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News / Oct 01, 2014

Hovione Cork – New General Manager - Paul Downing – since 1st October 2014

Paul joined Hovione on the 1st of October 2014. He holds a BSc in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Sunderland (UK) and a PhD in Organic Chemistry (asymmetric synthesis using organometallics) from Sheffield University (UK). He started his industrial career with Fisons Pharmaceuticals in Loughborough, where he worked in the R&D Analytical Laboratory. In early 1997, Paul joined Ciba-Geigy in Grimsby as a Process Chemist in the Chemical Operations area (Ciba-Geigy merged with Sandoz at that time and became Novartis later in 1997). He subsequently held several senior lead roles in both Quality and Production with Novartis. In 2007 he moved to New York to head up the Operations Unit  for Pharmaceutical Operations. As a result of Paul’s success in this function he was asked, in 2009, to take on the role of Global Head of Pharmaceutical Operations Strategy for Technical Operations at Head Office in Basel, where he stayed until 2012. Paul then chose to return to Cork with his family  and was invited by Chanelle Group to become Director of Operations near Galway.

Paul brings to Hovione over 20 years of relevant experience of development, quality, APIs manufacturing and formulation, as well as pharma strategy with Novartis and Chanelle. He also has considerable expertise in operational efficiency and world-class team leadership in pharma operations.

 

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With more than six decades of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, Hovione is an international CDMO offering a comprehensive range of services for New Molecular Entities (NMEs), including drug substances, intermediates, and drug products. The company also supplies niche generic APIs and delivers advanced technologies supporting multiple drug delivery platforms, including oral, injectable, inhalation, and topical formulations.  Today, Hovione employs 2,500 people worldwide and operates 900 m3 of manufacturing capacity across four sites in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Japan has played an important role in the company’s global strategy since its early years. Initial export activities were followed in 2017 by the establishment of a Japanese subsidiary in Osaka.   Read the full article in Japanese at Yakuji.co.jp Read the article translated in English  

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In an interview with Executiva, a portuguese media outlet focused on women´s leadership, Diane Villax, co-founder and long-standing leader of Hovione, reflects on her journey and the company’s development over more than six decades. Diane Villax’s career began at a time when few women worked outside the home. At 19, she joined a trading company as a foreign languages correspondent, where she developed essential business skills — including commercial correspondence, banking and export procedures — that later proved instrumental in helping her husband, Ivan Villax, establish Hovione in 1959. From its earliest days operating in the family home in Lisbon, Hovione adopted an international outlook. The company’s first major customers were in Japan, setting demanding quality standards that helped shape its long-term position in global markets. Over the following decades, Hovione expanded its footprint with the construction of its first manufacturing site in Loures (1969), followed by expansion to Macau (1986), the United States (New Jersey, early 2000s) and Ireland (Cork). The company grew into a global organization with more than 2,500 employees — including over 300 scientists — and a reputation as a preferred supplier to leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Throughout the interview, Diane highlights the values that have guided the company’s development: a commitment to excellence, a strong work ethic, and a focus on quality and long-term relationships. Although she did not have formal business training, she learned “on the job” and brought discipline, precision and structure to her role — particularly in the company’s early financial and administrative leadership. Now in her nineties and an active member of Hovione’s Board of Directors, Diane Villax remains engaged with the company’s evolution and governance, reflecting a continued commitment to its long-term development. Her story reflects entrepreneurial drive, resilience and long-term leadership — and offers insight into the values that have shaped Hovione’s trajectory for more than six decades. Read the full interview at Executiva.pt (in portuguese).    

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