Our
team

• Walid Darwazeh

  CEO

  

  Walid joined Labatec after more than 13 years at Hikma Pharmaceuticals. His last role was the Vice President of MENA Injectables/ Hospital business where he played a pivotal role in driving the business in the region leading to its significant growth. Prior to that, he led Hikma’s global R&D Portfolio Management in the USA and held multiple roles including the director of the office CEO & Strategic Initiatives. Walid began his career as a medical representative and progressed through various roles in the commercial and business development functions.
  
  Walid holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Bachelor of Science from Babson College and is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). 

• Kareem Muna

  Chief Financial Officer

  

  Kareem joined Labatec after more than 22 years of experience in life sciences covering finance, M&A and commercial management at large multinationals like Hikma, Sandoz and Smith & Nephew. His last role was CFO for Eon Dental, a global orthodontic clear aligner producer from Jordan.
  
  Kareem holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics and is a CFA charterholder

• Asma Anani

  VP MENA

  

  Asma Anani has recently joined Labatec Pharma, bringing over 23 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Throughout her career, she has worked with leading multinational companies such as Servier, Abbott, and Hikma, building a strong foundation in sales and marketing, as well as change management across the MENA region. Asma’s expertise in driving growth and navigating complex market dynamics makes her an asset in delivering impactful solutions and achieving strategic objectives.
  
  Asma holds a BSc degree in Pharmacy, further enhancing her ability to integrate scientific knowledge with business strategy.

• Laith Al-Muktar

  VP Operations, General Manager Portugal

  

  With over 18 years of experience at Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Laith has a strong knowledge that spans across different areas from sales, marketing, strategic commercial activities, and product acquisitions. Laith was appointed as General Manager for Labatec Farmacêutica and is leading the path to growth.
  
  Laith holds a Bachelor of Business Management from the Lisbon School of Economics & Management.

• Francois Detraz

  Commercial Director (CH&AU, Hospital Segment)

  

  François has over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical sector, working with a broad base of partners and in a wide variety of medical specialties. Following roles with Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly and Eisai, he was appointed as Sales Director at Labatec in 2009 and has been Commercial Director since 2013.
  
  François’s areas of expertise include marketing, people development, sales and account management, and new product launches. He has a proven track record of delivering sustainable results in high growth environments.

• Mathilde Riera

  Head of Corporate Development

  

  Mathilde has joined Labatec in 2020 and is now acting as Head of Corporate development after various roles in marketing and business development. She is now overseeing business development, corporate development and contract manufacturing department to ensure continuous growth for the company. Prior to joining the group, she worked as executive manager for a healthcare provider in USA.

• Ragheb Al Shakhshir, Ph.D.

  Head of Product Development and Technical Affairs

  

  Ragheb brings over 30 years of global leadership in pharmaceutical research and development. Renowned for building high-performing scientific organizations, he has led multidisciplinary teams across the US, Europe, and MENA, driving innovation and delivering impactful therapies to patients worldwide. His expertise expands to injectables, oncology, oral solids, biosimilars, and dermatologicals.
  
  Ragheb holds a Ph.D. in Industrial & Physical Pharmacy from Purdue University (USA), an M.S. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (USA), and a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA).

• Elise Faure

  Swiss Retail Head

  

  Elise joined Labatec in 2019 as a Product Manager and, supporting the growth of the Swiss Retail department, progressed to Brand Manager before taking over as Head of the department in January 2024. She currently oversees the sales force and marketing teams, driving the development and growth of this business unit.
  Previously, Elise gained solid experience within various entities of the Sanofi group, where she held diverse roles in marketing and strategy.
  
  Doctor of Pharmacy and holder of a Specialized Master's Degree in Marketing & Biotechnology from a business school, Elise combines medical and commercial expertise.

• Sabrina Lafifi

  Head of Quality, Responsible Person

  

  Sabrina holds the position of Head of Quality and serves as the Responsible Person for Labatec Pharma. With fifteen years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, she joined Labatec after holding various strategic roles in quality management and operational development.
  
  A graduate chemical engineer specializing in quality control, Sabrina also shares her expertise as a professor at the University of Geneva.
  
  She combines strong technical expertise with a sense of innovation to drive the company’s growth and performance.

• Jostein Davidsen

  Director

  

  Jostein has more than 35 years of International Pharma Leadership Experience. He held during his career several Leading International Management Positions at Nycomed before the company was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceuticals in 2011.
  
  Jostein then became a Corporate Officer at Takeda and a member of the Executive Commercial Management Team as the Head of Global Emerging Markets.Later on he was the CEO of the Swiss based company Acino Pharmaceuticals. Jostein has been serving as a management coach for leaders within the pharma industry. Today he holds several Board mandates and advisory roles within the industry.
  
  Jostein studied Business and Administration at the Oslo School of Economics. He has completed several Leadership programs at IMD Switzerland and holds an IMD Board Directors Diploma.
  
  Jostein is a native Norwegian , married with two children and lives in Switzerland.
  

• Richard Girling

  Director

  

  Richard Girling is one of Europe’s leading healthcare investment bankers with over 30 years of experience and has advised on many of the largest healthcare transactions in Europe, the US and Asia.
  
  Richard is a Partner in the London office of Centerview Partners where he co-founded the global Healthcare practice and established the firm’s European business in 2009. Prior to this he established Merrill Lynch’s European healthcare practice in 1998 and was Global Co-Head of Healthcare investment banking for the last six of those years. Following the acquisition by Bank of America, he was appointed the head of the merged Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific healthcare practices for the combined organization. Richard joined Merrill Lynch from Salomon Brothers, where he worked from 1989 to 1998 and was head of the European Pharmaceutical and Healthcare team.
  
  Richard is an Honorary Fellow of St Anne‘s College, Oxford University and a member of the Executive Advisory Board for the Centre for Personalised Medicine at Oxford University. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Biochemistry from Oxford University.
  
  *Mr. Girling is a board member at Labatec Pharma in a personal capacity and not as a representative of Centerview Partners.

• Marc Joory

  Chairman

  

  Marc Joory is a seasoned corporate and international arbitration lawyer, admitted in both Geneva and New York, with over three decades of practice. He routinely advises on complex cross-border disputes, corporate restructurings and shareholder conflicts. His expertise encompasses private international law, commercial law and contract law, with a robust practice in corporate governance and strategic advisory for Swiss and foreign entities.
  
  He has acted in numerous institutional and ad hoc arbitration proceedings, representing industrial groups, pharmaceutical companies and financial holdings. He is highly experienced in drafting and negotiating international contracts and handling technically intricate disputes in construction, finance and intellectual property. He also advises on challenges to arbitral awards before Swiss and US courts.
  
  Alongside his legal practice, Mr Joory serves on several boards of directors, contributing his expertise in compliance, legal structuring and corporate strategy. He is a member of the Geneva Bar Association, the International Bar Association and the Swiss Bar Federation, and is a regular speaker at conferences and training sessions on arbitration and business law.