Read testimonials on our training and education programmes at The Catenion Academy

Client Testimonials



"Catenion’s approach to assessing risk and value on both a project and portfolio level goes way beyond what is usually discussed in senior executive teams. It has allowed us to create a very solid foundation of information, which is the key to understanding the portfolio. Their process and independent points of view have greatly helped our Executive Management Board take difficult decisions during a challenging post–merger review of the portfolio, and going forward we have decided to implement their approach as the framework for us to manage our portfolio."

Vincent Aurentz
Former Executive VP, Business Development & Portfolio Management
Merck Serono SA
Executive Vice President, Customer Solutions Business
Quintiles

"Catenion has supported us on a number of portfolio and strategy related projects at a critical time in the company's history as we focus our R&D efforts on creating future value. They bring very disciplined and cutting–edge methods and processes, but most importantly they understand our needs and requirements as a fast–paced biotech company. I really value their independent point of view, which has been instrumental in challenging and guiding our senior team in coming up with a winning portfolio strategy."

David S. McCullough
VP, Strategic Planning, Commercialization & Corporate Development
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

"We have successfully used Catenion for R&D portfolio management and strategy support. Catenion’s in–depth understanding of pharmaceutical R&D and their sharp analytical approach clearly differentiates them. Our collaboration has been efficient, valuable and constructive."

Dr. Claus Braestrup
Former President and CEO
H. Lundbeck A/S

"Shortly after I had been hired into my current role, I engaged Catenion to help me prepare a change management programme that could guide the organisational realignment efforts for my first year in the job. This intense project involved a small team of four experienced consultants and went on for just ten weeks, focusing on

  • Improving productivity in Development (process efficiency and marketed output)
  • Redefining portfolio strategy
  • Redesigning numerous processes, interfaces, governance principles, as well as establishing a new management culture

Apart from their strong analytics, what I particularly appreciated was the pragmatic approach of the Catenion team. Without eschewing clarity and conflict where necessary, they involved the organization with a constructive, participatory spirit, thus turning initial apprehension into positive energy for implementation that we could harness for the change the company needed."

Rob Koremans
Senior Vice President Generics Europe, sanofi aventis and
CEO of Zentiva

"We worked with Catenion to provide training and support for a new Portfolio Review System. They introduced us to their Risky Business Game which enabled the whole company to engage in a full day of intensive simulations that mirrored the real life decisions that our company has to take in managing its R&D portfolio. This proved to be an exceptional learning experience for our staff but also one which everyone enjoyed immensely. The Catenion team were extremely professional, knowledgeable and helpful in both the preparation and the execution of this very important training event."

Ron Long
Former CEO
Medivir AB

"Catenion supported us in a very critical situation with a key late stage development project. Due to their pragmatic, critical and entrepreneurial approach, they largely contributed to the success of the crisis management team. My very positive experiences with the Catenion consultants during project/portfolio reviews have now also been confirmed at a tactical and operational level within a global project team."

Dr. Oliver Maria Wilbert, MBA
Senior Director Immunotherapies, Portfolio Development
Merck Serono SA

"I tremendously enjoyed working with Catenion. They are fully at home in pharmaceutical Discovery and bring a highly unusual combination of a rigorous analytical mind–set with a pragmatic understanding of R&D strategy and organisational mechanics."

Dr. Gianni Gromo
Global Head Metabolic & Vascular Disease Area
F. Hoffmann–La Roche AG

"One of the toughest decisions I had to take in my role as CEO of Bayer Pharma was to refocus our Discovery activities after the market withdrawal of Lipobay. Using their proprietary tools, benchmarks and a tough, fact–based approach, Catenion guided the Discovery management team through a difficult process of prioritisation of therapeutic areas and projects and provided crucial support for the decision making of the Bayer Corporate Board."

Dr. Wolfgang Plischke
Member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG (Innovation, Technology and Environment, and Asia/Pacific region)
Previously CEO of Bayer Pharma

"Over the years, I have come to know Catenion as independent thinkers who use their insights and methodological sophistication to come up with creative solutions that work."

Bert Tjeenk Willink, M.D.
Head of Corporate Board, Division Pharma Marketing and Sales
Boehringer Ingelheim

"What I particularly appreciated in working with Catenion on the Personalised Medicine strategy for GSK is the rare combination of an in–depth understanding of the science (biomarkers, pharmacology, diagnostics, clinical trial designs, modelling tools..), the R&D processes, their very thorough strategic vision for R&D as well as the quality of their well articulated risk assessment tools both for R&D and commercial purposes. Through them I was able to develop a better vision of the key opportunities but also the real challenges of a Personalised Medicine Strategy. Their approach is robust and well qualified – it embeds the right balance of inspiration and pragmatism associated with a high level of discipline in collecting data and facts. Last but not least their sound assessment of organisations contributes to their remarkable sense of how to achieve the transformational benefit of new R&D approaches."

Dr. Dominique Limet
CEO, ViiV Healthcare
Former SVP & Head of Personalised Medicine Strategy, Glaxo SmithKline

"I have worked with Catenion on several occasions — from an in–depth assessment of our ethical pipeline, to health–economic analyses, to a customised training for my executive team by The Catenion Academy. The Catenion team always focused on our specific needs as a family–owned business while providing the perspective of large pharmaceutical corporations. Their insights had great impact on our internal discussions and development."

M. Germano Giuliani
President & CEO
Giuliani S.p.A.

"With their systematic review of the key drivers of innovation and risk, Catenion has helped us focus our early stage medical devices and technology portfolios on the most promising assets . Their approach of on–the–job training our portfolio managers in the methodology and staying in the background led to great acceptance in the organization. As a result, we have decided to implement their approach. I have worked with Catenion for many years and in various roles and have always highly valued their contribution."

Dr. Ulrich Thibaut
Former Member of the Board of Management (CTO)
Drägerwerk AG
Member of the Board of Management (R&D)
Octapharma AG