Stéphane Altaba

My background

After a PhD in Biological Sciences at INP Lorraine in 1991, I began my international career as a Scientific Attaché at the French Embassy in Tokyo (1991–1992) and later as a postdoctoral researcher at RIKEN in Japan (1992–1993).

Upon returning to France, I joined RHÔNE-POULENC-RORER as a researcher (1994–1997). I then spent over a decade with the SANOFI/AVENTIS group, serving as Head of Industrial Operations and Director of Corporate Licensing.

In 2006, I joined NORDIC PHARMA Group, a pan-European pharmaceutical company, where I held various leadership positions before becoming Vice President of Corporate Development (2013–2015).

Since 2015, I have held executive leadership roles in the biotechnology and medtech sectors:

• Chief Operating Officer (COO) at GENOMIC VISION (2015–2020), specializing in molecular diagnostics.
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at LXRepair (2020–2022), a medtech company focused on personalized medicine.
• Founder and President of STRAD Healthcare (2022–2024), a strategic consulting firm.
• President, CEO, and Co-founder of RIVELA DX (October 2023–September 2024), a medtech company specializing in early multi-cancer detection.

Since October 2024, I have served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ONCOVITA, a biotechnology company spun out from the Pasteur Institute, developing oncolytic viruses for solid tumors.

Additionally, I have been Vice President of the Board of the Pharma Licensing Club France since 2022.

My vision of the role of ambassador

I aim to promote the hiring of young PhD holders in private companies in France, particularly in the biotech, medtech, and pharmaceutical sectors. Given the current technological and scientific sophistication of biotech companies, I believe the ideal training path combines a scientific foundation - primarily acquired through a PhD - with business skills, which can be developed through additional commercial and financial training.

I want to show young engineers what a PhD can offer them beyond immediate entry into the workforce or a business-focused education. For example, I organize business case workshops through the Pharma Licensing Club France (PLCF), bringing together students from diverse backgrounds.

Within the framework of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, I would like to contribute to drafting a white paper on the role of the PhD in driving excellence in French biotech and exploring potential ways to enhance doctoral training and the integration of young PhD holders.