Launch track record
Six engagements, each stated as context, what I did, and the measurable result. Figures are as reported publicly in my CV and professional profile; no confidential company data is used.
Pre-launch and peri-launch orchestration for two rare disease assets across 27 EU markets
The rare disease organisation was launching gMG and TK2D concurrently with a small core team. I architected the go-to-market blueprint for 27 markets, ran four-quarter scenario planning and business cases, aligned Medical, Market Access, Regulatory and HEOR into one launch plan, and scaled the organisation from 5 to 180 FTEs with 95% field-force readiness on schedule.
Taking SeizeIT from concept to regulatory clearance with a multi-partner consortium
A five-partner consortium of pharma, academic and technology partners had stalled without coordinating leadership. I took ownership in year two, brought structure and a delivery cadence, secured €5.6M in non-dilutive funding from EIT Health and ICON/imec, and directed the 500+ patient trial (NCT04284072) that underpinned CE Mark and FDA 510(k) clearance.
Global launch lead for two neurology brands across G7 and EU5
Built standardised go-to-market models, KPI dashboards and cross-functional execution toolkits deployed in 27 countries for VIMPAT and BRIVIACT. Ran an eight-affiliate operating cadence that cut decision turnaround by 30%, and drove indication prioritisation and lifecycle strategy that contributed to close to €1B in incremental revenue.
Building UCB's first pan-European omnichannel and CRM model
Designed and launched data-driven HCP targeting, remote engagement and peer-to-peer scientific programmes across 27 markets. Onboarded every rep and MSL in Europe to virtual engagement, recruited 4,300+ HCPs through scientific webinars with an NPS above 9, and built SFE dashboards that lifted call quality by 20% across four brands.
Rolling out CRM and modular content across 27 markets
Led the European Veeva CRM and modular content implementation, trained 250+ users to 99% adoption within 12 months, shortened content cycle time by 30% and automated cross-market reporting, taking insight cadence from twice a year to twenty times a year.
Founding and running a new business unit from a standing start
Established a new unit with a €2M investment and a team of 12, reaching €400k revenue in Year 1 and profitability ahead of plan. Today I remain an operator outside pharma as co-owner of Erdőszéli, a premium almond and hazelnut orchard in Hungary, and of Földmonitor, an agricultural land data and valuation platform.
How I work
Most rare disease launches underperform not because of the molecule, but because commercial execution cannot keep pace with regulatory timelines across fragmented European markets. Three habits close that gap.
Launch sequencing
Enter markets in the right order, based on payer readiness and patient-identification infrastructure rather than on org charts. Germany, France, the Nordics and Benelux each need a different first move.
Cross-functional convergence
Medical, Market Access and Commercial run as one launch cadence, not three parallel workstreams. Every decision is P&L-linked and measured in time-to-patient.
Execution at scale
An EU blueprint is only worth what affiliates can deliver. I connect HQ ambition with country reality: playbooks, readiness frameworks, KPI governance, and the operating rhythm that makes them stick.
What others say
"He took ownership and managed to bring structure to the overall project. His enthusiasm inspired the partners to work as one team, and he made sure deadlines were met. His dynamic leadership was instrumental to ensure an EIT Health grant was obtained."
Prof. Dr. Wim Van Paesschen, Head of Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, UZ Leuven · written reference, January 2019
"He now has proven deliverables under his belt and has done a good job in ultimately co-leading the project."
Line manager, UCB · end-of-year review
"A true team player, consistently sharing resources. Stronger together."
Peer recognition award, UCB · 2021
About
I am Senior Director, Regional Launch Excellence Lead at Sobi, building and embedding a scalable European launch operating system across a rare disease portfolio. Before that I spent thirteen years at UCB in rare disease and neurology, moving from digital transformation through global launch leadership and medical-device development to Chief of Staff for the European rare disease organisation.
I hold an MBA from Vlerick Business School and have completed executive programmes in healthcare innovation at Harvard Business School and drug and device development at MIT. I am based in Brussels and work in English, German and Hungarian.
Outside pharma I co-own Erdőszéli, a premium almond and hazelnut orchard on the north shore of Lake Balaton, and operate Földmonitor, a Hungarian agricultural land data and valuation platform.
Publications
- Zhang J, Swinnen L, Chatzichristos C, Vértes G, et al. Multimodal wearable EEG, EMG and accelerometry measurements improve tonic-clonic seizure detection accuracy. Physiological Measurement, 2024. PubMed
- Bruno E, Biondi A, Böttcher S, Vértes G, et al. Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse in Epilepsy (RADAR-CNS). JMIR Research Protocols, 2020. PubMed
- Van Dyck W, Vértes G, et al. Acute coronary syndrome: cost-effectiveness of prevention, point-of-care technology and telemonitoring. Health Policy and Technology, 2012. DOI
- Van Dyck W, Gassull D, Vértes G, et al. Unlocking the value of personalised healthcare in Europe: breast cancer stratification. Health Policy and Technology, 2012. DOI
Education and programmes
- MBA, Vlerick Business School 2011
- Executive Education, Healthcare Innovation, Harvard Business School 2015
- Drug and Medical Device Development, MIT 2020
- Agile Leadership and Scrum Master, KÜRT Akadémia 2025
- Growth Hacking, Growth Tribe Academy; AI in Marketing, Squared Online
Elsewhere
Let's talk
If you are building or scaling a rare disease launch in Europe, or want a second opinion on launch readiness, a 20-minute call is the fastest way to find out whether I can help.