2023 Speakers

Adriana is the Communities Manager of ECHAlliance and she is currently based in Paris, France. She works directly with ECHAlliance members and ecosystems to bring them on board and promote them as well as to increase the connections between our existing members and ecosystems and create new and exciting content for them.

As a background, Adriana is a communications specialist, who has been working as a consultant for more than 4 years offering a wide range of services, such as social media management, creative content development, communication strategy and press relations. Clients have included local and international non-profit organisations from diverse fields such as digital health, women’s, children’s and elderly rights, visual impairment, democracy promotion, EU politics and economic and social development.

Arezki Yaïche is since 2014 a financial journalist specialised in M&A and competition law. As a Senior France Correspondent for the global M&A newswire Mergermarket (owned by ION Group) is coordinating the news content for France and writes on all types of transactions from early stage fundraises to takeovers of listed companies and IPOs.

Arezki was previously Senior Correspondent Antitrust for regulatory newswire MLex in Brussels between 2019 and 2021 after four years as M&A reporter and Paris Bureau Chief for Mergermarket. Arezki also has a six-year experience as Communication consultant specialised in Finance and European regulation. He worked for financial and public institutions including Dexia Asset Management in Brussels, Credit Agricole Assurances in France, the French embassy in Stockholm, the European Parliament, and the French Ministry for Agriculture

Close to 20 years experience in pharma, medical devices and diagnostic with primary field of expertise in oncology and hematology. International track record in clinical research, international marketing strategy, market access, commercial excellence programs and business development. Worked previously at Takeda Pharma, Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi. SkylineDx has introduced novel diagnostics into the US with reimbursement.

Artur Olesch is a Berlin-based journalist and correspondent for digital health-related topics. An author of 1000+ articles and health-IT reports. Founder of the independent e-magazine aboutDigitalHealth.com, content writer, speaker, conference moderator, mentor of med-tech startups and influential voice on social media.

Artur describes the latest technological and scientific developments in medicine and their impact on the health sector today and ​​​in the future. Artur has worked with top-rated digital health magazines in Poland and Europe and leading healthcare and health IT organizations like The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), World Health Organization (WHO), Copenhagen Institute of Future Studies, World Bank and EIT Health. He is also a member of the SCIANA Healthcare Leaders Network.

Carole Absil is a consultant, coach and trainer for HealthTech companies. She worked for 15 years at Agoria, the Belgian technology industry association, helping companies with their advocacy and international business development. In 2020, when the pandemic started, she played a major role in the vaccination strategy and campaign in Wallonia (Belgium) as deputy to the COVID-19 General Commissioner. In 2022, she started her own company providing tailored strategy services in advocacy, scaling and international business development to HealthTech companies.

Charlotte Puechmaille benefits from a 10-year expertise in new market launches, sales development & medical collaborations within the global digital health sector. As the former Head of Strategy at Withings, she launched 15+ digital health products in Europe and North America, both in the consumer and medical worlds. In 2022, she founded FemTech Now to meet the growth needs of Women’s Health startups willing to expand abroad and commercialize their medical solutions in France and Europe. Charlotte is a graduate from HEC Paris School of Management and holds a Sustainability Master degree from Mines ParisTech Engineering School.

Cyril Teixeira da Silva, Investment Officer, Growth Finance and Venture Debt, Life Science and Biotech

After graduating from ESCP Business School in 2014, Cyril Teixeira da Silva started his career in Singapore with the French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom, as financial analyst for the Asia-Pacific Region. He then joined the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg in 2016 in the venture debt team, in charge of the quasi-equity financing of innovative European companies in the field of biotechnology and medical technology.

Frédéric Le Roy est Professeur de Management Stratégique à l’Université de Montpellier (Institut Montpellier Management) et professeur affilié à Montpellier Business School. Il est responsable du Cooetition Lab (programme de recherche du Labex Entreprendre) et co-directeur de la Chaire Coo-Innov (Coopétition et Ecosystème d’Innovation. Il est également directeur du Master Stratégie-Innovation-Conseil de l’Institut Montpellier Management. Il a publié de nombreux ouvrages et articles scientifiques sur la coopétition et l’innovation.

