This website provides information about the business field of CO.DON GmbH, which has taken over the business operations from CO.DON AG.
Information on CO.DON Aktiengesellschaft can be found at www.codon-aktiengesellschaft.de.
Management
MANAGEMENT
The management of CO.DON GmbH is responsible for managing the company. It acts independently and is responsible for the company meeting the objectives laid down in its Rules of Procedure. To this end it takes the necessary entrepreneurial measures, i.e. decisions on staffing, finances and strategy. A team of division managers assists the management with the development and implementation of the company strategy.
YING ZHOU, PhD has been appointed as the Managing Director since June 2023.
Dr. Ying Zhou is a renowned leader with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Boston University, School of Medicine. With over a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical industries, including roles at AstraZeneca, Ambergen, and Alkermes, she has made significant contributions to Drug Discovery and Development.
Dr. Zhou co-founded ReLive Biotechnology, a global regenerative medicine company group focused on cell therapies, orthopedics, and plastic & reconstructive surgery. This innovative venture operates in the United States, Europe, and China, with a mission to transform the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Under her visionary leadership, ReLive Biotechnology acquired all assets from CO.DON AG in January 2023, positioning the company as a front-runner in the industry.
Driven by her passion for scientific advancement and her commitment to improve patient care, Dr. Zhou continues to pave the way for groundbreaking treatments that harness the body's natural regenerative capabilities, which could significantly improve the patients' quality of life.
A team of sector specialists assists the management with the development and implementation of the company strategy.
Dr. Giulietta Roël is the Executive Director and Head of Production at CO.DON
She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of cell biological topics. She joined CO.DON in 2015 and coordinated projects of the CMC developmental program for the cell based medicinal product for cartilage repair, as part of the EU marketing authorization procedure. Currently, she is site head and responsible for manufacturing, quality control and release of the company’s products for cartilage repair. Moreover, Dr. Roël has profound experience in fundamental research regarding cell biological topics. Before joining CO.DON, she performed a post-doctoral research project in the field of translational medicine at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, Germany.
Dr Giulietta Roël studied biology and received her PhD degree at the Hubrecht Institute/University Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Dr. Franziska Menzel joined CO.DON in July 2019 as a Regulatory Affairs Manager.
In February 2021, she was appointed Head of Regulatory Affairs. As Senior Director since 2024, she has been responsible not only for the Regulatory Affairs department, but also for the Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance departments.
She has extensive expertise in the approval and regulation of cell-based advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) at national (Germany), European (Switzerland and the United Kingdom), and international levels.
Dr. Menzel studied biology and earned her Ph.D. from the Medical Faculty at the University of Leipzig.
Ms. Kemmerich joined CO.DON in July 2019 as Head of Human Resources. In May 2023, she was appointed Director of Human Resources.
Before she started working in the pharmaceutical industry, she worked in auditing and management consulting companies.
Ms. Kemmerich holds a master’s degree in business law (Fernhochschule Hamburg, Germany) and completed an additional training as a systemic business coach in 2023.
Karen Kühnert has been Chief Financial Officer at CO.DON since September 2018 and has also been responsible for Controlling and IT since 2020.
Ms. Kühnert has more than 30 years of experience in finance and controlling. She began her career in 1992 at Baker Hughes, where she held various management positions, including Head of Finance & Controlling for the oil and gas division in Germany. She then moved to Thomson/Technicolor, where she worked as a Finance & Controlling Manager in various business units until 2009. She subsequently took on the role of Vice President of Finance, overseeing the financial management of the German subsidiary of NVIDIA Corporation. From 2013 to 2018, she served as CFO of the MINE Group, a network of several tech startups.
Ms. Kühnert holds a degree in Agricultural Sciences (Dipl. Ing.) of Humboldt University in Berlin and is a certified business administrator (IHK) as well as a certified accountant (IHK).
Richard (Rick) Doucette is SVP, Head of Global Commercial Operations at ReLive Biotechnologies, where he leads the company's global commercial strategy and oversees the commercial operations of CO.DON GmbH. With more than 22 years of experience in the medical device and regenerative medicine industries, he has held leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Cardinal Health, and U.S. Surgical, as well as several high-growth startups.
Prior to joining ReLive, Mr. Doucette led the sales and marketing turnaround at Cervos Medical, contributing to its successful acquisition by Ranfac Corp. He later managed the commercial transition as a consultant and served as an advisor to the Board of EndoCellutions LLC, helping commercialize regenerative technologies.
Throughout his career, he has built high-performing commercial organizations and driven market adoption, revenue growth, and successful strategic exits by fostering strong relationships with physicians and healthcare partners.
Rick Doucette holds a Bachelor of Science in Bio-Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Boston and an MBA from Suffolk University's Sawyer Business School.