Three new partners for Polaris in US and Europe
Global life sciences consultancy Polaris has announced three new partners appointments. Michael Utell and Darren Jones are based in the US, Dutchman Geert van Gansewinkel leads the firm’s European operations.
Michael Utell is responsible for Polaris Solutions’ global delivery, where he oversees the deployment of compliance technology solutions on behalf of Polaris’ clients. With over thirteen years of consulting experience, Utell brings significant expertise in IT program management, technology strategy, and software delivery to pharmaceutical and life sciences organisations. He has guided the launch of Polaris’ applications across numerous international engagements, and has the responsibility of developing, maintaining, and overseeing the delivery methodology used within the organisation. In his role, Utell leads the firm’s full implementation lifecycle, ensuring end-to-end delivery and quality of all our technology solutions.
Prior to joining Polaris, Michael was an executive with Accenture, focused on the design and implementation of digital supply chain and content distribution systems. He received a Bachelor of Science in Information Management and Technology, and a Master in Business Administrator from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.
Darren Jones is responsible for leading compliance consulting projects across several healthcare interaction risk areas. He provides clients with compliance risk advisory services and leads Polaris’ global Auditing & Monitoring service offerings. With significant expertise in audit and risk consulting, Jones leads engagements to reengineer regulated business practices and performs compliance audits. The former Protiviti advisor has extensive global audit experience, having executed compliance audits in South America and Europe. He assists clients in defining key performance indicators and compliance risk indicators.
Jones speaks frequently and is interviewed on industry topics such as identifying and assessing financial controls, aggregate spending, fraud and abuse risks and sales and marketing compliance. He holds a B.S.B.A. from University of Pittsburgh and is a Certified Internal Auditor.
Geert van Gansewinkel leads Polaris’ consulting and solutions services in Europe. He has comprehensive experience in implementing compliance solutions as well as in business strategy, program management, business transformation, IT strategy, systems implementation and organisational change. Van Gansewinkel works across all disciplines offered by Polaris, including global aggregate spend assessment and technology and HCP interaction technology. Among his many accomplishments at Polaris, he was responsible for implementing Polaris’ platform for a large European pharmaceutical company across all of its European affiliates.
He also was end responsible for running a pan-European spend-assessment for a large European pharmaceutical company, assessing current processes, systems, use of data and defining a gap assessment versus the target situation as well as an implementation roadmap. Van Gansewinkel has also led the program and change management for a large implementation of a transparency reporting solution across all European affiliates of a global biotech company.
Prior to joining Polaris, Van Gansewinkel worked for The Boston Consulting Group, where he led consulting projects for large international clients in a wide variety of industries including pharmaceutical companies, focusing on strategy and business transformation. Before BCG, he worked for Accenture, where he focused on implementation and international roll out of IT systems.
