Partnering with pharmaceutical companies
to deliver their product strategy
PRIMECORE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Cormac Callaghan
PRIMECORE PRESIDENT
Cormac Callaghan
PRIMECORE PRESIDENT
Cormac is the founder and Managing Director of Primecore Program Management. He has over 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical and biologics industry. He has been a senior executive with such firms as Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck. Cormac is a leading program and portfolio management professional who has carried out significant assignments as a consultant for major pharmaceutical and biologics firms, including leading the program management of major product related technical transfers and their associated teams. Cormac listens carefully to the needs of the client and in a calm manner formulates and, working closely with the clients, frames agreed action plans. He provides insights in a measured but candid manner, taking time to ensure that his messages are fully understood.
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Chem. Eng CEng FIChemE
Dara Kernan
MANAGING PARTNER
Dara Kernan
MANAGING PARTNER
Dara is an experienced Program Manager with over 20 years experience managing large Bio-pharmaceutical projects on behalf of blue chip companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Warner Lambert and Wyeth. Dara’s approach to Program Management is business focused and inclusive of the wider Project Stakeholder Team. He promotes the execution of programs in a structured and phased manner, placing emphasis on the importance of early Program phase development. In addition to executing large capital projects on behalf of client companies, Dara has also spent a number of years executing pharmaceutical projects on behalf of engineering and construction management firms. In more recent years Dara has provided consultant support to blue chip companies seeking to execute large capital programs in line with current program management ‘best practices’. Dara is a chartered engineer with an MBA qualification from an internationally recognized business school.
Qualifications: BEng, CE, MBA
Denis Desmond
ASSOCIATE PARTNER /
HEAD OF BOSTON OFFICE
Denis Desmond
ASSOCIATE PARTNER / HEAD OF BOSTON OFFICE
Denis brings 20 years of progressive leadership experience within established pharmaceutical / bio tech organizations, executing operations and strategic investment programs across all areas of the business (R&D, Technical Operations and Commercial). Denis has led multiple initiatives that have required the build out and enhancement of organizational capability, through the development of teams and business processes. Denis is an experienced Program Manager and has led strategic cross functional expansion and restructuring programs in Europe and the US requiring a strong focus on change management principles. Denis has extensive experience in facilities, engineering and global capital management for life sciences companies. Denis addresses tough challenges in a thoughtful and organized way. He focuses on providing practical client solutions to enable effective strategy deployment and strategic program/project execution, leveraging best practice and his in-depth experiences as a leader of change, in many dynamic life sciences companies.
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Mech. Eng., Diploma in Applied Project Management (IPMA), Operational Excellence – CSSGB
Charlie Glass
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Charlie Glass
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Finance Director with strong operational and commercial experience implementing strategic change.
Worked with numerous companies, public and private, spanning a very wide range of activities, from manufacturing and volume distribution, to high tech start-ups, medical device and pharmaceutical, covering every stage of business development. Implemented systems recovery, gross margin improvement and overhead reduction projects. Negotiated financing, acquisitions and disposals of companies and of their assets.
Qualifications: Comm., FCA
Maria Stynes
TALENT MANAGEMENT
Maria Stynes
TALENT MANAGEMENT
Primecore’s Talent Management Leader, works closely with the Partners to identify and on-board key talent. Working with existing and newly recruited talent to develop their personalized training and capability plan; thereby ensuring a consistency with the Primecore approach. Maria is a strategic thinker, highly organised with strong communicational skills and is excellent at building genuine relationships. She oversees the development and mentoring programs of the Primecore Team.
Colette Hawkins
GROUP OPERATIONS AND IT
Colette Hawkins
GROUP OPERATIONS AND IT
Colette is a Senior Manager with 10+ yrs experience. Colette has a strong business and financial background in operations, customer services and finance in high-tech multinational environments. Highly developed skills in team and change management. Dedicated to creating a culture of customer satisfaction. CPA Qualified and Dips in Business Studies and Computing. Colette was a member of start-up core team for two multi-national company sites in Ireland.
