SK biotek
Ireland Leadership

Joyce Fitzharris

President, SK biotek Ireland

Joyce has worked within the API Pharmaceutical Business for close to 30 years; she studied Analytical Science in Dublin City University (DCU) as an undergraduate degree and has since obtained two Masters Degrees.

Joyce started her career as an Environmental Chemist and spent a few years in various roles in EHS before becoming EHS Director. Having then moved to lead the implementation of Operational Excellence across a number of affiliated API sites and setting up a PMO Office to execute the Strategic Programs for API Operations, she spent some time as Supply Chain Director before moving to the role of Strategy Director and Transition Lead for SK biotek Ireland.

More recently Joyce has been appointed to lead the SK biotek Ireland Business Unit.

Jonathan Horkan

CFO, SK biotek Ireland

Johnny is a qualified Management Accountant and also holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from UCD specializing in Supply Chain Management.
Johnny has over 20 years’ experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry and joined the Swords campus in 2005. He has held various roles in the Finance division before becoming Finance lead in 2016. Most recently, Johnny has taken on the responsibility for all Procurement activities for the site.

Samuel Baron PhD

Director of R&D, SK biotek Ireland

Sam is a PhD Chemist with expertise in production and technology transfer of intermediates and APIs, including HPAPIs. He has over 10 years’ experience in developing, transferring, improving and troubleshooting small molecule API processes.
Sam has been working at SK biotek Ireland’s Swords Campus for 14 years; he is currently leading the R&D group.

Tim Buckley

Global Head of Quality, SK pharmteco

Tim is an experienced Quality professional having spent over 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry supporting sterile semi solids, oral solid dose drug product and active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacture. Tim has held multiple leadership roles within Quality functions at both site and corporate levels, including the position of Qualified Person, demonstrating effective communication skills combined with detailed product quality and compliance knowledge. Tim joined SK biotek in 2018 as the Global Head of Quality with overall responsibility for the development and consistent implementation of SKBT Quality Management System across its network of sites.  Tim is now Global Head of Quality for SK pharmteco (SK biotek’s parent) for Europe & Asia.

In addition to Tim’s primary degree is in Applied Chemistry & Physics (Trinity College Dublin), Tim also has an MSc in Analytical Chemistry (Dublin City University) and a Post Grad. Dip. in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (Trinity College Dublin).

Kevin Meehan

Director of Quality, SK biotek Ireland

Kevin Meehan is an experienced Quality and Compliance professional having spent over 20years in the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland supporting oral solid dosage drug product, active pharmaceutical ingredient/chemical intermediate, external manufacturing, and biologics drug substance/product manufacture and release. Kevin’s primary degree is in Bioanalysis (TU Dublin) and he also has a Higher Diploma in Pharmaceutical Production – Bioprocessing (TU Dublin).

Kevin has held leadership roles within Quality and Compliance at both site and corporate levels. Prior to SK biotek Ireland, Kevin was the Head of QA Small Molecule in the Takeda Ireland Limited Grange Castle facility with the responsibility for all QA operations for API and Drug Product manufacturing, testing and release.

Kevin previously held a global role in SK biotek as the Associate Director of Quality Management Systems between 2019-2021 with the responsibility for QMS support and compliance oversite of activities in both domestic and international sites.

Prior to SK biotek in 2019, Kevin was the QA Compliance Manager in Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) Cruiserath Biologics from August 2015 to July 2019. BMS Cruiserath Biologics based in Dublin, Ireland was a $1billion project which consisted of a global biologics release laboratory for the release testing and QP certification of Biologics finished drug product and is a Multi-Product Cell Culture Biologics Drug Substance manufacturing facility for the BMS network. Kevin’s responsibilities included management of the internal, external and regulatory audit programs, site GMP Readiness Program lead, regulatory compliance site lead, and management of suppliers and Quality Agreements. Some of Kevin’s notable BMS Cruiserath Biologics achievements were:

• Site BMS lead for multiple Health Authority inspections with zero critical or major observations (e.g. FDA, HPRA, Russian and COFEPRIS)
• Site GMP Readiness lead for successful GMP switch-on of the Global Biologics Laboratory, Warehouse Cryogenics & Logistics buildings and the Multi Product Cell Culture facility.

