical
companies, Pharmacia
and Glaxo Wellcome
(1988-1994) as
well as the Massachusetts-based
biotech company,
Repligen Corporation
(1994-1995). While
at Repligen, Dr.
Hudson also served
as Visiting Scientist
in the department
of cell biology
at Harvard Medical
School.
"I'm
very excited to
be joining the
University that's
on the move," said
Dr. Hudson. "Becoming
a part of Penn's
senior management
team just now is
thrilling. I look
forward to applying
my professional
experience to the
Vice Provost position
and to help Penn
build on its innumerable
strengths, both
commercially and
intellectually."
Dr.
Hudson's professional
achievements include
the R&D and
commercial development
of products such
as Ultiva, an ultra
short-acting opiod
for ambulatory
care surgery launched
in 1996; Xalatan,
used for the treatment
of glaucoma and
high intra-ocular
pressure (1996);
and Tecnis intra-ocular
lens, a new generation
of foldable intra-ocular
lens based on wavefront
technology, launched
in 2002.
He
has a long track
record of successful
strategic and operational
management of R&D
portfolios for
both Pharmacia
and Glaxo. Dr.
Hudson built a
new project portfolio
for cancer, inflammation
and metabolic diseases
for Glaxo and built
a diabetes and
obesity portfolio
at Pharmacia Sweden.
In five alliance
companies, Dr.Hudson
has produced a
thirty percent
return on equity
investment.
Dr.
Hudson is also
known for forming
innovative and
strategic partnerships.
At both Pharamacia
and Glaxo he led
a team of senior
managers who upgraded
in-house scientific
expertise, and
accessed novel
technologies and
innovative drug
candidates through
combinatorial chemistry,
high throughput
screening and molecular-based
target discovery.
Dr.
Hudson has also
built and led successful
teams in both the
corporate sector
and in academia.
In the early 1990s,
he built the first
Discovery organization
for Glaxo in the
U.S. As the vice
president for research,
he appointed the
key leadership
team which built
an organization
of 400 scientists
in just four years.
At Pharmacia, he
appointed a new
international leadership
team and built
new metabolic diseases
discovery capability
from a series of
small, diverse
business units.
As chairman of
immunology at St.
George's Hospital
Medical School,
he appointed 14
academic staff
and built a research
and teaching department
which integrated
cell and molecular
biology.
Dr.
Hudson graduated
in 1968 from Imperial
College of Science,
Technology and
Medicine, University
of London, with
a B.S. in zoology.
He received his
Ph.D from the Faculty
of Medicine at
the department
of immunology,
Middlesex Hospital
Medical School,
University of London
in 1975.
He
has published over
80 original papers,
books and review
articles in immunology,
cancer, cell biology
and e-business.
He is also a frequent
contributor to
the plenary sessions
of national and
international meetings. |