Entrepreneur Haider developed a toolbox for bringing brand performances to life, helping organisations of various shapes and sizes navigate the unknown and generate growth. This led him to build Kainjoo in 2012, a fast-growing consulting firm supporting ambitious leaders from 500 Fortune companies. With Allegory Capital, he supports regulated industries to innovate through portfolios of emerging tech and channels.

Hatim is a practising General Practitioner in North West London, joining Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network in October 2022, in a job share as Medical Director. Alongside this role he continues to act as National Clinical Lead for AI and Digital Workforce at NHS England within the Workforce, Training, and Education directorate.

In 2018, Hatim was appointed National Medical Directors Clinical Fellow to Professor Wendy Reid. His key achievements were co-author and member of the Sir Keith Pearson Commission into NHS Staff and Learner Mental Health and co-founding the ‘Topol Programme for Digital Health Fellowships’ launched by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in 2019.

Hatim has been a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University London, supporting the Physician Associate MSc and new medical school, developing its digital education strategy and curriculum. Hatim recently joined Keele University as an Honorary Senior Lecturer, working with European partners to develop a Masters in Explainable AI in healthcare management. Hatim is also a member of the NICE Technology Appraisals Committee.

Hatim is an advocate for safe and ethical digital transformation and ensuring workforce preparedness for new innovations and technologies in health and care. He regularly speaks internationally and has contributed to the publication of several academic papers and white papers spanning workforce, education reform, primary care, digital health and AI.

Outside of work Hatim enjoys travelling and football, and you will likely find him touring England’s best restaurants with his family.

Ignacio Handal is currently CEO at Clinicom Healthcare. Ignacio has completed a myriad FDA phase I, II, & III studies in pharmaceuticals, and devices over two decades. Ignacio has completed more clinical research studies than 99.8% of all clinical researchers internationally per globaldata.com. Mr Handal has completed clinical studies that have help put 83 plus drugs and devices to market over the last twenty years, These products have touched the lives of over a two hundred million patients. In 2022 Ignacio was honored with the Christine Pierre Clinical trials Europe lifetime achievement award for clinical trials. Only 8 researchers globally have ever been awarded this honor to date. Mr. Handal has led the creation and development of two nationally recognized US clinical research centers, Harmonex Neuroscience Research and Trinity Research at Eye Center South. Harmonex Neuroscience is the clinical research institute that gave birth to Clinicom at its inception, Prior to Clinicom, Ignacio was Director of Clinical Project Management (10/2018-3/2020) and Director of Program Management (8/2018-2/2020) at Biorasi a global CRO. He was Director of Clinical Research at Eye Center South the Third largest surgical center in the USA from 2015-8/2018 where he founded their research division.

Early in his career Ignacio, Co-Founded the 5th leading private CNS research site in the US called Harmonex Neuroscience research in 2003 that continues to this day.

Ignacio and his team have used the profits of their research trials over the years to develop the world’s first online mental health assessment software that can assess anyone remotely for 81 mental health conditions in one virtual assessment. Clinicom has helped accelerate enrollment and patient identification for precise inclusion and exclusion criteria in 70 phase II and III studies in the US. Ignacio and his team have invested over 10 million dollars from their clinical trials work to bring equity and access to mental health in 6 continents.

James is the cofounder and CEO of SomX, a healthtech and biotech-specific communications group. He also hosts The Healthtech Podcast, which has listeners in >120 countries and is the Editor-In-Chief of Healthtech Pigeon, a newsletter and podcast that rounds up the sector’s news. He is an anaesthetics and ICU doctor by training, has held roles in leadership, management and innovation at NHS England, Health Education England and the British Medical Journal and previously directed two healthtech startup accelerators. He has degrees in medicine, biomedical sciences and education and is a guest lecturer on healthtech innovation and entrepreneurship at academic institutions around the world.

