Coulter Partners Recruits CFO for Stilla Technologies
February 20, 2020 – Life sciences-focused executive search firm Coulter Partners placed Khaled Bahi as the new CFO of Paris-based Stilla Technologies. Client partner Eskil Westh led the assignment.
Mr. Bahi’s appointment comes at a time of rapid growth for the company, with the recent opening of a U.S. subsidiary headquartered in Beverly, MA, providing American customers with direct sales and support, including a demo lab and training center.
“I am proud to welcome Khaled to the Stilla team at this important time in our company’s growth and thank the team at Coulter Partners for their outstanding professional support in achieving this quality appointment,” said Rémi Dangla, Stilla’s CEO, cofounder and inventor of the company’s technology. “The expansion of our team is both evidence of our success and key to our ability to continue to accelerate adoption of the Naica Crystal Digital PCR System as we bring next-generation digital PCR to the mainstream.”
Mr. Khaled has more than 20 years of experience in the medtech industry, where he has worked on both the financial and operational sides. Previously, he was the CFO of the Swiss cardiovascular company Symetis, which was acquired by Boston Scientific in the middle of an IPO. Before that, he worked for 15 years at various positions for Fresenius Medical Care. Mr. Khaled holds a master of science degree in physics from ETH Zurich.
Founded in 2013, Stilla Technologies is a life sciences company focused on accelerating the development of next generation genetic tests by providing a groundbreaking and flexible digital PCR solution: the Naica System. Taking advantage of cutting-edge microfluidic innovations, Stilla technologies aims to make dPCR a lab commodity for all areas of the life sciences.
Life Sciences Specialists
Coulter Partners is a senior-level executive search boutique focused exclusively on identifying global life sciences leaders and board directors. The firm serves clients in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostics, CRO and services sectors. Coulter operates overseas offices in the U.K., Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. In the U.S., the firm has offices in Cambridge, MA; Princeton, NJ; Pittsburgh, PA; Los Angeles; and Short Hills, NJ.
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Mr. Westh heads the Nordics team from the Danish office, which opened in 2015. He concentrates on senior-level searches across Europe, and with a focus ranging from venture capital backed start-ups to larger, established pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices affiliates. Mr. Westh has over 18 years search experience across a broad spectrum of life sciences businesses in the Nordics and the rest of Europe, with a strong track record of scientific and commercial appointments.
Modern Day CFO
A new report by Stanton Chase International found that the role of the CFO continues to evolve at an escalating pace. As the job expands to include more non-traditional financial accountabilities, CFOs recognize they must build new skills to lead.
As CFOs Gain in Stature, Succession Plans to Replace Them Falter
As with all things in the business world, the role of a CFO has evolved over the past 10 years. Gone are the days of the CFO being the top accountant focused on the timely and accurate recording of transactions to generate a set of financial…
“With technology increasingly shaping and disrupting corporate strategy and the way organizations operate, CFOs must remain poised for more change ahead, and be prepared to quickly and continuously innovate to keep pace with digital transformation,” Stanton Chase said.
The report found that technology, and the unique opportunities it offers, presents new challenges and demands for CFOs. Among them, CFOs must take on a greater role in attracting, developing and retaining top tech-savvy leadership talent that can leverage new technologies within their organizations, allowing them to focus on developing and driving corporate strategy to remain competitive.
The tide has clearly turned, and the CFO’s focus has irrevocably shifted from “traditional” finance responsibilities to finding ways that finance can add measurable business value. “Technology is both a driver and an enabler of this shift,” the report said.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
