ProductLife Group appoints Dr. James Burt as Chief Executive Officer
20 march 2026
ProductLife Group is pleased to announce that Dr. James Burt has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, marking an important step as the company enters a new phase of strategic development and growth.
Dr. Burt brings more than two decades of global leadership experience across the pharmaceutical value chain, spanning generic, biosimilar, orphan and value-added medicines. His career spans commercial, operational and executive leadership roles, providing a comprehensive understanding of the industry. Throughout his career, he has built and led high-performing international organizations and guided companies through strategic transformation in complex and highly regulated healthcare environments.
Most recently, Dr. Burt served as Group CEO of Pharmanovia, where he led a major strategic transformation and drove significant business expansion. Prior to that, he spent more than ten years at Accord Healthcare, ultimately serving as Executive Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In this role, he oversaw a €750 million P&L, led a team of approximately 2,500 colleagues and contributed to strengthening the company’s position across multiple therapeutic areas. This experience also includes managing organizational complexity and integration in fast-growing international environments.
Dr. Burt holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham, combining strong scientific expertise with extensive executive leadership experience. He has also been actively involved in industry organizations, serving as Vice President of Medicines for Europe and Chair of the Value-Added Medicines Group.
This appointment follows a transition period during which Shaun Chilton served as Executive Chairman, supporting the organization’s continuity and positioning ProductLife Group for its next phase of development. He will continue to support the Group in his role as Chairman alongside Dr. Burt.
His arrival reflects ProductLife Group’s commitment to strengthening its leadership and accelerating its strategic priorities as the company continues to expand its capabilities across regulatory, clinical, quality and digital services, supporting pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies worldwide.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Burt said:
“ProductLife Group has built a strong reputation as a trusted partner to the life sciences industry. I look forward to working with the teams across the organization to further develop the company’s capabilities and support clients worldwide in bringing innovative therapies to patients.”
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