Alexandre is Head of Business Development – North America at HSE. With an international career in business development spanning 20 years, he explains in his interview how his role is at the intersection of life sciences, technology, and business development.
What’s your professional background?
Alexandre: I earned my Ph.D. in virology and molecular biology from the University of Lyon (UCBL), focusing on hepatitis B and HIV, followed by a Master’s in entrepreneurship from the Management School of Lyon.
I began my career at the Lyon Area Economic Development Agency, where I established a new life sciences department to support the growth of foreign biotech and pharmaceutical companies in France. I later helped establish Lyonbiopôle, a national competitiveness cluster, working with industry leaders such as bioMérieux, Sanofi Pasteur, Merial, and Becton Dickinson.
To expand international outreach, I moved to San Francisco to join the Invest in France Agency, supporting U.S.-based life sciences companies in developing R&D and investment projects in France. After six years, I returned to France to join CEA-Leti Health in Grenoble as Business Development Manager for in vitro diagnostics and drug delivery systems. I increased revenue from R&D co-developments and managed out-licensing of the IP portfolio. Later, I relocated back to San Francisco to foster business development partnerships with key players.
Wanting to remain in California, I transitioned to a contract development and manufacturing organization – KMC Systems (now known as HiArc) – leading business development on the West Coast. At the request of the new CEO, I joined a task force to evolve the company’s business model from pure services to innovation-driven R&D.
After two years, I joined the Clinical Diagnostic Group of Bio-Rad Laboratories, moving from a sales-focused role to strategic partnerships, investments, and mergers and acquisitions in new technologies – particularly in infectious diseases and women’s and reproductive health domains. I joined HSE in July 2025 as part of the U.S. team.
Why did you decide to represent HSE in the US?
Alexandre: There were three main reasons. First, HSE isn’t just another engineering company. Throughout my career, I’ve learned how important quality is – the quality of development, quality management, and especially the manufacturability and serviceability of a solution. Because of HSE’s history as a carve-out from QIAGEN, I knew the company had strong expertise in these areas and that was crucial for me.
The second reason is that their business model aligns perfectly with my own vision and is built on three pillars. The first pillar is consulting – helping partners shape their projects strategically. The second is providing high-level engineering services. And the third is developing functional products for OEM applications. For me, this three-part structure really fits my idea of what HSE can offer to its partners – a complete, end-to-end capability from concept to product.
And third, HSE is completely independent from manufacturing. That independence means they can design and develop solutions that are easily transferable to a partner’s manufacturing site or to another contract manufacturing organization (CMO). For me, that’s proof of both flexibility and strong design capability – the ability to create instruments that are ready for real-world production.
What do you think makes you a great fit for this role?
Alexandre: My background combines science and innovation. I’m a biologist, but over time I’ve gained a deep understanding of engineering and how scientific ideas can be transformed into real innovations. For me, innovation means developing a product that truly fits a market need and creates value.
My added value lies in bridging the gap between science and engineering. My expertise in biology allows me to translate great science into engineering or hardware solutions to create practical, successful products.
What unique value does HSE offer to the U.S. market?
Alexandre: Each region – and especially the U.S. – increasingly wants to have its own manufacturing capabilities. Even for European companies, if they want to address the U.S. market, it can be advantageous to establish a manufacturing site in the U.S. because of tariffs, trade policies, and logistical reasons. That’s one reason why HSE can play a valuable role – for example, a U.S. company might want to develop and manufacture a solution in Europe. Having a partner like HSE, with strong development expertise, proven quality, and established connections with both multinational and European CMOs, can be a real asset.
For the larger players, many already operate globally, with R&D teams in both the U.S. and Europe. As HSE plans to expand its footprint in the U.S., I’m their business developer based here. The idea is to build a strong bridge between the U.S. and Europe, enabling true collaboration and knowledge exchange.
An interdisciplinary team for exciting innovations
Alexandre is part of a team of highly qualified professionals, each bringing specialized expertise and a shared commitment to engineering excellence.
You can be confident you’re working with some of the best-trained engineers in the industry.
