Boyden is pleased to share the appointment news of Dr. Chris Astle, a recruitment co-led by Kathryn Young, Brent Cameron and Khaleeda Jamal
Vancouver, BC - Mar 26, 2025
TRIUMF is pleased to announce Dr. Chris Astle as the laboratory’s next Chief Financial Officer, effective April 1, 2025.
Chris is a seasoned finance executive with extensive experience leading teams in complex international environments and ensuring financial planning and strategy are aligned with organizational vision. Before joining TRIUMF, Chris served as Chief Financial Officer of Zymeworks, a global clinical-stage biotechnology company, where he oversaw a broad portfolio including finance and accounting, procurement, information technology, regulatory compliance, and ESG. Prior to his tenure at Zymeworks, Dr. Astle worked as the Chief Financial Officer at Gandeeva Therapeutics, a cryogenic electron microscopy and machine learning-centered drug discovery company spun out of the University of British Columbia, and was also a CFO at the CFO Centre. Previously, he served as Vice President, Finance at Alder BioPharmaceuticals Inc. in Seattle, Washington. Prior to this, Chris spent his earlier career in London, UK where he was the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Think Forwards, a boutique financial consulting firm, and as Associate Vice President Finance at Allergan Inc.
“As someone with a lifelong passion for science and innovation, I am delighted to be joining the team at TRIUMF to support the groundbreaking work happening every day at the lab. As CFO, I look forward to working to support the community at TRIUMF to reach their goals and to be successful so that together we can continue to drive Canadian innovation and scientific breakthroughs while ensuring our community has sustainable funding to support this vision”.
“We are very pleased to welcome Chris to our TRIUMF team,” said Nigel Smith, TRIUMF Executive Director and CEO. “We are entering a pivotal time in TRIUMF’s evolution, and we will be leveraging Chris’ deep expertise and experience working at the intersection of global science and innovation to support our mission and capitalize on emerging opportunities.”
Chris will be responsible for all aspects of TRIUMF’s Finance and Supply Chain functions, taking on the portfolio from TRIUMF’s Interim CFO Shavi Morsara, who has served in that role since 2023.
“On behalf of TRIUMF, I would like to express my gratitude to Shavi for his leadership and contributions during his term,” said Smith. “He has been instrumental in many mission-critical initiatives at the lab, including the oversight of financial activities related to ARIEL and IAMI, improving key accounting and procurement processes, and the recent finalisation of our Contribution Agreement, which positions TRIUMF for success for the coming five-year period.”
Chris serves as a member of the board of directors of Healome Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company spun out of the University of Birmingham, and is a UK Chartered Accountant (ICAS), qualifying at PricewaterhouseCoopers. During his time in the UK, he was the Chair of the 2018 CFO Agenda conference, guest lecturer at the Henley Business School MBA program, and judge at the British Accountancy Awards.
Chris holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Bristol and a M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Liverpool – and he is also a certified ski instructor.
Welcome, Chris!
Original Source: TRIUMF News
