Derek Hennecke in

Derek Hennecke

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Chief Executive Officer at Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing
📍 Tampa, Florida, United States

Derek Hennecke is a biotech entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience leading and serving on the boards of Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs). A former founder who successfully sold his company, Xcelience, he holds an MBA and a Masters in Biology from Harvard, specializing in CAR-T. Colleagues describe him as focused, personable, and professional.

Outside of his executive roles, Derek is an adventurous world traveler, having lived in Egypt, Mexico, and the Netherlands with his wife, Marcy. Based in Tampa, Florida, he has a passion for geology, which has even influenced the design of his home. He also has an appreciation for Italian sportscars.

Unique fact: Derek is fluent in four languages, reflecting his extensive international business experience.

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Experience
27 Years
Current Role
Chief Executive Officer
Location
Tampa, Florida, United States
Personality Overview

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Communication Style
Decision Approach
Work Preference

Behavioral traits and communication patterns that shape how this person evaluates opportunities, builds trust, and makes decisions in professional settings.

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Priorities

Topics Derek cares about

Cell Therapy
His Harvard Master's thesis was on CAR-T, and he is a board member at Inceptor Bio, a company developing next-generation cell therapies to cure cancers.
CDMO Strategy
As a founder, CEO, and board member in the CDMO space for 30+ years, he frequently discusses industry trends, capacity planning, and navigating the post-COVID landscape.
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Career

Work history

9-2024 - 9-2025
Chief Executive Officer
Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing
1-2023
Board Member
AVS Bio
5-2022
Chairman of the Board
Microsize
11-2020
Board Member
Everest Clinical Research
1-2018
Chairman Of The Board
Particle Dynamics International, LLC
In the press

Media appearances

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Education
2019 - 11-2022
Master of Liberal Arts
Harvard University
1991 - 1993
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
1984 - 1988
BSC
University of Alberta
Social presence
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Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

Dominance, influence, steadiness, and calculativeness scores with guidance on how this person prefers to communicate and decide.

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