Executive Management Team

Synectix's management team has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry encompassing commercial management, drug discovery and development, finance and business development.

• Mr Bryn Williams - Executive Chairman and CEO
• Dr Mark Saunders - Development Director
• Dr Ken Caldicott - CSO and Qualified Person
• Dr Jason Gray - Head of Operations
• Mr Andrew Williams - Company Secretary

Bryn Williams
Executive Chairman and CEO

Bryn is an experienced director with commercial, strategic and leadership skills gained from working in the profession, PLC’s and private equity environment in a number of different organisations and is a co-founder of Synectix Pharmaceutical Solutions Ltd. Having gained an economics degree at Liverpool University Bryn trained as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, qualified and moved into industry working at Board level at both divisional and operating company level. Bryn worked in a number of different PLC groups, including RTZ, Courtaulds and Caradon, in the building products and speciality packaging sectors. During his career Bryn had Board responsibility for the IT function and successfully led the implementation of a number of complex IT projects in various companies. Since 1998 Bryn has worked as both executive and non-executive director in a number of private equity businesses, the majority of which have been funded by leverage finance. He was a member of the buy-out team at Penn Pharmaceuticals and has supported the acquisition, disposal and turnaround, as well as growth, of a number of venture capital backed businesses. As executive chairman Bryn is responsible in Synectix for shaping the strategic direction, ensuring appropriate corporate governance and leading the Board in successfully developing the business. He is a significant shareholder in Synectix.

Mark Saunders BSc PhD MRSC
Development Director

Mark was awarded his first degree in Biological and Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Exeter and his PhD from the London School of Pharmacy under the supervision of Professors Kevin Taylor and Duncan Craig. His PhD programme was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and involved the design and characterisation of novel lipid-based carrier vehicles for delivery of genetic material for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. After finishing his PhD, Mark worked for the London based legal firm SJ Berwin, providing analytical testing in support of a successful major patent litigation trial. After this, Mark was appointed Physical Scientist at a small London based Contract Research Organisation (CRO) where he oversaw the growth and development of the company through to a commercial sell in 2007. After spending 5 years in the Research and Development support arm of the company and having set up both the Physical Properties and Screening laboratories, Mark moved into Strategic Development where he directly lead the successful set up of a Japanese Business Development office in Tokyo. After 2 years in this position and havng seen the company grow significantly, Mark moved from this role and was involved in the commercial set up of Synectix Pharmaceutical Solutions Ltd, of which he is a co-founder. Mark is also a member of UK and US Controlled Release Societies, Royal Society of Chemistry, Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (APS) and UK Thermal Methods Group.

Ken Caldicott PhD, C.Sci, C.Chem, FRSC
Chief Scientific Officer and QUalified Person (QP)

Ken Caldicott began his pharmaceutical career with the Parke-Davis Research Division of Warner-Lambert where he managed the analytical chemistry department and later also took on responsibility for Quality Assurance. He later moved to Penn Pharmaceuticals where he set up a contract analytical laboratory which was also utilised to support formulation development. After growing these two groups he moved into a CSO role providing CMC and QP consultancy services to Penn’s clients. In 2004 Ken left Penn to start his own consultancy and is now working with a number of international pharmaceutical companies. Ken’s PhD is in analytical chemistry and chemometrics, he is a Chartered Chemist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is also registered as a Qualified Person (QP).

Andrew Williams BSc, MIET
Company Secretary and Finance Director

A graduate in electronic engineering from Liverpool University and a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Andrew qualified as a Chartered Accountant with the firm Deloitte Haskins and Sells (now PWC) in 1987. His early business career was spent with Valstar Systems, as Company Accountant, and Schlumberger, an engineering conglomerate, as Treasury Accountant. In 1995 he became MD and FD of Kroton Engineering in South Wales and, four years later, FD and Company Secretary of Spectrum Technologies plc. Between 2003 and 2006 he was seconded as Director and General Manager to Spectrum's US operation while remaining Group FD. Andrew has recently decided to follow a portfolio career serving a range of SME clients.