Recent Personnel Changes In Geneva

Recent weeks have seen a number of personnel changes at Geneva institutions working on international intellectual property rights and innovation.

Among them, there are changes in the officials responsible for intellectual property issues at the missions of Indonesia and South Africa.

Recently arrived to work at the South African mission in Geneva are Nosisi Potelwa, counsellor for economic affairs, and Matroos Mandixole, second secretary. Both came from capital, from the headquarters of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation. Both will work on intellectual property matters, and Potelwa will have primary responsibility.

At the Indonesian mission, Simatupang Bianca has taken over responsibility for the World Intellectual Property Organization. Yasmi Adriansyah, known to many as Adrian, has returned to the capital and is planning to study for a PhD in Australia.

Separately, the Singapore government recently appointed Karen Tan as Singapore’s High Commissioner to the Republic of India. Tan served permanent representative to the World Trade Organization and to the World Intellectual Property Organization from September 2007 to December 2010. She served for a period as chair of the WTO TRIPS Council and the Special Session on a geographical indications register for wines and spirits. Tan has served in Paris, New York, Lao, and the headquarters. The full announcement is here.

At the World Health Organization, Hans Hogerzeil is retiring at the end of May. Hogerzeil is director of essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies. Carissa Etienne will be acting director while his replacement is recruited.

And Sandeep Juneja has joined the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool as business development director, a potentially key role for the organisation, which negotiates licences from a public health perspective in order to lower drug prices and stimulate new innovation [corrected]. Juneja has more than 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including 6 years as the director of global business on HIV and malaria at generics producer Ranbaxy in New Delhi.