FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Announces Leadership Succession Appointment Upon Retirement of Site Head

COLLEGE STATION, TX – FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a world leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biologics, vaccines, advanced therapies and oncolytic viruses today announced that the College Station, Texas and Watertown, Massachusetts site head Gerry Farrell will retire effective December 1, 2023.  As part of the succession plan, Vincent Romeo, chief financial officer, has been named interim head for both sites until April 1, 2024, when Keita Hirabayashi, senior director, Corporate Office, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, will relocate to College Station and assume the role of site head for both the Texas and Massachusetts sites. Hirabayashi will oversee the Company’s advanced therapy manufacturing offering as part of the small-scale business unit.

“On behalf of the entire organization, we thank Gerry for his 22 years of dedicated service and contributions to FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies,” said Lee Kingsbury, executive vice president and small-scale business unit lead, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. “Keita’s proven track record of strategic decision making has made him invaluable to Fujifilm’s growth. I have the greatest confidence that we will have a smooth leadership transition and we look forward to Keita leading the site during a period of significant expansion.”

As a seasoned business leader, Hirabayashi has played a key role in integrating new business entities into the Fujifilm Group. Most notably, in 2011 Hirabayashi spearheaded Fujifilm’s expansion into the Bio-CDMO industry with the acquisition of the company that is known today as FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. He has served with the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies in the U.S. business as Corporate Liaison and member of the leadership team since 2011.   

Hirabayashi’s tenure at Fujifilm began in 2002 at the Tokyo office as a project planning specialist where he showcased his strategic acumen and commitment to quality and excellence.

“I am honored to be appointed as the site head of our College Station and Watertown sites at this exciting time in the company’s evolution as we grow our advanced therapy manufacturing offering,” added Hirabayashi. “I am looking forward to working alongside our teams in both locations to strengthen and grow our offerings for antibodies and advanced therapies.”

“Working with FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies has been an incredible journey,” said Farrell.  “I've had the pleasure of working with many talented and dedicated teams, and I am proud of what we have achieved together. I am confident in the company’s continued success.”

About FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, is a world-leading contract development and manufacturing organization partner for the development and manufacture of biologics, vaccines, cell and gene therapies, and oncolytic viruses. The company operates a global network with major locations in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Denmark and it is building a new manufacturing site in Holly Springs, North Carolina, USA. FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies has over thirty years of experience in the development and manufacture of recombinant proteins, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, among other large molecules, viral products and medical countermeasures expressed in a wide array of microbial, mammalian, and host/virus systems. The company offers a comprehensive list of services from cell line development using its proprietary pAVEway™ microbial and Apollo™X cell line systems to process development, analytical development, clinical and FDA-approved commercial manufacturing. For more information, go to: www.fujifilmdiosynth.com.

About FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, leverages its depth of knowledge and proprietary core technologies to deliver Value from Innovation in our products and services in the business segments of healthcare, materials, business innovation, and imaging. Our relentless pursuit of innovation is focused on providing social value and enhancing the lives of people worldwide. Fujifilm is committed to responsible environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information about Fujifilm’s Sustainable Value Plan 2030, click here. For the year ended March 31, 2023, the company had global revenues of approximately 2.9 trillion yen (21 billion $USD at an exchange rate of 134 yen/dollar). For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmholdings.com.