COO of Deep Tech Innovator Chemify Recruited by Occam
Occam's deep tech practice grows with the placement of Alastair Leighton, PhD as Chemify's Chief Operating Officer (COO). Founded by Lee Cronin, Chemify is a deep tech chemical science innovator that combines chemistry, robotics, and AI to digitally design, discover, and make novel molecules for medicines and advanced materials.
Alastair joins Chemify from MeiraGTx, a gene therapy biotech, where he played a crucial role in transforming the company into a clinical and commercial stage organization. He has previously held leadership positions at GSK, Crucell, and Novartis. With 25 years of experience building and scaling end-to-end manufacturing capabilities within the biopharmaceutical industry across various modalities, he is exceptionally qualified to lead Chemify's ambitious goal of digitizing chemistry.
Alastair holds a BSc in Physics from the University of Sheffield and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manchester.
About Chemify’s Technology
The core of Chemify’s technology is a chemical programming language that allows for the automatic generation and synthesis of molecules based on computational designs. This enables the rapid and reproducible creation of complex molecules that were previously challenging to access at scale. Chemify’s robotic synthesis cluster translates chemical code into physical molecules, supporting high throughput discovery, optimization, and purification of compounds with precision.
Chemify’s approach leverages its programmable chemistry platform, which automates the entire chemical development cycle—from design to execution—enhancing the discovery process. By utilizing AI to predict molecular properties and drive iterative cycles of design, make, test, and analyze, Chemify can rapidly generate large, bespoke chemical libraries for diverse applications, such as drug discovery and materials science.
This platform not only accelerates the pace of research but also ensures reproducibility and scalability, significantly reducing bottlenecks in traditional chemical synthesis. Chemify’s automation and AI-powered workflows are transforming the landscape of chemical research, offering novel pathways for drug development and material innovation
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Occam Global is a leading executive search and advisory partner for entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations targeting exceptional goals across the life sciences, deep tech, and venture capital sectors worldwide. Since 2012, Occam has collaborated with top founders, CEOs, and investors across the tech industry to provide high-performing leaders who fuel growth. From stealth startups to public markets, we recruit senior executives, advise on organizational strategies, and invest alongside visionary teams to build innovative companies. Occam’s success is rooted in our proven ability to attract outstanding business and scientific leaders, seamless access to rare talent, and a strong commitment to results guided by high ethics and enlightened aggression. Whether you’re launching, leading, or investing, we are here to support growth through the power of talent.