Qualifications: CPA Qualified, IATI
Antoinette McTigue
Knowledge Management
Antoinette McTigue
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Prior to joining Primecore, Antoinette was Company Director and a leading member of a management buyout team of a successful medical device company for 11 years, growing the company from 27% to 43% GM business. In 2013 she led the Project Team which doubled the size of the clean room operations. The project was delivered within the required 12 month timeframe and within the allocated budget of €2.8M.
Antoinette’s strengths lie in combining an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit to drive multifunctional projects. She has a talent for troubleshooting difficult business issues in order to overcome obstacles and achieve business results. With extensive management experience in both the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, Antoinette has developed knowledge and experience in Health and Safety, Quality and HR. She has discovered a passion and talent for driving compliance and Project Management across multifunctions
Qualifications: Dip in Industrial Relations, Dip in Legal Studies,
PhD Industrial Microbiology
Bsc
PRIMECORE MANAGEMENT
Dervilia Grimes
PROGRAM MANAGER
Dervilia Grimes
PROGRAM MANAGER
Dervilia brings to Primecore over 15 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry with specific expertise in technical transfer, process development and optimisation, systems validation and operational excellence. Dervilia has a BSc. in Industrial Biochemistry and a diploma in Project Management. More recently she completed a MSc in Strategy and Innovation from National University of Ireland, Maynooth where she also received the school of business overall best performance award. Dervilia has worked on a number of small and large scale start up facility projects providing innovative solutions in facility design and operational excellence to deliver projects to global regulatory standards.
She was directly involved in regulatory inspections with the HPRA and FDA. Dervilia is a certified trainer and lectures in pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality risk management and systems validation at diploma and degree level.
Qualifications: BSc. in Industrial Biochemistry
Diploma in Project Management
MSc in Strategy and Innovation
Martin Felgenhauer
PROGRAM MANAGER
Martin Felgenhauer
PROGRAM MANAGER
Martin was a Senior Director at Baxter/Baxalta with 25 yrs experience. Martin has a strong background in engineering, process development, project and program management both for large capital projects as well as technology transfer and start up projects. He was project director for a vaccine plant in the Czech Republic, a recombinant plant in Singapore and several smaller projects in Austria, Switzerland and US. He led technology transfers to CMOs and to licencing partners in Japan and Brazil. He also led CMC teams for market introduction of Baxter’s pipeline portfolio. A recombinant FVIII and FIX were successfully licensed.
Qualifications: Msc in Biotechnology, University of Applied Life Sciences, Vienna
Helen Kelleher
PROGRAM MANAGER
Helen Kelleher
PROGRAM MANAGER
Helen is a highly experienced Program and Project Manager with over 25 years’ experience, who brings strong technical and people management capabilities to bear in her leadership of all aspects of capital program and project delivery. Helen is an excellent communicator and team leader with experience across a variety of Pharmaceutical areas and other high-tech industries, who has operated in the both the roles of owner and consultant Program or Project Manager. She has a background in Chemical Engineering and holds an MBA.
Qualifications: BE (Hons) Chemical Engineering
Chartered Engineer
Masters of Business Administration
Roy Johnston
PROGRAM MANAGER
Roy Johnston
PROGRAM MANAGER
Roy brings over 25 years of multinational pharmaceutical experience with Merck/MSD during which he held leadership roles in a variety of functions including Automation, Safety & Security, Warehousing & Logistics. He is an accomplished and influential Senior Logistics Professional with extensive operations and compliance leadership experience on multiple sites across EMEA. His expertise spans green field site start-up; controlling a multi-site/multi-million Euro budget; post-merger integration of legacy operations to global organisational standards. Roy is a commercially minded professional with experience in driving strategy, leading high value change projects in both dynamic and challenging economic environments. He is an excellent communicator with exceptional leadership and relationship skills. In his last role lead a 100 person logistics organisation across 6 manufacturing sites in Ireland &the UK to best industry standards in a highly regulated & competitive life sciences environment.
Qualifications:
Chemical Engineer
Diploma in Executive Coaching with the Irish Management Institute
Marian Walsh
PROJECT CONTROLS
Marian Walsh
SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT
Marian is an experienced project controls manager with a background in a number of Public Sector bodies and in Commercial, Residential, Industrial and Life Sciences sectors.
