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ABOUT
Expertise
Our track record consistently demonstrates:
1. A proven ability to identify and acquire exceptional products, backed by intelligent business development, to meet patient and healthcare professionals’ needs and partners’ expectations.
2. Outstanding regulatory and reimbursement expertise, which allows us to manage the full range of activities that underpin patient access and commercial readiness.
3. A flexible sales and marketing model, that’s fast, pragmatic, responsive, scalable and delivers results.
Our expertise supports a wide-range of domestic and international interests and a strong, diverse product portfolio and pipeline.
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Leadership
Mark has spent his career building businesses through acquisition, licensing and business development leadership. Under his guidance, the acquisitions of Miravo Healthcare (TSXV: MRV) (March 2023), Erfa Canada (December 2021), Besins Healthcare Canada (June 2016) as well as over 20 external partnering transactions have grown Searchlight Pharma from an idea with less than $1 million in revenues in its founding year into a fast-growing and profitable Canadian industry leader with over $100 million in revenues annually. While at Paladin Labs, Mark directed over 80 external product transactions and led the company’s international expansion into African and Latin American markets. In addition to shaping the therapeutic focus of Paladin’s Canadian business, Mark was the chief architect of Paladin’s international expansion and emerging markets strategy, leading the investments in Pharmaplan (Pty) Ltd. (2009) and the acquisition of Litha Healthcare Group (JSE: LHG) (2012) in South Africa, as well as the acquisition of Ativa Pharma in Mexico (2012). From his arrival at Paladin in 2003, consolidated revenues grew from about $20 million to in excess of $300 million annually.
Prior to joining Paladin, Mark held progressively senior leadership positions at Pharmacia, a global top 10 pharmaceutical company that is now part of Pfizer. He began his career as a consultant in Arthur Andersen’s Canadian financial advisory services practice in Toronto, and later spent time in the consumer packaged goods industry working with The Pillsbury Company where he worked on the Green Giant brand team in Canada.
Mark holds a BA in International Relations and Russian and East European Studies from the University of Toronto (Trinity), MBA also from the University of Toronto, and is a current member of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario). He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Licensing Executive Society (USA & Canada) and is a former President and Board Member of the Canadian Healthcare Licensing Association. He also currently sits on the Board of Intelgenx Technologies Corp. (TSX:IGX) where he serves as chair of the compensation committee.
Her experience with both growth and mature companies and in disruptive and high-tech industries is a tremendous asset to Searchlight. Prior to her CFO roles, Geri-Lynn spent about 6 years on the private equity buy side, working as an Investment Director with the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec and their early-stage venture fund Garage Technology Ventures. She also worked as a Director of Finance at Bell Canada, and started her career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers where, post-articling, she spent the majority of her time in their Financial Advisory Services practice, responsible for restructuring, project finance and privatization mandates in Canada and internationally.
Geri-Lynn is a Quebec Order CPA (CA), a graduate of both McGill and Concordia universities, and a proud resident of the West Island.
Adam is an energetic leader with an entrepreneurial spirit. He brings diverse experience in marketing & sales management, product launches, hospital tenders, pricing & reimbursement, product in-licensing and corporate M&A. Adam has worked in many therapeutic areas, but his main focus has been building Searchlight into a Canadian leader in women’s health.
Adam is a proud graduate of Bishop’s University with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree.
When not at the office, Adam can usually be found riding mountain bikes with his two young boys.
Jesse has over 20 years experience in building product portfolios and pharmaceutical businesses with Canadian, U.S. and international transactional experience. Prior to joining Miravo, he served as Vice President, Business Development & International Business at Tribute Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. While at Tribute, Jesse was a member of the senior management team that completed six transactions with an aggregate value of over CDN$250 million, culminating in a merger with Pozen Inc. and the subsequent formation of Aralez Pharmaceuticals Inc. Prior to joining Tribute, Jesse was Director, Business Development at SteriMax Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization of essential hospital and retail pharmacy products within Canada, where Jesse was responsible for a series of successful product acquisition and licensing transactions.
Jesse holds an honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Trent University.
Robert has extensive experience in all aspects of pharmaceutical product development and commercial business development, successfully merging scientific assessment and management with commercial strategy and value creation. His projects have spanned product sourcing, business valuation, contract negotiation and in-licensing activities all the way through to regulatory review and submission, commercial launch support, technology transfer, intellectual property management, key opinion leader development, and Advisory Board creation.
