MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioNTech AG, a rapidly growing biotechnology company developing precise and individualized immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and the prevention of infectious diseases, today announced that the company’s shareholders have decided to convert BioNTech’s corporate legal entity from the German “AG” (Aktiengesellschaft or share-based corporation) to a European company (Societas Europaea or “SE”). As an SE, BioNTech will be a public limited company under EU law. The supranational aspect of this legal form represents an international focus with Europe as the company’s base and is the next logical step in the development of BioNTech’s worldwide operations. The company’s leadership will continue to consist of a management board and a supervisory board. The transition enables greater flexibility to operate globally and engage in fund-raising transactions and partnerships with other international corporations.
Separately, BioNTech announced additions to its corporate leadership: Ryan Richardson as Senior Vice President Corporate Development and Strategy and Dr. Ulrich Wandschneider as member of the supervisory board.
“With our ongoing focus on collaborating with global leaders in the life sciences, we are making this corporate entity change to demonstrate our international focus and to broaden our strategic options for future partnerships and fund-raising,” said Helmut Jeggle, Chairman of the BioNTech Supervisory Board and Managing Director of the Struengmann Family Office. “We welcome Ryan Richardson and Ulrich Wandschneider and appreciate their previous experience in the finance and health care fields. It is exciting to bring their expertise into BioNTech.”
Mr. Richardson brings 15 years of corporate development and finance in the healthcare and biopharmaceutical industries to BioNTech. Prior to joining the company, he was an Executive Director in the Global Healthcare Investment Banking team at J.P. Morgan in London, where he advised companies in the biotech and life sciences space on M&A, Equity and Debt capital financings. He has led multiple IPOs and follow-on offerings in both the U.S. and Europe, and has led numerous public and private M&A transactions.
Dr. Wandschneider has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare consulting and management. Before his recent appointment as member of BioNTech’s supervisory board, he was Chairman of the supervisory board of Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA, Hamburg, the second largest hospital group in Germany. Prior to this he served as CEO of Asklepios. Dr. Wandscheider was also CEO of Mediclin AG, Offenburg, and is currently the Chairman of that hospital’s supervisory board. Prior to his executive leadership roles in hospital management, he spent 17 years in the international healthcare consulting industry at Arthur Andersen and Deloitte, including holding the position of Partner at Deloitte’s Life Sciences & Healthcare group. Mr. Wandschneider is a member of various supervisory boards of family-owned and publicly-traded companies.
About BioNTech
BioNTech is Europe’s largest privately-held biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of more precise and individualized therapies for cancer and the prevention of infectious diseases. The company combines all building blocks for more precise and individualized immunotherapies under one roof – from diagnostics and drug development to manufacturing. Its cutting-edge technologies range from individualized mRNA-based product candidates through innovative chimeric antigen receptors and T-cell receptor-based compounds to novel checkpoint immunomodulators and small molecules. BioNTech’s commercial approach is validated by seven corporate partnerships with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Pfizer, Genmab, Eli Lilly and Company, Sanofi, Genevant and Bayer Animal Health and its scientific approach through over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including five publications in Nature. Founded in 2008, BioNTech’s financial shareholders include the Struengmann Family Office as its majority shareholder, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Invus, Janus Henderson Investors, MIG Fonds, Redmile Group, Salvia and several European family offices. For more information, please see: www.biontech.de
