Altasciences announces Chris Perkin appointed to Board of Directors and Marie-Hélène Raigneau appointed Chief Executive Officer
Original story from Altasciences (Québec, Canada).
Altasciences has announced that Chris Perkin has been appointed as a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Following a leadership transition that has been underway for the past 12 months, Marie-Hélène Raigneau, President of the company since April 2025, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Both roles are effective from Tuesday, 24 February 2026.
“Having worked alongside Marie-Hélène for over two decades, I am fully confident in her readiness to guide Altasciences forward with clarity and purpose,” said Chris. “I am happy to be stepping aside after 50 years in drug development, knowing that Altasciences is well-positioned for the future.”
Chris joined Altasciences as CEO in 2010 and has played a central role in transforming the company from a clinical research organization, focused on testing of generic drugs, into a fully integrated early-phase contract research and contract drug manufacturing organization operating across nine North American locations. Since joining, Chris has driven the strategic expansion of the company’s geographic footprint and capabilities, enabling sponsors to access a single-source solution for preclinical and clinical research, bioanalysis, formulation, and manufacturing for novel drug therapies. In 2025, this integrated approach supported 11 of the 46 FDA approvals for novel drugs, representing 24% of all approvals.
Beyond results, Chris’ legacy is defined by mentorship, trust and principled leadership. Widely respected for his collaborative, people-driven and forward-thinking leadership style, Chris was recognized as one of PharmaVOICE’s “100 Most Inspiring Leaders” for 4 consecutive years, as well as being a Lifetime Red Jacket honoree. After 50 years in the industry, his impact is reflected not only in the companies he helped grow, but in the people and programs that continue to move science forward.
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Stepping into the role of CEO, Marie-Hélène Raigneau has been with Altasciences since 2012 and brings more than 20 years of leadership experience to the position. She began her career as Business Development Manager at Future Electronics (Québec, Canada) and rose through the ranks at Charles River Laboratories (MA, USA) to become Global Director of Marketing, Nonclinical Services. Over the last 14 years, Marie-Hélène has held various roles at Altasciences, including Executive Director of Business Development and Marketing, General Manager, Vice President of Research Services, Co-Chief Operating Officer and most recently, President.
“Marie-Hélène has been a key member of our executive leadership team, partnering with me on company strategy, operational priorities and long-term growth,” reflected Chris. “Her deep understanding of our business, the drug development pipeline, our people and our clients, combined with her strong leadership and values-driven approach, position her exceptionally well to lead Altasciences into its next chapter.”
Marie-Hélène has helped shape nearly every dimension of Altasciences’ culture and integrated service offering in senior leadership positions spanning preclinical, clinical, bioanalysis and manufacturing operations. Notably, Marie-Hélène was integral to the building of the company’s CRO Services, leading the scaling of project management, medical writing, biostatistics and programming capabilities to meet growing client demand. In addition, she has overseen major investments and the expansion of the company’s bioanalytical laboratories across Canada and the United States.
“Altasciences was founded on the belief that integration, accountability and scientific excellence can simplify early-phase drug development. That belief is brought to life every day through our people and their unwavering commitment to sponsors,” said Marie-Hélène. “I’ve had the privilege of helping shape Altasciences for more than a decade, and I’m proud of what our teams have accomplished together.”
Throughout her career, Marie-Hélène has been recognized by her peers for combining operational precision with empathy and integrity, fostering a culture of open communication, collaboration and trust.
“As we build on the strong foundation established under Chris’ leadership, we will continue to invest in technology, expand our integrated capabilities, and empower our people, so that our partners can reach critical milestones faster and with greater certainty,” concluded Marie-Hélène.
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