Diabeloop appoints Catherine Dunand Chairman of the Board

GRENOBLE, France, Jan. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Diabeloop announced today the appointment of Catherine Dunand as Chairman of the Board of Directors, succeeding Dr Guillaume Charpentier. Dr. Guillaume Charpentier, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Diabeloop, remains on the Board of Directors.

Catherine Dunand, President of Cemag Invest, is a graduate of Ecole Centrale de Lyon, holds an MBA from INSEAD and received a certificate from the non-executive director program of Sciences Po. She sits on the boards of several innovative companies including Advicenne, Altavia, Fabernovel and Wandercraft. She has been a member of the board of Diabeloop since the end of 2019, where she supported the 31-million Euro Series B funding round.

Dr. Guillaume Charpentier said:
"Five years ago, I founded Diabeloop with a dream, the creation of an artificial pancreas.This dream has now become a reality, with the registration of two Automated Insulin Delivery solutions in Europe, and the signing of several significant commercial partnerships. Diabeloop progressed incredibly quickly. It is now important for the company to successfully launch these products to get them into the hands of patients. Erik Huneker and Marc Julien, co-CEOs, have put together a superb team to carry out this mission. I am pleased that Catherine Dunand has agreed to succeed me as Chairman of the Board. She will be able to lead the company in its growth and bring her commercial experience and financial acumen, as well as a real empathy for patients and public health. I will remain on the board, and I will ensure that Diabeloop's values are preserved; we still have a lot of work to do."

Catherine Dunand, Chairman of the Board, added:
"Diabeloop is one of Europe's finest gems in the medical technology sector. A leader of innovation in artificial intelligence for the treatment of diabetes, Diabeloop's mission is to improve patients' quality of life. In terms of technology, regulatory and market access, the company has experienced extremely rapid success, particularly internationally, thanks to its exceptionally talented team. The recent partnership agreements with Roche and Terumo Corporation, launch of a subsidiary in Germany and opportunities in the United States mark a new era in the life of the company. I feel proud and honored to take on my new role and I'm fully aware of the responsibility that rests with me."

Erik Huneker and Marc Julien, Diabeloop co-CEOs, concluded:
"We would like to thank Dr. Guillaume Charpentier for his exceptional dedication and work over the years. The evolution of our governance with the appointment of Catherine Dunand comes at an exciting time for Diabeloop. Catherine's expertise on financial, strategic and business development aspects will be of great help to us. We thank her for her involvement, and look forward to the rewarding challenges we'll face together."  

Catherine Dunand biography

Catherine Dunand co-founded and continues to serve as President of Cemag Invest, an investment fund that is  dedicated to acquiring minority stakes in technology-oriented healthcare companies, particularly in medtech and artificial intelligence. Since 2019, she has also served as President of an American foundation that supports womens' health.

Since 2004, Catherine Dunand has been a non-executive director for a number of private and public Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), mainly in the healthcare sector. She is in charge of two audit committees and is a member of two nomination and remuneration committees. She joined Diabeloop's Board of Directors in 2019 after having led the Series B investment round.

Catherine Dunand managed a consulting firm in strategy and governance for fast-growing SMEs/ETIs. She was also Managing Director of SMEs in the healthcare sector.

Catherine Dunand spent over 15 years in several roles at major pharmaceutical companies, including as International Marketing Director of Roussel Uclaf and Managing Director of the German-speaking area of Servier.

Catherine Dunand is a graduate of Ecole Centrale de Lyon, MBA INSEAD, and received a certificate from the non-executive director program of Sciences Po.

About Diabeloop

Diabeloop's mission: to relieve people living with Type 1 diabetes from dozens of therapeutic decisions and reduce their heavy mental burden. Initially conceived from a medical research project, Diabeloop was created in 2015 by Dr. Guillaume Charpentier, now Chief Medical Officer, and Erik Huneker who has co-managed the company with Marc Julien since 2016. This complementary management team works with experienced partners, CEA-Leti (a research laboratory) and CERITD (a French research team of diabetologists).

In 2018, DBLG1^® System, Diabeloop's first medical device for automated diabetes management, obtained CE marking, followed by DBL-hu, its solution for highly unstable Type 1 diabetes management in 2020.

A second round of financing of 31 million euros concluded in November 2019 to speed up the international commercial rollout of the DBLG1 iController and support an ambitious R&D program.

The company is supported by several investors and industrial groups in the healthcare sector, including CERITD, Aliad, Cemag Invest, Sofimac Innovation, Supernova Invest, Kreaxi, Crédit Agricole, Odyssée Venture, Agiradom, as well as business angels.

Today, Diabeloop gathers the personality, the passion and the skills of close to 100 talented individuals who work hard to improve the quality of life for every person living with Type 1 diabetes.

Press contact

Stéphanie Jégu
[email protected]

SOURCE Diabeloop