Our management team

Bernard Sagaert Chief Executive Officer

Bernard is a highly accomplished strategic leader with over 25 years of experience in the biotech and life sciences sectors. He has demonstrated expertise in governance, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and innovation. Bernard excels in driving organizational transformation and fostering sustainable growth. He has a proven record of success in executive roles, including CEO and COO positions, and is a trusted advisor and board member in prominent biotech organizations.

Ronald Openshaw Chief Financial Officer

Ronald’s career spans over a dozen years as an investment banker with blue chip firms such as Panmure Gordon, one of the UK’s oldest City names, and Jefferies & Co. the US based investment bank. He also gained great direct industrial expertise in leading Pharmagene plc, as its CFO and then CEO, to create Asterand plc, a UK London Stock Exchange listed company focused on the core research and tools in translational medicine. Ronald started his career as a scientist and then qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG in London.

Phil Challis SVP Manufacturing

Phil is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, specializing in mRNA, lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems, recombinant proteins, and new chemical entities (NCEs). He has a proven track record of excellence in process development, tech transfer, GMP manufacturing, and regulatory compliance, successfully supporting clinical trials and commercial production. His career spans leadership roles in SMEs, large pharmaceutical companies, and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs).

Stefaan De Koker VP Technology & Innovation

Stefaan is an innovative bioengineer and immunologist with over 20 years of experience in mRNA therapeutics, lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems, and immunology. He is a pioneer in the field, with seminal contributions to developing mRNA vaccines and cancer immunotherapies. He is complemented by extensive experience in team leadership, discovery programs, and securing non-dilutive funding. Stefaan is a prolific author, with over 65 publications and 15 patents, and an effective communicator with an academic and industry network.

Philip Van der Auwera VP HR & OPERATIONS

Philip is a seasoned HR and organizational leader with over two decades of diverse experience across HR management, talent development, project management, and strategic organizational transformation. He combines a process-driven mindset with a strong people-oriented approach, emphasizing ethical consciousness and creative problem-solving. Philip has extensive expertise in HR effectiveness, organizational design, employee development, and cross-functional leadership, with a solid grasp of employment laws in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK.

Florence Lambolez Director Pharmacology

Florence is an expert in mucosal T cell development and function with over 20 years of immunology and immune-oncology experience including 7 years of life science industry expertise. Before joining etherna, Florence was a team leader in in vitro Pharmacology at iteos therapeutics and Instructor/Principal Investigator at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego USA. A holder of few patents and widely published, she completed her postdoctoral training at La Jolla Institute in the Department of Mucosal Immunology. Florence earned her PhD in Immunology from Descartes Paris V University, France.

At etherna, we have the skills and technologies to provide our partners with top-notch support in their development & manufacturing needs to acquire nucleic acid-based therapeutics and vaccines. We have an expansive portfolio of intellectual property and know-how, particularly on customizable Lipid Nano Particles (cLNPs), supported by RNA chemistry and process technologies. With a careful balance in our skillset, state-of-the-art facilities, and specialized equipment, we tackle complex challenges efficiently.

Our mRNA platform