Kenneth Galbraith

Kenneth Galbraith is an Executive Partner of Syncona Investment Management Limited

In November 2024 it was announced that Ken joined the SIML Board and accepted the role of Chair of SIML, which will take effect following regulatory approval. Ken brings almost 35 years of experience in biotechnology and venture capital. He has worked as a CEO, CFO, Executive Chair, director, investor and advisor across North America in the growth of both private and NASDAQ-listed companies from an early-stage through commercialisation. Ken has a decade of experience in the management of venture capital funds and new company formation. During his career, he has played a pivotal role in the development of many successful biotechnology companies, including AnorMED where, as Executive Chair, he steered the company to a $584 million buyout by Genzyme – navigating a successful outcome for the first hostile takeover in the industry. Ken has also worked with Macrogenics (MGNX), Alder Pharmaceuticals (sold to Lundbeck), Celator Pharmaceuticals (sold to Jazz Pharma), Novadaq (sold to Stryker), Profound Medical (PROF), Fairhaven Pharmaceuticals (sold to Liminal Bio), Tekmira (merged with OnCore), Angiotech (ANPI), and Aquinox (AQXP) among others. Currently Ken is Chair and CEO of Zymeworks (NASDAQ: ZYME) and the Non-Executive Chair of two Cambridge University medtech spin-off companies, Kalium Health and ZOMP. 

Ken began his career in 1987 as Chief Financial Officer at QLT, Canada’s first biotechnology company and the first non-US biotech company to list on NASDAQ, where he was instrumental in growing the company to over 500 employees, gaining market approvals for several new medicines and achieving peak market capitalisation of $5 billion at the time of his departure in 2000.