Qualicaps, Eurotherm, Acambis, Invetech - People on the move

Vaccine maker Acambis​ has replaced its CEO and finance director after they failed to respond to shareholders' demands for a change in strategy. Gordon Cameron, the company's chief executive, will be replaced by Ian Garland, the former chief financial officer of Arrow Therapeutics. In addition, the firm's CFO David Lawrence will be replaced on an interim basis by Elizabeth Brown, the vice president of financial management. The Cambridge-based company is also to axe 15 per cent of its workforce as part of restructuring and a drive to cut costs. The announcement from the company comes just months after it lost out on a $1bn (£520m) smallpox contract with the US government. In the last week, capsule filling equipment specialist Qualicaps​ has appointed Takayuki Kawamura​ as president of Qualicaps Japan. Kawamura previously held the role of President of Sola Optica International and Qualicaps said his experience in R&D, operations management and factory equipment manufacturing will mesh well with the company's objectives. In his new position, Kawamura will be responsible for all the business and operational functions in Japan, including leadership and oversight of the Japan capsule business, the global machinery and equipment business, and the day-to-day leadership responsibility for the company's global research and development team. Meanwhile, Eurotherm​ also made a new senior executive appointment last week. The manufacturer of instrumentation for process control and data acquisition has announced that Dan Dudici​ will be taking the role of global product manager for Action Instruments. Most recently, Dudici held positions with Omron Electronics as Product Marketing Manager and Carlo Gavazzi as Product Manager. In other developments, lab automation specialist Invetech​ has announced the appointment of Ian Fitzpatrick as manager of Manufacturing Innovation in North America. Fitzpatrick, who moves from a project management role at Invetech's Australian office to take up the new position, will be tasked with integrating US nationals into the expanding the team while ensuring the company's works programmes are delivered seamlessly.