Stella Giblin

Director of Operations & Automation, SK biotek Ireland

Stella has over 20 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry.  She joined the Swords Campus in 2001 and since then has held various roles including Small Scale Production Plant Manager, Safety Manager, before becoming Operations Director in 2022.  Stella is responsible for the AIM, Maintenance and Process Engineering teams, as well as the Manufacturing plant-based personnel.

In addition to Stella’s primary degree in Chemical Engineering (University College Dublin), she also has an MSc in Occupational, Safety and Health (University College Dublin).

Darryl Ratty

Director of Safety, Health & Environment (SH&E) SK biotek Ireland

Darryl has over 14 years of experience working as a Safety, Health & Environmental (SH&E) profession with a number of key roles held at site and corporate level. He has studied in number of areas including, Mechanical Engineering, Quality Management and EHS Management.

Darryl currently heads up the SH&E Department.

Brian Fairley PhD

Senior Director Business Development, SK pharmteco

Brian has over 20 years of global experience in the custom development and manufacture of New Chemical Entities and generic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. He has worked across the pharma development chain from Drug Discovery through to Commercial Manufacturing, leveraging the strengths of an organization to bring maximal benefit to his customers.

Following completion of a PhD in Organic chemistry at Heriot-Watt University he joined a leading CDMO and spent his early career working in Process Development before progressing into Sales and Marketing. In this capacity he held leadership positions in the US and Europe, supporting customers across a global footprint. More recently he established and managed European based Operations for another leading global CDMO.

Brian joined SK biotek Ireland in June 2018 as Director, Business Development and Marketing, where he was responsible for Business Development activities and the sales support functions and is now Senior Director Business Development SK pharmteco, SK biotek Ireland’s parent company.

Olivia Boyce

Director of Project Management, SK biotek Ireland

Olivia has been a member of the team at Swords Campus since 2013. Her undergraduate degree is in Analytical Science from Dublin City University (DCU) and she holds three Masters Degrees: MPhil in Plant Genetics from Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), now TU Dublin, MBA from the Smurfit School of Business, University College Dublin (UCD) and an MSc in Work and Organisational Behaviour, also from DCU. She is a qualified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and completed the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Olivia started her career as a Technical Transfer Chemist in a Large Pharma global commercialisation and launch facility and held roles of increasing scope and responsibility in new product introduction and operations, including the role of IPT Lead, ultimately joining the Swords site as Director of Operations. She also has extensive experience in Operational Excellence and lead the local Project Management Office before transitioning into roles in project management and customer relationship management and now leads Project and Customer Management activities as Director of Project Management for SK biotek Ireland.

Declan Hannigan

Director of Business Planning, SK biotek Ireland

Declan has worked at Swords Campus for over 6 years; having studied Mechanical Engineering at University College Dublin (UCD) as an undergraduate degree.

Declan started his career as a Maintenance Engineer progressing to Maintenance Manager before moving into the Operations Lead role. Most recently, Declan has taken on the role of Operations Director at the Swords Campus, with responsibility for all production plants, technical services and maintenance.

John Keogh

Director of HR, SK biotek Ireland

John has over 30 years’ experience as a HR professional. He has worked at Swords Campus for over 10 years leading HR for the Site’s previous owners in Ireland as well as at various stages also leading HR at a regional level for Global Manufacturing & Supply. His previous roles have also included regional/global HR Lead roles within the medical device, food, and consumer and professional electronics industries.

John is a qualified Company Secretary and at various times in his career has also had responsibility for Legal affairs. John is Director of HR for SK biotek Ireland.