Executive Chairman
President
VP of Strategy
VP of Finance
General Manager, Ohio
VP of Quality & Regulatory Affairs
VP of Operations
VP of Project Management Organization
AVP of Business Development
AVP of Human Resources
AVP of Innovation & Process Strategy
Leading pharma companies worldwide rely on Nitto Avecia for all of their outsourced oligonucleotide development needs. In partnership with Avecia Pharma Services, we are the only CMO to provide a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for oligo development and commercial manufacturing. Learn more about Avecia Pharma Services.
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President
Seiji Fujioka, President of Nitto Avecia, Inc.’s Human Life Science division since 2018, has steered the organization through a period of remarkable growth. He concurrently serves as the Corporate Senior Vice President of Nitto’s Medical Division, overseeing numerous projects in the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors. Seiji has been an integral part of Nitto since 1985, embodying the company’s core value, “Innovation for Customers.” He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Doshisha University.
VP of Finance
Chun Ren, Nitto Avecia’s VP of Finance. Chun brings over two decades of technology management and finance leadership experience across the global biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, and CDMO industries. Chun has a proven track record in business partnership, strategic planning, driving profitability, fostering business growth, and building robust finance organizations and processes.
She possesses extensive expertise in financial operations, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury management, internal controls, and SOX compliance. Chun has played a pivotal role in supporting large-scale capital investment projects, including CDMO expansions and mergers and acquisitions.
Chun holds an MBA in Finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, a Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside, and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Intellectual Property Law from Peking University.
President
Tammy Cooper, President, has been with Nitto Avecia since 2005 and has played a vital role in increasing the business growth throughout her tenure. Prior to taking on the role of President in 2024, Tammy was the Vice President of Business Development since 2017. Tammy is unwavering in her commitment to build a strong foundation based on innovation, sustainability, and customer centricity to maintain our success as one of the top CDMOs in the oligo market. With over two decades in the pharmaceutical industry, Tammy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Prince Edward Island.
Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs and Quality
Loriann Baranauskas, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality, joined Nitto Avecia in 2014, bringing over thirty-five years of management experience in Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Compliance in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry (GMP, GCP, and GLP). Loriann oversees the Quality Management System implementation and Compliance initiatives at all of Nitto Avecia’s FDA inspected manufacturing sites. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Fitchburg State College and is passionate about developing flexible Quality solutions that support the development of products serving global patient populations.
VP of Analytical and Pharma Services
Gordon Marr is the Vice President of Analytical and Pharma Services. Gordon joined the Nitto Avecia Team in September 2021. Gordon has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having spent time working for large and small pharmaceutical companies, a multinational generic company and a couple of CDMO companies. Gordon is passionate about designing lean operations in analytical R&D and QC lab operations that facilitate the API and drug product development and commercialization processes across multiple global regulatory markets. Gordon received a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Herriot Watt University, a Master’s degree in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Aberdeen, and a Doctorate in Pharmaceutical Analysis from the University of Bradford.
Senior VP of Human Resources
Debra Vasques Bruneau, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Nitto Avecia since 2020, previously served as the Global Human Resources Leader – Organizational Effectiveness and M&A – for Xerox. With a passion for implementing programs that enhance leadership and organizational effectiveness, Debra has a track record of positively impacting employee retention and engagement in previous organizations. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science from Merrimack College.
General Manager, Ohio
Rob Conlin serves as the General Manager of Nitto Avecia’s site in Cincinnati, OH. Rob has been with the site and organization since 2017. He brings over 20 years of pharmaceutical commercial and contract manufacturing experience, including producing sterile, ophthalmic, OSD, and API products. He enjoys driving continuous improvement and maximizing a plant’s capacity utilization, helping the Cincinnati site double in size and output and position itself for future expansion. Rob earned a BS degree in Engineering Physics from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, and an MBA from Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH.
VP of Human Resource
Emily Pullen, Vice President of Nitto Avecia and Nitto Avecia Pharma Services. Emily is a seasoned professional in the field of Human Resources, boasting a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She has honed her skills as an HR attorney and culture and compliance consultant with extensive HR executive leadership experience. With over 20 years of international and US-based HR experience, Emily brings a wealth of strategic HR leadership experience in numerous industries including medical technology.
VP of Research and Development
Prasad Panzade, Ph.D. brings over 25 years of experience in the multidimensional chemical industries, encompassing both pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors. Dr. Panzade holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, specializing in pharmaceutical product development, as well as analytical sciences and technology.
Throughout his career, Dr. Panzade has been an active member of several professional organizations, including AAPS, IPA, and SPDS. He is also a dedicated mentor, committed to cultivating the next generation of leaders in the industry. Before joining us, Prasad served as the Head of Analytical Sciences and Laboratory Operations at Catalent, Inc.
Prasad’s extensive expertise and leadership will be vital in advancing our research and development objectives, driving innovation, and enhancing our capabilities in product development and analytical sciences.