Following a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology, Dr. Jan F. Engels completed a PhD in chemistry and nanotechnology in Hong Kong, where he stayed the past 10 years. During his PhD studies he co-founded a medical device start-up in the field of ophthalmology and drug delivery with the position as VP technology. Next to R&D, his focus was on technology patents and business development with successful collaborations with listed companies in US, Europe, and Japan. Next to his start-up position, Jan has a part time lecturer position, teaching Entrepreneurship. After returning to Germany, he joined High-Tech Gründerfonds as an Investment Manager Life Science.

Jessica is co-founder & CXO of SomX, a healthtech and biotech-specific communications group. She is also an editor and regular host for Healthtech Pigeon, a news brand rounding up the sector’s news.

Originally from Scotland, John is a pioneer of the Australasian medical recruitment industry with nearly 30 years experience in the industry. He moved to Europe in 2019 to focus on DeepTech & Life Sciences innovation. He maintains a recruitment portfolio for C-suite, board and leadership roles.  John is a speaker & mentor to start-ups & founders, on setting up their own in-house recruitment capabilities, in preparation for scale-up growth.  A keen surfer and musician, John is now permanently based in Europe & the UK.​​

Jussi Määttä (Msc. Eng.) is the Founder and CEO of Buddy Healthcare, the company driving hospital efficiency through streamlined patient pathways and care coordination. Buddy Healthcare’s innovative solutions have improved patient outcomes and operational efficiencies for healthcare providers.

As the CEO of Buddy Healthcare, Jussi has secured high-profile six-figure accounts and partnerships in Finland, the UK, and France, expanded into new markets, created partnerships with multiple medical device companies and industry players as well as raised significant funding for growth. With expertise in Enterprise B2B SaaS and healthcare, Jussi is a passionate leader and company builder, well-positioned to drive impact in these industries.

Katarzyna Markiewicz-Barreaux has a passion for disruptive innovation combined with a “two-feet on the ground” drive to turn ideas into business successes. She has a Masters in Lifesciences and Business Economics, and a PhD in Health Economics.

Katarzyna combines a great understanding of healthcare market, including the trends, new technologies, regulatory shifts and competitors/players strategies with epidemiology and health economics knowledge. She is passionate about translating new technologies into potential future benefits for healthcare systems and addressing the needs of all the stakeholders (i.e., patients, healthcare providers). At the same time, she is keeping in mind the necessity of thorough multidisciplinary assessment of those technologies. Katarzyna is particularly fascinated by the AI hype, with all the market dynamics, plethora of players and countless possibilities to bring value to healthcare.

Katarzyna has been with Royal Philips for the last 8 years, leading Market Intelligence, Strategic Roadmaps and Communications efforts around Data and AI with a special focus on Insights@Scale Strategic Transformation Program. In this position she is, among others, working on the Value Proposition Creation and Go-to-Market strategy (incl. e.g., business/innovation ecosystems development; evidence roadmaps development; regulatory roadmap; road to reimbursement) for selected carrier projects. She is also supporting development and validation over time of an overall strategic vision behind Insights@Scale and its carrier projects.

In the MedTech Europe industry association Katarzyna is leading the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Committee focusing on Digital Health and AI. In this role she is concentrating on successful implementation of the HTA Regulation (HTA-R), which entered into force in January 2022, and it is expected to be applicable as of January 2025. Specifically, for the digital health & AI part of the HTA-R, there is an EU Harmonized Evaluation of Medical Digital Devices Taskforce set up, that aims to create a common European framework of Digital Medical Devices evaluation to support reimbursement decisions and increase the competitiveness of Europe in the digital health space. Katarzyna serves as a strategic consultant to the Taskforce activities.

