Latest news with #NeilFerguson
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Stunning UK islands face new threat 94 years after locals begged to be evacuated
A remote archipelago situated some 110 miles off the UK mainland was once home to a skilful community that lived off the land. However, 94 years ago - all residents asked to be evacuated, except one A breath-taking UK archipelago stranded in the North Atlantic Ocean is under threat - almost 100 years after it was abandoned by humans. Situated some 110 miles off the west coast of mainland Scotland, forming part of the Outer Hebrides, lies the 'rare beauty and drama' of St Kilda. Often touted as the 'islands at the edge of the world' due to its remote location, the archipelago consists of five unique islands: Hirta, Dùn, Soay, Boreray and Levenish, alongside a number of towering sea stacks and islets. For around 4,000 years, the cluster was home to a community that lived off the land - isolated from the rest of the world but described as 'much happier than the generality of mankind'. Due to the treacherous waters, fishing on the island wasn't very feasible. Instead, islanders survived on the 'dense colonies' of gannets, fulmars, and puffins - catching them for good, oil, feathers, and bones. However, over time, life became much harder on the island - and the population started to decline. It is believed the islands' contact with the outside world started to increase in the 19th and 20th centuries, tempting younger locals to immigrate to the likes of Australia and Canada for a better life. This, combined with bouts of disease that wiped out many residents, meant few able-bodied people remained on the island. Towards the end of the 1920s, the crops failed several times - meaning many islanders faced starving to death during the upcoming barren winter. However, on August 29, 1930, the last 36 residents voluntarily evacuated the island - hopping on board a ship that would sail them away to their new homes. According to the BBC, the only person who opposed the evacuation was Neil Ferguson, who lived at number five. "He was the only one to dig his croft ready for planting for a summer harvest, and was the last to leave his house, delaying for as long as he could the boat that would take them away," the publication states. After the island was abandoned, it took on a new breath of life - becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a haven for almost one million seabirds, including the UK's largest colony of Atlantic puffins. Now run by the National Trust for Scotland, the archipelago is a popular tourist destination, attracting thousands of visitors every year. "If you do explore the islands directly, you'll have a rare experience of walking through a landscape abandoned by the entire community in 1930," hailed Visit Scotland. "You'll also visit preserved archaeological sites and relics, which reveal the close relationship the islanders had with their unique natural environment, and how they adapted to outside influences. You can see this up close in the remnants of houses, enclosures and cleits – drystone storage structures – remnants of World War I guns and communications." While many of the seabirds were hunted for food, they've been able to live a more peaceful life since residents were evacuated. However, they now face a much greater threat: climate change. With rising sea temperatures, warm waters mean food sources the seabirds rely on - like eels and plankton - are shifting north, meaning they're too far away for many seabirds to fly to. As a result, the colonies are dying out, with the Atlantic puffin 'creeping dangerously near to the endangered list'. "Seabirds are part of life on St Kilda" says Susan Bain, Property Manager of St Kilda. "They're bound up in its archaeology and history, and with them, that's disappearing. If it were a building, or a monument under threat, we wouldn't let that happen. The loss of the seabirds will have impacts that we don't even know until they take place – they are pieces of a unique and fragile ecosystem."
