Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> June 14, 1999
DR. RON JAMES is Managing Director of PPL Therapeutics. Dr. James was
involved with the formation of PPL in 1986/87 at which time he was part
of the Prudential's venture capital team. In 1989 the opportunity arose
for him to move to PPL as its Managing Director, a job in which he says
he has never worked so hard nor had so much fun. Since 1989, PPL has
grown from a staff of 6 to some 176 in Scotland and 30 in its US
subsidiary, and currently 7 in New Zealand. PPL has raised over, 25m
from venture capital and corporate investors to support this growth,
before achieving a full listing on the London Stock Exchange in June
1996, raising a further, 35m on a 100m valuation. PPL recently raised
a further 20m through a Rights Issue. PPL is working with major
pharmaceutical companies to bring its products to the market. Dr. James
started his working life as an organic chemist with Glaxo and later
moved to Wilkinson Sword where he progressed from bench chemist to
Manager of the Chemistry Department with a staff of 40. He then moved
into a technology transfer role, which included responsibility for the
administration of the company's patent portfolio, and negotiating
licensing deals with multinational companies, which produced a six-
figure royalty income. At about this time he obtained a finance and
accounting qualification and after a short period with Initial PLC
looking at acquisitions and franchising opportunities, joined the
Prudential's high tech venture capital team with responsibility for
health care and biotech investments. During his four years as a venture
capitalist, he looked after the technical side of Celltech and made
investments in British Bio-technology, Shield Diagnostics and PPL
Therapeutics amongst others, and acted as a director on the boards of
six early stage companies. In addition to his role at PPL, Ron is non-
executive Chairman of Rosgen Ltd, a livestock genotyping company which,
like PPL, is a spin out from the Roslin Institute, and a non-executive
Director of Neuropa Ltd, a functional genomics spin out from Glasgow and
St. Andrews Universities. He is also an investment advisor to the new
Scottish Technology Fund. Profile
Therapeutics, a little history, what is your primary activity, your
primary business, and where do you see yourselves today.