Robert has a BSc (Honors) in biochemistry and holds a PhD in pharmacology, both from McGill University.
Dr. Mandelzys has been Chair of the Searchlight Board of Directors since 2018. He is a partner at Cpoint Capital, a private equity firm focused on investing in small-to-mid sized healthcare & pharmaceutical companies, and the Chief Operating and Development Officer at Juno Pharmaceuticals. He is a member of the Board of Matrizyme Pharma Corp., Exactis Innovation and Omega Laboratories, as well as a Board observer for numerous private entities. He is a former Board member of Clementia Pharmaceuticals up until its acquisition by Ipsen in 2019 and of Bedrocan Cannabis Corporation up until its amalgamation into Canopy Growth Corporation in 2015. Prior to joining Juno in 2022, Dr. Mandelzys served as a strategic business and scientific consultant to the biotech industry, often assuming acting leadership positions within organizations. Prior to his consulting roles, Dr. Mandelzys served as CEO and director at Thallion Pharmaceuticals up until its acquisition by Bellus Health in 2013. Dr. Mandelzys served as vice president of business development at Labopharm from 2000 to 2006 and held senior research and business development roles with Allelix Biopharmaceuticals from 1995 to 2000 through its acquisition by NPS Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Mandelzys earned a PhD in physiology and an MBA from McGill University, and holds a BSc from the University of Toronto. He received his post-doctoral training at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology.
Catherine Allard has more than 30 years of experience in business and management and in all aspects of financial management including financial reporting, governance and compliance for private and public companies, mergers and acquisitions, financing activities and strategic financial and operational planning. From 2006 to 2018, Ms. Allard held the position of Chief Financial Officer at MDF Commerce Inc. (TSX:MDF), a world leader in ecommerce, eprocurement and emarket places service provider; at Stingray Digital Inc., a multiplatform music and video service provider, as well as at Acceo Solutions Inc., which specializes in the design, implementation, integration and support of management software, e-business development and the provision of electronic banking services. Acceo was sold in 2018 to a major IT Canadian public company. During her years as a CFO, she was involved in strategic restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, as well as financing activities. Previously, she pursued an international career from 1994 to 2005 through strategic positions at Telesystem International Wireless Inc. (TSX: TIW) in both Montreal and Bucharest. She was involved in the selling transaction of TIW to Vodafone in 2005 for USD3.5B. Ms. Allard started her career with KPMG as an auditor in Montreal, London, UK and Amsterdam.
She graduated from HEC Montreal with a bachelors in business administration and is a member of the Quebec CPA Order.
Ms Allard is currently, director, chair of the audit committee and member of the compensation committee of Searchlight Pharma and director and chair of the audit committee of Agence de mobilité durable. She was director of Novexco Inc from 2014 to 2021 where she was also chair of the HR and governance committee and was chair of the board of directors of Munvo Solutions Inc from 2019 to 2023 when the company was sold to a strategic buyer. She is also, as volunteer, member of the board of FEI Canada, Quebec chapter after being president for 3 years.
Gert Hoogland is a distinguished medical professional and entrepreneur, whose career began after qualifying as a Medical Doctor at the University of Amsterdam in 1982. He further broadened his education with an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau in 1985. Dr. Hoogland's career began as a Medical Adviser for Organon International, followed by positions as CEO for Schering in New Zealand and South Africa.
In 1997, he founded Pharmaplan (Pty) Ltd., leading it to become South Africa’s premier specialty pharma company before selling it to Paladin Labs in 2011. Presently, Dr. Hoogland resides in Zurich, Switzerland, where he heads Healthcrest AG. This healthcare-focused consultancy and investment boutique specializes in pharma, medical devices, and nutraceuticals, making significant investments worldwide. His blend of medical expertise and business acumen has made him a prominent figure in the global healthcare industry.
Mark is an accomplished executive with wide-ranging experience in the pharmaceutical industry in Canada and internationally. He is a co-founder of Searchlight Pharma and has been President and CEO since its inception in February 2015.
