Coulter Partners Recruits Chief Scientific Officer for Laigo Bio
May 22, 2026 – Life sciences recruiting specialist Coulter Partners has recruited Richard C.A. Sainson as the new chief scientific officer of Laigo Bio. “It was a privilege to partner with Matthew and the Laigo board,” said Kay Wardle, managing partner at Coulter Partners. “Targeted protein degradation is one of the most exciting frontier areas of drug discovery, and finding a chief scientific officer who can navigate the complexities of membrane-bound targets requires a deep network within the global biotech ecosystem. In Richard, Laigo has found a sophisticated scientific leader who pairs a visionary approach to immunology with the disciplined execution needed to build a robust clinical pipeline.”
“Richard brings exceptional scientific leadership, deep experience and a strong track record in oncology and immunology,” said Matthew Baker, CEO of Laigo Bio. “His appointment as chief scientific officer strengthens Laigo’s scientific direction and underscores our commitment to advancing our SureTACs programs towards the clinic.”
“We truly valued the partnership and strategic guidance provided by Coulter Partners throughout this search,” Dr. Baker said. “Their deep technical understanding of the protein degradation space was instrumental in identifying a leader with the rare combination of antibody engineering depth and the translational tenure required to move our platform into human trials.”
Dr. Sainson has more than 25 years of tenure in oncology and immunology research and drug development. He has extensive technical depth in immuno-oncology, cancer biology, and autoimmune diseases, with broad expertise across multiple therapeutic modalities, including monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, ADCs, and cell therapies.
Previously, Dr. Sainson held senior scientific leadership roles at companies including Advesya, STipe Therapeutics, F-star Therapeutics, Kymab (acquired by Sanofi), and MedImmune/AstraZeneca. Over his career, he has led the scientific strategy for more than 15 preclinical programs and supported the advancement of nine clinical programs, contributing to CTA and IND submissions. He has built multidisciplinary teams, established productive academic and industry collaborations, and supported venture capital firms through scientific due diligence for early-stage biotech investments.
Based in the Netherlands, Laigo Bio is an early-stage biotech company pioneering the use of E3 ligase induced internalization and selective degradation of membrane-bound targets involved in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Its proprietary SureTACs platform generates bispecific antibodies that pair the optimal E3 ligase with a disease-causing target protein to stimulate its ubiquitination and lysosomal degradation with a high degree of specificity.
Coulter Partners is a board- and senior-level global executive search specialist focused exclusively on life sciences. The firm works closely with those at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry to understand their challenges. With an extensive global network and expertise gained over 25 years in the sector, Coulter Partners is a trusted leadership adviser in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology, diagnostics, health-tech, CRO, and services sectors.
Related: Coulter Partners Recruits CEO for BOOST Pharma
Coulter Partners also works closely with the global investor community, hiring for their own teams as well as building the boards and executive leadership teams of their portfolio companies. Coulter Partners’ team of 95 completes over 260 assignments a year working from 14 offices across the U.K., EMEA, the U.S., and APAC.
Bianca Coulter founded Coulter Partners in 2003 and has 25 years’ experience of board and C-level global search, building the leadership teams of early-stage, mid-cap, and global multinationals in over 20 countries. Through appointing leadership, Ms. Coulter channels her judgment and expertise to impact patient benefit and assist those at the cutting edge of life science to achieve their goals.
Dr. Wardle has over 20 years of life science search experience and extensive R&D expertise. She has taken a lead on business development and delivery since joining Coulter Partners in 2013. Dr. Wardle has a strong focus on scientific and medical roles within R&D, spanning discovery, preclinical and clinical development, regulatory, product development, CMC and related disciplines. She has also placed C-suite, board and senior-level executives globally, working with both emerging and established organizations in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and contract research sectors.
Babraham Research Campus Search
Coulter Partners also recently placed Rich Ferrie as the new CEO of Babraham Research Campus Ltd (BRCL). “It has been a privilege to partner with Jo and the board on this high-profile appointment,” said Dr. Wardle. “Babraham Research Campus is fundamental to the U.K.’s scientific infrastructure. Our search focused on identifying individuals who understand where the industry is going and how the Campus can best position itself as the definitive destination for biotech companies to thrive. In Rich, we have found a leader who combines scientific rigor with a visionary approach to innovation space.”
“We are delighted to appoint Rich Ferrie as chief executive officer of BRCL,” said Jo Parfrey, chair, Babraham Research Campus board. “Rich brings a strong track record of leadership, along with deep experience and an extensive network across the life sciences and innovation ecosystem. His vision and energy will be instrumental as BRCL enters its next phase of growth, and we are very much looking forward to working with him. We are also grateful to Coulter Partners for its expert guidance and support throughout this process.”
Related: Coulter Partners Recruits CFO for iOnctura
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