Associated Press
28-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Comac Medical Announces New Leadership Appointments and International Expansion
Leadership transition and strategic growth initiatives mark the next phase of Comac Medical's development under EdgeCap Partners. SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Comac Medical, a leading full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) in Central and Eastern Europe, announced today the appointment of a new CEO and Board Chair and the launch of an international expansion initiative. Leadership Appointments Dr. Chris Smyth has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1st September. Based in the UK, Dr. Smyth brings over two decades of executive leadership in global CROs and biotech-focused clinical research. Most recently, he served as President of ICON Biotech, and prior to that, held multiple senior roles at IQVIA Biotech including President and COO. Comac Medical has also established a new Supervisory Board, chaired by Neil Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson is an experienced global commercial leader with over 35 years in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, with over 25 years in the outsourced services sector, including Syneos Health and Quintiles, where he held senior roles driving significant revenue growth and operational scale. Mr. Ferguson will lead the Supervisory Board consisting of Comac Medical's founder and Honorary Chairman Dr. Milen Vrabevski and EdgeCap representatives Dr. Günter Schmid, Christopher Backes and Kristjan Piilmann. Today's appointments mark a significant milestone for Comac Medical as it enters its next phase of development, building upon the recent additions of two seasoned industry leaders based in Germany, Christian Buhlmann as Chief Commercial Officer and Peter Windisch as Chief Operations Officer. International Expansion Comac Medical has established local entities and teams in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom to supplement the strong presence Comac Medical already has in Central and Eastern Europe. Dedicated business development teams have been launched in those countries, including on the East and West Coasts of the US, to support biotech and pharma clients in key innovation hubs. In parallel to its organic expansion, Comac Medical will continue its targeted M&A strategy with the goal of becoming the leading pan-European full-service CRO for biotech and biopharma customers. Leadership Commentary 'I am thrilled to join Comac Medical at this exciting time of transformation and growth,' said Dr. Chris Smyth, incoming CEO. 'We are building on a strong legacy, expanding our regional footprint, and staying focused on delivering exceptional value to our clients and providing opportunities for our teams.' 'It is an honor to support this leadership team and work with EdgeCap and Comac Medical on this next phase,' said Neil Ferguson, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. 'We look forward to creating long-term value for our stakeholders and accelerating growth across key markets.' 'As founder of Comac Medical, I am immensely proud to see our organization — a champion of clinical research in Bulgaria and the CEE region — embark on a new chapter of international expansion,' said Dr. Milen Vrabevski, Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board. 'This evolution reflects the strength of our foundation and the global relevance of our mission.' 'I would like to thank our co-CEOs, Dr. Rossitsa Vrabevska and Vladimir Goranov, for leading the company through a successful founder transition period. A warm welcome also to the incoming leadership team which will undoubtedly add significant momentum to our growth ambitions,' said Christopher Backes, Co-Founder of EdgeCap Partners. About Comac Medical Comac Medical, established in 1997 in Sofia, Bulgaria, is one of the largest full-service clinical research organizations (CRO) in Central and Eastern Europe, present in more than 30 countries, providing a comprehensive range of early to late-phase drug development services to the global pharmaceutical and biotech industries across a variety of therapeutic areas including oncology, rare diseases, dermatology, gastroenterology, and respiratory diseases. The Company has a global customer base consisting of emerging biotech and established pharma companies, offering full outsourced clinical trial support across the entire clinical development spectrum. Comac Medical's FDA and EMA-inspected Clinical Research Unit (CRU) for Phase I, Bioavailability and Bioequivalence studies has 20 years of experience in early phase clinical research. The facility is the largest in the region and comprises 42 beds, an on-site pharmacy as well as a clinical and bioanalytical laboratory. Visit our company website. About EdgeCap Partners EdgeCap is a London- and Tallinn-based mid-market private equity and growth capital firm targeting investments in high-quality companies in Europe. We partner with ambitious founders and management teams to develop strong local businesses into pan-European and global champions. EdgeCap was founded in 2021 by Kristjan Piilmann and Chris Backes, who have 20+ years of combined private equity and investment banking experience at bulge bracket firms including PSG Equity LLP, Morgan Stanley, Citi and Goldman Sachs. Logo - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE EdgeCap Partners
