Lock Search Group Fills Senior Position for Emergent BioSolutions
September 30, 2026 – Toronto-headquartered executive recruitment firm Lock Search Group has assisted in the recruitment of Layton Henderson as vice president and general manager of Emergent BioSolutions’ Winnipeg manufacturing facility. “We’re grateful to celebrate a successful executive placement with our valued partner, Emergent BioSolutions,” Lock Search Group said in a LinkedIn post. “Congratulations to Layton Henderson on his appointment. We’re confident his leadership will help support Emergent’s important mission and continued success. Thank you to the Emergent team for the trust you’ve placed in Lock Search Group. It’s a privilege to support organizations making a meaningful impact on global health.”
Mr. Henderson as over 25 years of experience in biopharma and large-scale manufacturing. Before joining Emergent BioSolutions, he spent several years with Catalent, where he held senior manufacturing and operations roles in both the U.K. and Canada.
Mr. Henderson served as continuous improvement and technical director and later director of operations at Catalent’s Swindon, U.K., site, where he led a workforce of more than 390 employees and helped increase site revenue from $119 million to $179 million. He later relocated to Ontario to serve as site general manager and readiness director for Catalent’s new Zydis manufacturing facility, overseeing the launch and operational scale-up of the $140 million site. Earlier in his career, Mr. Henderson held senior operational excellence and technical strategy roles with companies including GlaxoSmithKline and Nestlé.
Emergent BioSolutions is a global life sciences company that develops, manufactures, and supplies medical countermeasures and other products designed to address public health threats and emergencies. The company’s portfolio includes vaccines, therapeutics, and related preparedness products used by governments, healthcare systems, and other customers. Emergent also provides contract development and manufacturing services and operates facilities in the United States and Canada.
With offices across Canada and parts of the U.S., Lock Search Group is an executive search and recruitment firm with a track record of success. Every consultant at Lock has held a leadership role in the industry they now recruit for. The firm’s search consultants have an average tenure of 12 years.
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Jack Gawen and Ben Lamarche are managing directors of Lock. Over the course of more than 17 years, Mr. Gawen has played significant roles for such market leaders as Ceridian, American Express and Workopolis. He comes to Lock with direct experience in delivering results for enterprises large and small. Mr. Gawen has been at the forefront of establishing and building sales divisions from the ground up. His passion for winning, success, and client focus are the key factors in his development.
Mr. Lamarche has been with the Lock family for over 15 years, working initially out of Montreal and now based in the Toronto office. He started his recruitment career in life sciences. Mr. Lamarche has extensive experience in managing complex recruitment projects. In the last few years, he has had success in managing true leadership roles (CEO, president, GM, COO, CFO) within a number of organizations.
Atlas Sign & Awning Search
Lock Search Group is also currently seeking a new CEO for Atlas Sign & Awning. For over 30 years, Atlas Sign & Awning has helped businesses across Canada and the United States stand out through custom commercial signage, awnings, and branded architectural elements. Based in Langley, BC, they’ve built a strong reputation for quality and craftsmanship — and now they’re looking for the leader to take them into their next chapter.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
