Chief Executive Officer

Ping Zhang, M.B.A.

Ping Zhang has over 30 years of experience in manufacturing and operations in Pharmaceutical industry. He served as the Head of Manufacturing at J&J for 14 years and 20 years at Sanofi as head of Industry affair China, responsible for seven plants across China. Ping has full experience on Technic transfer and new product launching at Sanofi China. Ping also serves as the Head of Global Industrial Affairs at Hepalink Biopharma group.

He is the Chairman of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) China and the government counselor of China FDA (NMPA). He is certified with Black Belt of 6 Sigma and Lean Professional. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Xi’an Jiaotong University.

Chief Commercial Officer

Axel Schleyer, Ph.D., MBA

Axel possesses 25+ years of international clinical and commercial CDMO experience. His professional background includes senior leadership roles at respected biomanufacturing entities, such as AGC Biologics, Aragen Bioscience, Baxter Healthcare, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Lonza. Axel is a doctoral graduate of the University of Hamburg in chemistry and molecular biology, carried out his postdoctoral studies at the Scripps Research Institute, and holds an MBA from California State University. At Cytovance Biologics, he focuses on leading all commercial functions and providing responsive customer support.

Sr. Director of Program Management

Sudha Ankala, Ph.D., 
PMP

Sudha brings over 19 years of experience in technical planning and portfolio/program management in matrix Biotech environments to Team Cytovance. Her career has taken her to notable pharma and biotech companies, including many years with Cytovance and the Associate Director of CMC Program Management at Rocket Pharmaceuticals.

Sudha’s proven record in successful drug development and manufacturing includes multiple modalities across pre-clinical to commercial phases, achieving fast-track designation, health authority filing acceptances, and shepherding product launch preparations. Her talents and commitment to exceptional service make her an excellent partner to help guide our customer’s programs through every obstacle, solution, and celebration on the road to success.

Sr. Director, R&D

Fuad Haddadin, Ph.D.

Fuad is a customer-focused leader with extensive experience across biotech domains, including biological vaccines, plasma-derived therapeutics, and precision fermentation. He excels in driving biomanufacturing innovation and is highly skilled in bioprocess optimization across multiple technology platforms. Throughout his career, he has held senior technical roles at companies ranging from startups to large corporations, including Mission Barnes and Boehringer Ingelheim.

With a proven track record in process development, scale-up technologies, and fostering high-performing teams, Fuad is a key contributor to our Culture of Ingenuity. In his role, he oversees multiple teams—including Upstream & Downstream Process Development, Assay Development, Manufacturing Science and Technology, and Process Characterization—as they drive success in both customer and internal beta programs.

Sr. Director of Manufacturing

Brent Van Rite, Ph.D.

Bio on the way!

Sr. Director of Quality

Eric Bell

Eric Bell has 23 years of experience in Quality Assurance and Quality Control management in biologics, pharmaceutical and In vitro diagnostics. As Senior Director of Quality, Eric oversees the Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Validation and Regulatory functions at Cytovance. He joined Cytovance Biologics in 2016, leading the organization through three successful FDA approvals. Prior to Cytovance, Eric was the Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Allergy Laboratories where he was an integral member of the team that received multiple FDA drug product approvals. He also held Quality Control positions at BioMerieux and Organon Teknika. Eric’s focus on quality and compliance initiatives brings continuous improvement to the organization and a broad base of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from The University of Oklahoma.