Marian and has over seventeen years experience in the areas of project management, cost engineering, scheduling, estimating, sub-contracts management, validation planning & field engineering. Marian’s experience extends to commercial / retail development, residential, office, bulk chemical, pharmaceutical, sterile production facilities and laboratory projects.
Marian has worked in Ireland, UK, France, Spain and Puerto Rico, USA, overcoming various different cultural and language barriers to achieve excellent project results.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science In Construction Management WIT
CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) (Health & Safety)
Institute of Project Management Ireland
Chris Colleton
MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS
Chris Colleton
CONSULTANT IN MANUFACURING OPERATIONS
Chris brings extensive experience as an Oral Solid Dosage Manufacturing Manager. He has 20 + years experience in the Pharmaceutical industry. Knowledge of all stages of tablet manufacture from Granulation through to tablet Printing/branding and automatic inspection.
He has spent a period in Japan investigating market complaints on finished colour coated printed tablets. Chris is conversant with Japanese quality standards. He has strong analytical ability and problem solving skills together with experience in identifying and implementing significant improvements in productivity, reducing manufacturing costs and inventory levels. Capable of forming and working in a team environment. He has an excellent record in people management and development.
Qualifications: Diploma in Supervisory Management, NCI
Patrick O’Neill
FINANCE & OPERATIONS COSTS
Patrick O’Neill
FINANCE & OPERATIONS COST CONSULTANT
Patrick has extensive experience in financial management for pharmaceutical manufacturing in US, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Specific expertise in product costing, budgeting, capital management, internal auditing, merger integration of Plants and strategy development for manufacturing division. Recognized for leadership in managing, developing, motivating and promoting 40+ staff in financial services. Four years of Animal Health experience focused on sales and customer service support for a $550M business, supply chain optimization and branding a new entity. Proven record of success in managing merger synergy savings and long term strategy goals while driving change management using Six Sigma tools. Holds both US and European passports.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce, University College, Dublin, Ireland
Cyril O’Mahony
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
Cyril O’Mahony
FINANCE & OPERATIONS COSTS CONSULTANT
Cyril has 25 + years experience as a Finance Director with strong operational and commercial experience implementing capital intensive strategic change.
A highly effective team leader, an excellent communicator, results driven, excelling in high standards of management. He has provided Financial oversight of capital investments on behalf ‘Greenfield’ Capital Projects – €600M – Largest single capital investment project undertaken by US pharmaceutical company outside of the US. Cyril has implemented effective project control systems at Irish sites and ensured that a steadfast reputation was earned for delivering projects on time and within budget.
Qualifications: Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
Claire Comerford
Program Manager
Claire Comerford
PROGRAM MANAGER
Claire is an Operations Leader with over 30 years’ experience of site operations with a global multinational in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industry with a proven track record of delivering results and building capable teams. Her expertise spans Plant start up, Technical Transfer, Operations, Compliance, Planning and Program Management. Experienced in a network role, Claire has been responsible for the successful deployment of transformational programs at a number of sites, delivering sustainable improvement through the adoption of new ways of working and embedding a continuous improvement culture.
Claire is an excellent communicator and relationship builder with a collaborative inclusive approach and a talent for managing change.
Qualifications: BSc Industrial Design
PRIMECORE OPERATIONS
Liz Dunne
GROUP FINANCE
Liz Dunne
GROUP FINANCE
Elizabeth is an experienced administrator with excellent planning and organizational skills. She has 10+ years experience as a Travel Consultant with some of Ireland’s leading tour operators.
Elizabeth is a qualified Payroll Technician and an experienced Bookkeeper. She has co-run a successful business since 2006 and is fully proficient in all aspects of office management.
She brings effective communication skills, both written and oral to her role in Primecore.
Niamh O’Connor
IS MANAGER
Niamh O’Connor
IS MANAGER
Niamh has over 10 years operations and administration experience, previously working in client management and as an administration manager.
Her responsibilities include ECM and ERP, coordinating support, producing monthly reports and presentations & supporting knowledge management.
Niamh is adaptable & creative – helping ensure the day to day operations in the Primecore Europe office are carried out effectively.
Qualifications: B.A. Media Studies & English – Maynooth University