Ingenza Limited, a technology driven contract research, development and manufacturing organisation (CRDMO), has announced the appointment of Nick Challoner as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective the 1st of October, 2025. Nick brings over 30 years of experience in business leadership, innovation, and commercial strategy and execution across the chemical and biotechnology sectors, and has operated internationally in Europe, The Americas and Asia Pacific.
Nick most recently served as Group Chief Scientific Officer at Croda International Plc, a FTSE 100 company, where he was responsible for the development and execution of global R&D strategy in line with longer-term commercial objectives relating to innovation and sustainability. He also spearheaded a biotechnology programme from the ground up, delivering impactful innovations through multi-organism strain engineering, biocatalysis and downstream processing, as well as the development of external innovation partnerships in this field. Prior to becoming CSO, Nick held the position of President of Life Sciences and, following the acquisition of a new class of lipid delivery systems, he led the business through the scale-up and regulatory approval for mRNA delivery components used by Pfizer/BioNTech for the Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine, leading to sales of $300 million. Nick will use his huge breadth of experience and proven strategic vision to lead Ingenza into its next phase of growth and innovation.
Nick succeeds Ingenza Founder Ian Fotheringham, who will be elevated to President at Ingenza. Ian’s new role will allow him to dedicate considerably more time and attention to further developing the company’s technology strategy, mentoring and coaching senior staff, and driving substantial business development. These new priorities will greatly benefit the company in its high growth strategy.
Executive Chair at Ingenza, Ian Shott, commented: “Nick is an exceptional leader with vast international life sciences experience and a rare combination of strategic foresight, scientific acumen and commercial discipline. His global experience and ability to drive innovation-led growth make him the ideal choice to lead Ingenza into the future. We are very excited to have him at the helm during this pivotal stage of the company’s journey.”
Nick Challoner said: “I am deeply honoured by the opportunity to lead Ingenza at such an exciting time. My goal is to strengthen the company’s position as a leading strategic partner in the CRDMO sector, driving operational excellence, innovation, quality and transformative growth, as well as investing further in the development of the fantastic team at Ingenza to enable even greater performance for our customers.”
Ian Fotheringham, President of Ingenza, explained: “Stepping into the role of President will allow me to focus fully on advancing key pillars of our growth plans. With Nick’s leadership and expertise now complementing the experience of Ingenza’s board, the company is in an excellent position for the journey ahead.”