Mark has spent his career building businesses through acquisition, licensing and business development leadership. Under his guidance, the acquisitions of Miravo Healthcare (TSXV: MRV) (March 2023), Erfa Canada (December 2021), Besins Healthcare Canada (June 2016) as well as over 20 external partnering transactions have grown Searchlight Pharma from an idea with less than $1 million in revenues in its founding year into a fast-growing and profitable Canadian industry leader with over $100 million in revenues annually. While at Paladin Labs, Mark directed over 80 external product transactions and led the company’s international expansion into African and Latin American markets. In addition to shaping the therapeutic focus of Paladin’s Canadian business, Mark was the chief architect of Paladin’s international expansion and emerging markets strategy, leading the investments in Pharmaplan (Pty) Ltd. (2009) and the acquisition of Litha Healthcare Group (JSE: LHG) (2012) in South Africa, as well as the acquisition of Ativa Pharma in Mexico (2012). From his arrival at Paladin in 2003, consolidated revenues grew from about $20 million to in excess of $300 million annually.
Prior to joining Paladin, Mark held progressively senior leadership positions at Pharmacia, a global top 10 pharmaceutical company that is now part of Pfizer. He began his career as a consultant in Arthur Andersen’s Canadian financial advisory services practice in Toronto, and later spent time in the consumer packaged goods industry working with The Pillsbury Company where he worked on the Green Giant brand team in Canada.
Mark holds a BA in International Relations and Russian and East European Studies from the University of Toronto (Trinity), MBA also from the University of Toronto, and is a current member of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario). He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Licensing Executive Society (USA & Canada) and is a former President and Board Member of the Canadian Healthcare Licensing Association. He also currently sits on the Board of Intelgenx Technologies Corp. (TSX:IGX) where he serves as chair of the compensation committee.
Called to the Quebec Bar in 1986, François Painchaud has been a partner at ROBIC LLP for more than 25 years. He specialises in business law applied to key technology sectors and is frequently involved in the negotiation and drafting of complex transactions relating to technology transfers, licensing, and joint ventures, and in commercial and corporate law, including venture capital, the establishment of consortiums, mergers, and acquisitions.
He has previously held the position of president of the LESI from 2018 to 2019, and the position of director until May 2020. He has also acted as counsel, corporate secretary, and is a member of the same board since 2011. He is a past president of LES USA Canada and was a member of the board of directors from 2001 to 2010. He is also a director of the board of the Cancer Research Society, a Canadian-based non-profit corporation.
Recent prestigious recognitions:
- IAM STRATEGY 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2022
- Frank Barnes Mentor Award by LES USA Canada 2022
- Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Technology Law by The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022
- LEXPERT Special Edition in Health Sciences, Biotechnology, Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions 2021
- The Peter K. Hess Award of achievement by LESI Biotechnology, Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions 2021
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating 2021
- IAM PATENT 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2020
- Lawyer of the Year 2019 – Technology Law in Montreal by The Best Lawyers
Mr. Painchaud serves on the board of directors or as corporate secretary of various private and public organisations operating in life sciences and other technology-related fields. Since April 2018, he has been a member of the board of directors of Searchlight Pharma. He is the corporate secretary of the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery. He was director and secretary of Axcan Pharma Inc until it became a closed corporation in what was the biggest life sciences buy-out on the Canadian stock market at the time.
Dale Weil has been involved with the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence and Foundation for the last 14 years, having served on both boards in various capacities since 2009. In 2018 she played a significant role in helping to create the Montreal Institute for Palliative Care and has been Executive Director of both the Residence and Institute since January 2020.
She serves as director on the boards of Theratechnologies Inc., L’Alliance des maisons de soins palliatifs du Québec, l’Association des soins palliatifs du Québec, and the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. She is a past director on the boards of the McGill University Health Centre, Miravo Healthcare and Tetra Bio-Pharma.
Previously, Ms. Weil was with McKesson Canada Corporation. From 1999 to 2018, she held leadership roles including Vice President and General Manager Pharmaceutical Solutions, Senior Vice President Integrated Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Solutions, Senior Vice President Integrated Healthcare Solutions, Strategy and Business Development, Senior Vice President Retail Banner Management Services, and Senior Advisor to the President.
Prior to joining McKesson Canada, Mrs. Weil spent 20 years at John Labatt Ltd., Ault Foods, and Parmalat Canada in progressive roles in marketing, research, strategy, sales, and general management.
Ms. Weil holds a BSc in Marine Biology, MBA from McGill University and is a certified director from the ICD Directors Education Program.