Lisa Tschalenko is leading the digital health ecosystem at 5-HT Digital Hub – Europe’s fastest growing ecosystem in Chemistry & Health. She creates valuable connections between startups, pharmaceutical companies, and health insurance and fosters collaborative projects between those parties. With a Master of Science in Healthcare Management and 6+ years of experience in various roles from organizational health, to HR manager, to digital transformation lead in the pharmaceutical industry, she brings strong expertise in the health industry and digital transformation.

Business Development Manager Medical, Henkel Printed Electronics. At Henkel Adhesive Technologies, my role is realizing technical projects around Printed Electronics applications, identifying and partnering with startups and innovative technologies in the remote healthcare & wearable industry and creating a strategic fit to Henkel Adhesive Technologies, the largest global adhesive manufacturer.

Przemek is an experienced executive advisor with over 100 completed strategy and commercial development projects. His work spans areas such as asset and portfolio strategy, new market entry, commercial due diligence and licensing, as well as regulatory approval, and market access strategy. Przemek has worked with many of the Top 20 pharmaceutical and medical devices companies, including on blockbuster and cutting-edge novel therapies.

Prior to founding milepoint, Przemek co-led the London office of Kx Advisors, a premier global healthcare strategy consultancy, and worked as a specialist consultant at McKinsey & Company, focusing on international mergers and acquisitions and regulatory strategy.

Przemek holds an MSc in Management of Innovation from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Granada. He also completed post-graduate training in Private Equity and Venture Capital at IE Business School, Madrid.

I am a seasoned entrepreneur and venture development professional with a successful track record in the medical device industry. I have taken two startups through FDA clearance, market launch, and growth, and successfully navigated one to acquisition. In 2018, I joined Start Co. as Director of Acceleration and was promoted to VP of Venture Development in 2020. In this role, I am responsible for identifying investment opportunities for accelerators, building innovation systems for universities, city governments, and associations, teaching lean startup principles, and serving as an executive coach to new CEOs. Recently, I was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to advise the Biden administration on innovation and entrepreneurship and co-founded Lasting Machine Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on medical innovation. My achievements in business and clinical sectors have earned me recognition, including being a founding member of the Forbes Technology Council; a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council; a graduate of the world’s top VC emerging manager program; and selected by Harvard Business School for the 2022 Young American Leaders Program for U.S. competitiveness. Additionally, I have been recognized in the Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, received the National Vascular Recognition Award, and was selected by the Americas Competitiveness Exchange in 2022 to serve as a U.S. Delegate in Ecuador.

Dr Stuart Hannah is Co-Founder and CEO of Microplate Dx Ltd, an innovative, award-winning antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-focussed startup company. Dr Hannah has a PhD in Electronic & Electrical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and has 10+ years’ academic and industrial experience in developing biosensors and diagnostics for healthcare. Dr Hannah has a wide range of interests from life sciences, in-vitro diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance and electrochemistry, to algorithm development, data analytics, product development, intellectual property and commercialisation.

Microplate Dx Limited specialises in rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) diagnostics, enabling clinicians, at the point-of-care, to confidently select the best choice of antibiotic to treat a patient’s infection in a matter of minutes, significantly quicker than the current gold standard of days, reducing antimicrobial resistance and ultimately, saving lives. Microplate Dx’s mission is to improve quality of life for patients by providing antimicrobial stewardship in a cost-effective manner, with our vision to be a leading provider of platform diagnostics to tackle the major global healthcare challenge of antimicrobial resistance in a rapid, scalable and inclusive manner. Microplate Dx offers a cost-effective, rapid, platform point of care (POC) solution to tackle antimicrobial resistance which eliminates empirical or ‘best-guess’ antibiotic prescribing, leading to significantly enhanced antibiotic stewardship. Our first product and beachhead opportunity is urinary tract infections (UTIs) – second most common cause of antibiotic treatment, and the cause of 1 in 4 sepsis presentations. The platform diagnostic has widespread applicability across primary/secondary care settings, and can be used for a broad range of organism/antibiotic combinations.