Nik Gantchev

Senior Interim Executive

Nik Gantchev
Kilchberg, Switzerland

Experience

Jan 2024 - Present
2 years 1 month
Basel, Switzerland

Executive Interim & Transformation Partner

Audoban & Co. GmbH

  • Stepped into a senior interim mandate with hands-on accountability for a complex business model transformation, taking ownership of execution, operating decisions, and delivery within a highly regulated and complex regional environment.
  • Led market access, launch, and go-to-market transformation work, aligning commercial, operational, and governance structures to support entry into new markets under time and regulatory pressure.
  • Supported post-merger integration as well as divestiture shaping assignments, working hands-on with executive teams to align operating realities, decision rights, and accountability with transaction intent.
  • Took interim ownership of critical transformation and integration programs, resetting priorities, sequencing, and leadership expectations where delivery risk or organizational friction had emerged.
  • Acted as a trusted interim partner to CEOs and senior leaders during periods of structural change, providing clear judgement, hands-on leadership, and execution discipline.
Jan 2018 - Dec 2024
7 years
Zug, Switzerland

VP, Global Strategy & Governance

Johnson & Johnson

  • Served as Interim Global VP of Pricing (2022–2023), stepping into a critical leadership gap and taking full accountability for global pricing governance, revenue optimization, and decision discipline, delivering $400M+ in incremental enterprise value.
  • Served as Interim VP, U.S. Transformation Office and Commercial Excellence (2023–2024), leading the restructuring and integration of Account Management, Sales Force Effectiveness, Commercial Operations, and Deal Desk functions into a unified performance and governance model.
  • Took ownership of global and regional launch governance for the innovation portfolio, defining country sequencing, pricing guardrails, tender strategy, and contracting approaches under regulatory and competitive pressure.
  • Mandated to work alongside enterprise and regional leadership to define growth strategy, portfolio priorities, and commercial models, with direct exposure to corporate development decisions, lifecycle trade-offs, and investment governance.
  • Established and stabilized global market access and pricing governance, aligning evidence, access, commercial, and financial performance across regions, and restoring consistency and accountability in decision making.
  • Stepped in to shape and lead the COVID Crisis Management Office, establishing real-time intelligence, escalation, and decision support to manage pandemic impact across the enterprise.
  • Led multi-cycle transformation initiatives balancing centralization with regional accountability, strengthening P&L ownership, execution discipline, and leadership alignment across global, regional, and local teams.
Jan 2014 - Dec 2018
5 years
New York, United States

AVP Global Business Transformation Program Office

Johnson & Johnson

  • Took enterprise-level accountability for a USD 2B global transformation program targeting USD 1B+ in sustainable savings, directing 130+ workstreams and 350+ resources across functions and regions and delivered the program on time, on budget, and on target.
  • Established and ran the Global Transformation PMO within the Office of Strategy & Business Transformation, creating the governance, performance management, and escalation mechanisms required to control delivery at enterprise scale.
  • Acted as a senior transformation lead across major post-merger integrations including Pfizer Consumer Health, Actelion, Synthes, and Auris Health, ensuring alignment between transaction intent, synergy delivery, and operational execution.
  • Served on the Shared Services and Operational Excellence Leadership Team, contributing to restructuring decisions and translating transformation insight into scalable efficiency and operating improvements.
  • Owned enterprise-wide transformation priorities spanning commercial, pricing, access, and operational functions, ensuring sustained delivery discipline beyond the initial program lifecycle.
Jan 2009 - Dec 2015
7 years
Brussels, Belgium

Executive Director, Marketing, Market Access & Portfolio Strategy

Janssen Cilag

  • Held senior regional leadership responsibility across portfolio strategy, marketing, and market access, with direct accountability for delivery, launch outcomes, and investment prioritization across EMEA.
  • Led integrated portfolio and launch strategy across Immunology, Oncology, CVM, and Rare Diseases, aligning strategic priorities, resourcing, and execution across regional and affiliate organizations.
  • Took ownership of building Market Access into a core strategic capability, establishing early governance for pricing, payer engagement, and access planning, and embedding cross-functional launch readiness with country teams.
  • Served on the core EMEA launch leadership team for Stelara, shaping go-to-market, pricing, and stakeholder engagement approaches that enabled rapid reimbursement and sustained uptake across diverse healthcare systems.
  • Led the commercial integration of Actelion’s rare disease portfolio into Janssen, aligning operating models, governance, and ways of working across commercial, medical, and operational functions during a high-visibility integration phase.
Jan 2006 - Dec 2008
3 years
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Senior Client Engagement Director – Life Sciences

Vintura Consulting

  • Led senior client engagements across pharmaceutical, MedTech, and healthcare system clients, taking responsibility for delivery, stakeholder alignment, and execution across market access, value strategy, procurement, and organizational performance topics.
  • Took a leading role in developing and delivering early market access and value strategy work, translating evolving payer expectations and evidence requirements into practical operating and governance changes for clients.
  • Worked hands-on with hospital networks and provider systems on governance and value-based healthcare initiatives, redesigning tender processes and aligning incentives across stakeholder groups.
  • Directed cross-functional transformation and capability acceleration programs across portfolio, pricing, and procurement functions, supporting improved payer alignment and funding approaches.
  • Supported M&A integration and post-acquisition optimization assignments, contributing to synergy delivery, capability transfer, and organizational stabilization during periods of structural change.
Jan 2002 - Dec 2005
4 years
Lucerne, Switzerland

Director, Commercial Operations & Strategic Partnerships

Amgen

  • Joined Amgen during its European expansion, taking responsibility for establishing the commercial backbone for its first Oncology and Hematology launches and leading external marketing, education, and partnership programs.
Jan 1999 - Dec 2001
3 years
Paris, France

Senior Manager, R&D Strategy & Partnerships

Bristol Myers Squibb

  • Supported BMS’s transition toward externalized R&D by designing governance and performance frameworks for CRO alliances, strengthening accountability, value delivery, and strategic collaboration.
Jan 1996 - Dec 1998
3 years
London, United Kingdom

Technology Solutions Architect, Life Sciences Industry

FreeMarkets

  • Pioneered digital sourcing and reverse-auction solutions for Life Sciences, architecting first-of-its-kind e-platforms enabling real-time, data-driven negotiations and contract decisions and deeper insight into market competitiveness.

Summary

Senior interim executive with 25+ years of leadership experience across Life Sciences, MedTech, Digital Health as well as FinTech specializing in enterprise transformation, post-merger integration, senior leadership transitions, and stabilizing delivery in complex organizations.

Proven ability to step into complex, time-critical situations, establish control, align leadership teams, clarify decision rights, and deliver outcomes under board-level scrutiny. Experienced working in environments marked by ambiguity, competing priorities, and high external pressure.

Combines deep corporate leadership experience with hands-on interim mandates, taking full accountability for stabilization and delivery in high-pressure environments.

Languages

English
Native
French
Advanced
Dutch
Advanced
German
Intermediate

Education

Oct 1998 - Jun 1999

Boston University

MBA · Business Administration & Management · Belgium

Oct 1994 - Jun 1996

Cornell University

MS · Architecture & Engineering · United States

Certifications & licenses

Mastering Design Thinking Professional Certification

MIT Sloan

Lean Six Sigma Professional Certification

CPI

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