Syncona Limited (LON:SYNC), a leading healthcare company focused on founding, building and funding global leaders in life science, announced that Melanie Gee has been appointed to the Group’s Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director and Chair-designate with immediate effect. Melanie will also join the Nomination and Remuneration Committees, and will work closely with current Chair Jeremy Tigue over the coming months in preparation for his retirement and handover of the Chair on 31 December 2019. The appointment process was led by Nicholas Moss, the Company’s Senior Independent Director.
Melanie is an accomplished investment banker with over 30 years’ experience in the financial advisory industry. She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Standard Life Aberdeen plc, alongside her role as a Senior Advisor for Lazard & Co Limited, the London office of Lazard Ltd, the NYSE-listed financial advisory and asset management firm. She joined Lazard in 2008 after 25 years at UBS Investment Bank where she led banking teams on substantial transactions of many longstanding UBS clients.
Melanie has FTSE 100 and 250 Board experience which includes membership of the Risk & Capital, Nomination & Governance, Audit, Remuneration and Investment Committees. Prior Board appointments include the position of Non-Executive Director of The Weir Group from 2011 to 2017 and Non-Executive Director of Drax Group from 2013 to 2016.
Nicholas Moss, Senior Independent Director, said, “We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Melanie to the Board of Syncona Limited and as Chair-designate today as part of our Board succession planning process. Melanie will be a strong addition to our Board and we look forward to working with her to continue our strategy of investing in exceptional science whilst striving to deliver transformational treatments to patients.”
Jeremy Tigue, Chairman of Syncona Limited, “I am delighted to welcome Melanie Gee to the Board. She has a wealth of expertise built from 30 years in investment banking and is an experienced board member, serving on the boards of both FTSE 100 and 250 companies. I have been greatly privileged to Chair the Company through seven exciting years since its foundation in 2012 and look forward to handing over to Melanie at the end of December.”
Melanie Gee said, “I am very much looking forward to joining the Syncona Board and engaging with its talented management team to help deliver their strategic objectives. It is an exciting time for the Company and I am pleased to have the opportunity to be part of that as it builds on its impressive momentum of creating successful life sciences companies.”