Cision Canada
28-04-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Comac Medical Announces New Leadership Appointments and International Expansion
Leadership transition and strategic growth initiatives mark the next phase of Comac Medical's development under EdgeCap Partners. SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 28, 2025 /CNW/ -- Comac Medical, a leading full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) in Central and Eastern Europe, announced today the appointment of a new CEO and Board Chair and the launch of an international expansion initiative. Leadership Appointments Dr. Chris Smyth has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 st September. Based in the UK, Dr. Smyth brings over two decades of executive leadership in global CROs and biotech-focused clinical research. Most recently, he served as President of ICON Biotech, and prior to that, held multiple senior roles at IQVIA Biotech including President and COO. Comac Medical has also established a new Supervisory Board, chaired by Neil Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson is an experienced global commercial leader with over 35 years in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, with over 25 years in the outsourced services sector, including Syneos Health and Quintiles, where he held senior roles driving significant revenue growth and operational scale. Mr. Ferguson will lead the Supervisory Board consisting of Comac Medical's founder and Honorary Chairman Dr. Milen Vrabevski and EdgeCap representatives Dr. Günter Schmid, Christopher Backes and Kristjan Piilmann. Today's appointments mark a significant milestone for Comac Medical as it enters its next phase of development, building upon the recent additions of two seasoned industry leaders based in Germany, Christian Buhlmann as Chief Commercial Officer and Peter Windisch as Chief Operations Officer. International Expansion Comac Medical has established local entities and teams in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom to supplement the strong presence Comac Medical already has in Central and Eastern Europe. Dedicated business development teams have been launched in those countries, including on the East and West Coasts of the US, to support biotech and pharma clients in key innovation hubs. In parallel to its organic expansion, Comac Medical will continue its targeted M&A strategy with the goal of becoming the leading pan-European full-service CRO for biotech and biopharma customers. Leadership Commentary "I am thrilled to join Comac Medical at this exciting time of transformation and growth," said Dr. Chris Smyth, incoming CEO. "We are building on a strong legacy, expanding our regional footprint, and staying focused on delivering exceptional value to our clients and providing opportunities for our teams." "It is an honor to support this leadership team and work with EdgeCap and Comac Medical on this next phase," said Neil Ferguson, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "We look forward to creating long-term value for our stakeholders and accelerating growth across key markets." "As founder of Comac Medical, I am immensely proud to see our organization — a champion of clinical research in Bulgaria and the CEE region — embark on a new chapter of international expansion," said Dr. Milen Vrabevski, Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "This evolution reflects the strength of our foundation and the global relevance of our mission." "I would like to thank our co-CEOs, Dr. Rossitsa Vrabevska and Vladimir Goranov, for leading the company through a successful founder transition period. A warm welcome also to the incoming leadership team which will undoubtedly add significant momentum to our growth ambitions," said Christopher Backes, Co-Founder of EdgeCap Partners. About Comac Medical Comac Medical, established in 1997 in Sofia, Bulgaria, is one of the largest full-service clinical research organizations (CRO) in Central and Eastern Europe, present in more than 30 countries, providing a comprehensive range of early to late-phase drug development services to the global pharmaceutical and biotech industries across a variety of therapeutic areas including oncology, rare diseases, dermatology, gastroenterology, and respiratory diseases. The Company has a global customer base consisting of emerging biotech and established pharma companies, offering full outsourced clinical trial support across the entire clinical development spectrum. Comac Medical's FDA and EMA-inspected Clinical Research Unit (CRU) for Phase I, Bioavailability and Bioequivalence studies has 20 years of experience in early phase clinical research. The facility is the largest in the region and comprises 42 beds, an on-site pharmacy as well as a clinical and bioanalytical laboratory. Visit our company website. About EdgeCap Partners EdgeCap is a London- and Tallinn-based mid-market private equity and growth capital firm targeting investments in high-quality companies in Europe. We partner with ambitious founders and management teams to develop strong local businesses into pan-European and global champions. EdgeCap was founded in 2021 by Kristjan Piilmann and Chris Backes, who have 20+ years of combined private equity and investment banking experience at bulge bracket firms including PSG Equity LLP, Morgan Stanley, Citi and Goldman Sachs.