VP of Business Development & Project Management
Craig Dobbs, Vice President of Business Development & Project Management is responsible for Avecia’s commercial activities including sales, marketing, business development, and project management. Craig brings over 30 years of technical and client experience in the synthetic biomolecule market having initially trained as a nucleic acid, oligo, and peptide chemist at the Rockefeller University and the University of California Irvine before initiating his commercial career. Craig’s leadership and expertise will be instrumental in achieving our business objectives and fostering a culture of excellence within the organization.
VP of Operations
Paul Van Norman, VP of Operations at Nitto Avecia, continues to lead Milford’s manufacturing, facilities, business planning, and shipping teams. Since joining the company in 1995, Paul has dedicated his career to oligonucleotide manufacturing, witnessing Avecia’s evolution from a CMO producing grams of material to an industry leader handling products weighing hundreds of kilograms. He is deeply passionate about the continuous growth of oligonucleotides as a primary therapeutic motif. Paul holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences from Worcester State University, along with certificates in Biotechnology Manufacturing, Continuous Process Improvement, and Management and Leadership.
VP of Quality & Regulatory Affairs
Dr. Qu brings over 20 years of technology development and quality management expertise gained from leading roles in several multinational pharmaceutical companies. Her extensive experience spans Pharmaceutical Quality Systems and Quality Risk Management, encompassing all GxP activities to uphold regulatory compliance, ensure product quality, and protect patient safety. Susan is passionate about cultivating a culture of quality throughout organizations through a holistic approach, collaborating closely with all functional teams. Before joining Nitto Avecia, Dr. Qu held progressive quality leadership positions at Abio-X Holdings, WuXi Biologics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Genzyme Sanofi.
Dr. Qu obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Emory University, and her MBA from Babson College.
Executive Chairman
Yoshihiko Terada, Executive Chairman, has been with Nitto Avecia since 2022 and has served as Vice President and Director of the Medical Division at Nitto Denko Corporation since 2015. Before joining Nitto Denko Corporation, Yoshi had 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and consulting firms, respectively. He is committed to contributing to patients and the oligonucleotide market through Nitto Avecia’s excellent capabilities, along with Nitto Denko Corporation’s brand and core technologies. Yoshi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Doshisha University.
Vice President of Strategy
Masaki Hayashi, Vice President of Nitto Avecia and Nitto Avecia Pharma Services, has more than 20 years of experience in the chemical field at Nitto Denko Corporation. He has held key roles in the R&D, Intellectual Property, Oligonucleotide Drug Discovery, and Corporate Planning Divisions of Nitto Denko Corporation, primarily responsible for strategic planning, business development, and alliances. Most recently, since 2022, he has been responsible for strategic planning for the Human Life Solutions Sector.
Hayashi holds a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Hyogo.
VP of Project Management Organization
Justine Camire, PMP, Vice President of the Project Management Organization (PMO). Justine has 20 years of experience in various leadership roles across the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. She brings deep experience in operational excellence, alliance management, project management, governance, portfolio prioritization, CMC strategy and business operations. Prior to joining Nitto Avecia, Justine held progressive leadership positions at several well-known therapeutics, biotech, biopharma, and specialty pharma organizations.
Justine earned a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Salve Regina University and is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
AVP of Human Resources
Michael Schick, Associate Vice President of HR. Michael is a seasoned human resources leader with broad experience in building and strengthening HR functions that drive organizational effectiveness and people-centric culture. He has over 20 years of experience in HR for life sciences organizations — with a focus on performance, leadership development, and key talent retention.
Michael earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in Psychology & Management and a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management.
AVP of Business Development
Keri Dufault, Associate Vice President at Nitto Avecia, leads the company’s business development and marketing efforts. With 20 years of experience in the oligonucleotide market, Keri plays a key role in fostering strategic partnerships and driving growth initiatives.
She began her career at Avecia in 2006 as a Process Chemist and has since held a variety of roles across manufacturing and business development. Since 2015, she has advanced through the business development team, progressing from Proposal Writer to her current executive leadership position.
Keri’s strong technical foundation, combined with her expertise in oligonucleotide development, client engagement, and strategic planning, supports Nitto Avecia’s mission to advance therapeutic innovation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Science from Saint Anselm College.
AVP of Innovation & Process Strategy
Huihe (Julia) Zhu, PhD, Associate Vice President, Innovation & Process Strategy is an expert in oligonucleotide development. She provides both technical and strategic leadership for Process Development, Technology and Innovation, and oversees the Small-scale Oligo Unit (SSOU) for Nitto Avecia.
Julia has a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Northwestern University. She has a strong background in design, development, and pre‑clinical manufacturing of oligonucleotide compounds. She plays a key leadership role in driving safe, compliant, and efficient operations that support our long‑term innovation and modernization.
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Tel: (508) 532-2500
8560 Reading Road
Cincinnati, OH 45215
Tel: (513) 679-3000
