Inspirational ambassadors & leaders nominated for prestigious life sciences award

Three highly respected life sciences ambassadors and business leaders have been shortlisted for a prestigious Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Award 2010.

Jim Reid, Peter Shakeshaft and Professor Alasdair Munro have been nominated to lift the accolade for Outstanding Contribution to the Growth of the Scottish Life Sciences sector.

The award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry in Scotland through achievements which have enhanced Scotland’s growing reputation as a global leader in the commercialisation of life science technology.

Jim Reid from Perthshire developed his early career in blue-chip organisations in many parts of the world including Organon, Chiron and Hoffman la Roche, starting at the research bench and progressing to business management.  He has since utilised his knowledge, experience and connections to contribute at many levels to the life sciences industry in Scotland and has been instrumental in the formation and development of more than ten companies in the sector.

Jim is now expanding his work with early stage Life Science companies, particularly through support and investment from his own company, ChimaeraBio, with the vision of creating sustainable life science businesses in Scotland.

Second nominee for the Outstanding Contribution award is business angel and investor Peter Shakeshaft. 

Peter currently chairs the boards of LINC Scotland (the umbrella organisation for the Scottish business angel network), Scottish Health Innovations Ltd (SHIL), Adventi Ltd and Symphony Equity Investments Ltd, who specialise in creating financial value through involvement with growth-potential and underperforming companies.

The final nominee for this category is Alasdair Munro from Inverness.  Alasdair has been a prominent figure in the Scottish health scene from his days as a surgeon (during which he pioneered keyhole surgery). He now sits on the board of SHIL and has been one of the driving forces behind the development of the Centre for Health Science in Inverness which now houses eight tenant organisations, 14 departments, 240 employees and 500 students.

The winners of the 2010 awards will be announced at the Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Annual Dinner at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 4th February.

 Rhona Allison, senior director of Life Sciences at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Congratulations to all of the companies who have made it onto the shortlist – they have done tremendously well to make it to this stage. We always expect a high standard of entries for the Life Sciences Awards and this year has been no different.  I understand from the judges that the quality of entries has again been incredibly high and built on the impressive standards set last year.”

“These Awards are a real chance for us to recognise and reward Scotland’s life sciences top innovations and entrepreneurial performers and have become an increasingly important event in the industry’s business calendar.  I’m looking forward to the awards themselves which will, once again, showcase Scotland’s achievements, successes and outstanding talent.”

The keynote speaker at this year’s dinner will be Dr Rod MacKenzie, senior vice president and head of world wide research for Pfizer Inc.and the event will be attended by industry both national and international, academia, the Scottish Government as well as funding specialists who continue to carefully track the undeniable innovation and dynamism of the sector.

The Scottish Enterprise Annual Life Sciences Dinner attracts more than 750 people from the life sciences community in the UK and abroad to celebrate Scotland’s most innovative companies.