President
Senior VP of Operations
Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs and Quality
VP of Finance
VP of Business Development & Project Management
Senior VP of Human Resources
General Manager, Massachusetts
General Manager, Ohio
President
Seiji Fujioka has served as the President of Nitto Avecia, Inc. since 2018 and has led the organization through a period of unprecedented growth. Prior to becoming our President, Seiji is concurrently the Corporate Senior Vice President of Nitto’s Medical Division where he oversees numerous commercial projects in the medical device and pharmaceutical areas. Seiji has been part of Nitto since 1985, and he is dedicated to Nitto’s core value, “Innovation for Customers.” Seiji holds a Bachelor degree from Doshisha University.
VP of Finance
Gordon Russell is Nitto Avecia’s VP of Finance. Gordon began overseeing the organization’s finances in 2000 when Avecia acquired the Hybridon DNA manufacturing facility in Milford, MA. Over the last two decades, Gordon has worked with diligence and integrity to responsibly grow our organization into the leading contract manufacturer of oligonucleotides. He was part of the leadership teams overseeing the acquisitions of Girindus America and Irvine Analytical.
VP of Business Development & Project Management
Tammy Cooper has served as Nitto Avecia’s VP of Business Development since 2017 and has been part of the business development team since 2005. She is responsible for business development as well as project management. Tammy is focused on excellent customer service and is always striving towards exceeding customer expectations. Tammy has spent over two decades working in the pharmaceutical industry helping customers find solutions to their manufacturing needs. Tammy holds a Bachelor degree in chemistry from the University of Prince Edward Island.
Senior VP of Operations
Kelly Behrendt is the Senior Vice President of Operations. Kelly has been with the Nitto Avecia organization since 2007, and he has spent nearly three decades in the pharmaceutical and medical device fields. Kelly oversaw Avecia’s 1600 mmol manufacturing capacity expansion and is now leading the effort to further expand Avecia’s development laboratory space. Kelly has a passion for continuous improvement and has implemented numerous improvement projects at Avecia. Kelly holds a Bachelor degree in business and Administration Management from Metropolitan State University and an MBA in Management and Operations from Capella University.
Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs and Quality
Loriann Baranauskas is the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality. She joined Nitto Avecia in 2014. Loriann has over thirty 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 and compliance initiatives at all of Nitto Avecia’s FDA inspected manufacturing sites, serving customers from early-stage development to commercial manufacture. Loriann holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Fitchburg State College. Lori has a passion for developing flexible Quality solutions that support the development of products that serve global patient populations as well as personalized approaches to medicine.
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.
VP of Human Resources
Debra Vasques Bruneau is Nitto Avecia’s Vice President of Human Resources. She joined Nitto Avecia in 2020. Prior to that, Debra was the Global Human Resources Leader – Organizational Effectiveness and M&A – for Xerox. Debra has a passion for implementing programs that positively impact leadership and organizational effectiveness. She has a track record in previous organizations of implementing programs to enhancing employee retention and engagement. She earned a Bachelor 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.
General Manager, Massachusetts
Paul Van Norman is the General Manager of our Massachusetts location. Paul has been with the Nitto Avecia organization since 1995 with a career focus on oligonucleotide manufacturing. Paul has seen the growth of Avecia from its inception as a CMO producing 100s of gram through numerous scale ups and expansion to products 100s of kilograms. Paul has a passion for continuous growth of oligonucleotides as a primary therapeutic motif. Paul holds a Bachelor degree in Natural Sciences from Worcester State University and certificates in Biotechnology Manufacturing, Continuous Process Improvement, and Management and Leadership.
125 Fortune Boulevard
Milford, MA 01757
Tel: (508) 532-2500
8560 Reading Road
Cincinnati, OH 45215
Tel: (513) 679-3000
