About MDS Nordion

The MDS Nordion leadership team has extensive experience in the global life sciences industry, and is driving the company's vision in the direction that the medical industry is moving - toward faster, more efficient drug discovery with a focus on personalized medicine.

Steve West Chief Executive Officer, MDS Inc. President, MDS Nordion Steve West was appointed Chief Executive Officer of MDS Inc. in January 2010. Steve, who in September 2009 was appointed Chief Operating Officer of MDS Inc., has served as President of MDS Nordion since April 2003. He joined MDS Capital Corp. (now Lumira Capital) in 2001 as a senior partner after serving as President, DiverseyLever Canada. His background includes various CEO assignments in Asia and the Pacific Rim, as well as international business-development responsibilities in the specialty chemicals field. Steve has a degree in Genetics from London University (UK) and completed postgraduate research in Biotechnology.
Christopher Ashwood Senior Vice-President, Human Resources & Information Technology Christopher Ashwood joined MDS Nordion in 2008 with more than 23 years of experience in Human Resources, Business Development and Information Technology. He joined MDS Nordion from Nortel, where he held a number of key leadership positions including Vice-President Product Development Solutions, Vice-President Global Business Processes and Director Corporate Services. Chris holds a MBA from the University of Ottawa and a BA from Carleton University.
Jill Chitra Senior Vice-President, Strategic Technologies and Regulatory Affairs Jill Chitra joined MDS Nordion in 1989 as a Project Engineer. Before assuming her current role as Senior Vice-President, Strategic Technologies and Regulatory Affairs in February 2010, Jill held the positions of Vice-President, Global Research & Development as well as Vice-President, Strategic Technologies. She has 20 years experience in the process development, process design, construction and project management of chemical and pharmaceutical processes and facilities as well as 10 years in senior management roles. Jill holds a MBA and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Queen's University. She is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario.
Peter Covitz Senior Vice-President, Innovation Dr. Peter Covitz joined MDS Nordion in 2008 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Maryland, United States, where he held the position of Chief Operating Officer at the NCI's Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology. Prior to joining the NCI, Peter was Vice-President of Professional Services at InforMax, Inc., a leading bioinformatics software firm. Earlier in his career, Peter worked as a research scientist and manager at Incyte Pharmaceuticals and Molecular Applications Group. Peter holds a PhD in Microbiology from Columbia University in New York, NY as well as a BA in Biology from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. Peter did his graduate work on gene transcription regulation at Columbia University, and his post-doctoral training in genomics and bioinformatics at Stanford University.
Peter Dans Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer An employee of MDS Inc. since 2007 where he held key finance leadership positions, Peter Dans was appointed Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer for MDS Inc. in February 2010.  Prior to MDS, Peter spent more than 15 years in global finance leadership roles at Nortel Networks, including positions in North America, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines, where he acquired significant external reporting and financial operating experience. Peter has a degree in Engineering Physics and a MBA, and holds CMA and PEng designations.
Chris Wagner Senior Vice-President, Sales & Corporate Development Chris Wagner has 30 years of extensive industry experience in global sales and marketing.  His accomplishments include strategic product positioning, business development, and a proven track record of delivering strong sales results.  In 2006, Chris joined MDS Nordion as Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, from Covidien/Mallinckrodt.  Chris holds university degrees in Nuclear Medicine and Radiologic Imaging.
Tamra Benjamin Vice-President, Communications Tamra Benjamin joined MDS Nordion in 2006 and was named Vice-President, Communications in 2009. Prior to joining Nordion, Tamra worked for more than 20 years in the high-tech market with several start-ups and for many years with Nortel. Tamra has extensive experience in all areas of communication, including public relations and crisis management.  She holds a MBA from the University of McGill and an undergraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
Kevin Brooks Vice-President, Marketing Kevin Brooks has over 20 years of strategic and operational marketing experience in the Medical Imaging and Radiotherapeutics industry.  Kevin joined MDS Nordion in 2006 from GE Healthcare. He has extensive experience in leading global commercialization initiatives as well as a solid track record of building cross-functional teams and delivering strong results.  Kevin holds a MBA from Temple University and a BSc in Healthcare Administration.
Scott McIntosh Vice-President, Operations Since joining MDS Nordion in 2000, Scott McIntosh has held a variety of VP positions in Operations and Marketing in each of Nordion's business areas. Prior to joining MDS Nordion, Scott was at Pepsico for 10 years where he held a number of senior Operations and Engineering roles. Scott holds a BSc (Engineering) and a MBA from Queen's University.

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