10 chief scientific officers
Chief scientific officers of Sanofi, Moderna, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Ionis share this group with CSOs of Calico Life Sciences, Perrigo, Novonesis, Genesis Molecular AI and Bruker Spatial Biology, plus Eli Lilly and Company's CSO from 2018 to 2025. Six held other titles at the same company before becoming its CSO, so the group suits a company deciding how to organize research, whether to promote a research head into the job, or how far a CSO's remit should reach.
Professionals to explore
Abbie Lennox
LinkedInExperience: EVP & Chief Scientific Officer · Perrigo Company plc
Regulatory Affairs and other functions come together in the global Scientific Office that Abbie Lennox leads as EVP & Chief Scientific Officer at Perrigo Company plc (since 2025), a role that includes serving on the Executive Leadership Team. At Bayer, Abbie was EVP & Executive Committee Member, Trust & Science Head, Bayer Consumer Health (2019-2024) and Head of Regulatory Affairs Bayer Consumer Healthcare (2019-2020), relevant for a consumer health company combining science and regulatory work.
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Andrea Carfi
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer · Moderna
Moderna's Chief Scientific Officer since 2021, Andrea Carfi describes the remit as infectious disease. At Moderna, Andrea was also Project Leader and Senior Director, Antigen Design and Selection (2017-2018) and VP and Head of Research, Infectious Disease (2018-2021), and earlier held Head, Protein Biochemistry and Discovery Project Leader at GSK (2015-2016) and Global Head, Structural Biology at Novartis (2013-2015), so infectious disease research questions fit well.
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Claus Crone Fuglsang
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer, Executive Vice President, Novonesis · Novonesis
Research and technology titles span Novozymes and Novonesis for Claus Crone Fuglsang: Managing Director (2010-2012), Vice President (2014-2016) and senior vice president, Research & Technology (2016-2020) at Novozymes, then Chief Science Officer, Executive Vice President there (2020-2024), and Chief Scientific Officer, Executive Vice President, Novonesis since 2024. That record fits questions on organizing research and technology across Novozymes and Novonesis.
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Daniel Skovronsky
LinkedInExperience: Former Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer · Eli Lilly and Company
Since November 2025, Daniel Skovronsky has been Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific and Product Officer at Eli Lilly and Company, after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer (2018-2025); Daniel also serves as president of Lilly Research Laboratories and oversees global business development efforts. Earlier Lilly titles were Vice President, Tailored Therapeutics (2012-2014) and Senior Vice President, Clinical and Product Development (2014-2018), and Daniel founded Avid Radiopharmaceuticals as CEO (2005-2012), a fit for CSO and business development questions.
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David Botstein
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer · Calico Life Sciences
David Botstein has been Chief Scientific Officer at Calico Life Sciences since 2014. Before that, David was Professor and Director, Lewis-Sigler Institute at Princeton University (2003-2013) and Chairman, Department of Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine (1990-2003), useful for questions on bringing an academic research leader into a company CSO role.
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Frank Bennett, Ph.D.
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer · Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
At Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Frank Bennett, Ph.D. has been Chief Scientific Officer since 2020 and earlier held Director, Molecular Pharmacology (1993-1995), Vice President, Biology (1995-1999), Vice President, Antisense Research (1999-2006) and Senior Vice President, Research (2006-2020). Frank is one of the company's founding members and is responsible for advancing antisense technology and expanding the Ionis drug discovery platform, so platform strategy questions fit well.
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Joseph Beechem
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Bruker Spatial Biology · Bruker Spatial Biology
Two CSO titles sit side by side for Joseph Beechem: Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Bruker Spatial Biology since 2024, and Chief Scientific Officer and SVP of Research and Development at NanoString Technologies, Inc. since 2020, after Senior Vice President of Research and Development at NanoString (2012-2020). Joseph was also Chief Technology Officer at Life Technologies (2007-2012), a fit for questions on holding CSO and R&D titles together.
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Kevin Fitzgerald
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer · Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Promoted through Director, Senior Director, Vice President and SVP titles at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Kevin Fitzgerald served as its Head of Research (2005-2018) and became Chief Scientific Officer there in 2018. Kevin now leads a Research Department of more than 100 and was Group Leader at Bristol Myers Squibb (1998-2005), which makes Kevin a good match for questions on growing a research department from within.
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Michael Quigley
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer and Global Head of Research · Sanofi
Michael Quigley has been Chief Scientific Officer and Global Head of Research at Sanofi since October 2024, a C-level research role. Immediately before it, Michael was Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dualitas Therapeutics (2023-2024) and Venture Partner at SV Health Investors (2021-2024), and was President & Chief Executive Officer of Therini Bio, Inc. (2021-2023), a fit for questions on moving from biotech CEO to research chief at Sanofi.
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Shifeng Pan
LinkedInExperience: Chief Scientific Officer · Genesis Molecular AI
Shifeng Pan has been Chief Scientific Officer of Genesis Molecular AI since 2024, after serving as EVP and Head of Discovery at Odyssey Therapeutics (2021-2024). Shifeng spent 2004 to 2021 at Novartis as Group Leader, Associate Director of Medicinal Chemistry and Executive Director of Discovery Chemistry, which suits discovery chemistry questions.
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Choose the right perspective
For promoting from within, Kevin Fitzgerald, Frank Bennett and Andrea Carfi each held research titles at Alnylam, Ionis and Moderna before the CSO role. Michael Quigley and Daniel Skovronsky also held chief executive titles, at Dualitas Therapeutics, Therini Bio and Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, which helps when the CSO must work closely with a CEO or board; Abbie Lennox, whose Perrigo office includes regulatory affairs, fits consumer health, and David Botstein moved from university department and institute titles to Calico Life Sciences.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01When should a company promote its head of research to CSO rather than hire one from outside?
- 02Which parts of business development and licensing should report to the CSO, and which should not?
- 03How do you decide when a platform technology has earned its own research group instead of staying a shared core?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.