Corporate governance

Quality Assistance is a private, independent, limited company.

Founded by Philippe Draux and Philippe De Raeve in 1982, the company has become a leader in analytical sciences and holds a unique position within the pharmaceutical market with all its laboratories located on one site and 270 highly qualified professionals.

Ownership

  • The Draux family (majority shareholder)
  • Valois
  • Wallonie Entreprendre
  • BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity Belgium
  • Sambrinvest SO/SO
  • Quality Assistance S.A.
  • (Former) Employees
  • Internal Stock Exchange

Quality Assistance has put in place an internal stock exchange system allowing its employees to take a stake in the company by becoming a shareholder. These employee-shareholders have the possibility each year, via Quality Assistance, to buy or sell shares based on a defined valuation formula which is established on the basis of financial indicators taking into account the company’s performance. In 2023, the shareholders of this internal stock exchange represented a large proportion of Quality Assistance’s personnel, i.e., 20%. This system enables them to be at the core of the corporate governance and to achieve a deeper understanding of our results and growth, as well as our development projects.

Board of Directors

  • QUALITY LIFE INVEST S.A represented by Mr Philippe Draux (Executive Chairman)
  • CMHC SRL represented by Mr Carl Mestdagh (Vice-Chairman)
  • Ms Nathalie Draux (CEO)
  • Ms Marie-Line Colassin
  • SPARAXIS S.A. represented by Mr Géry Lefebvre
  • BNP PARIBAS FORTIS PRIVATE EQUITY MANAGEMENT S.A. represented by Ms Patricia Terryn

 


 

 

Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

Leading experts from the (bio)pharmaceutical industry and academia:

  • Filip BORGIONS - VP, Global Head of CMC and Supply Chain (argenx)
  • José CASTILLO - CEO (Quantoom Biosciences) and Co-Founder and CTO (Univercells)
  • Bruno FLAMION - SVP, Head Strategic Development (Viatris Innovation) and Professor Emeritus (University of Namur)
  • Sabine LECLERCQ - Senior VP, Global Technical R&D (GSK Vaccines)
  • Davy GUILLARME - Senior Lecturer and Research Associate (University of Geneva) 

Internal scientific experts:

  • Nathalie DRAUX - CEO
  • Arnaud DELOBEL - R&D and Innovation Director
  • Nicolas THEYS - COO
  • Géry VAN VYNCHT - Scientific Director
  • Damien MOUVET - Scientific Manager Senior
  • Pedro ALVES - Scientific Manager
     

Read more information about the Scientific Advisory Board
 

Our commitment to public health

At Quality Assistance, we acknowledge our individual and collective commitment to public health, guided by the respect of those 8 rules, which regulate the reliability of our services to our customers as well as the interactions with our stakeholders and regulatory authorities.

1. Guarantee the level of competence of human resources

  • Recruit personnel with appropriate qualifications
  • Organise an in-service personnel training programme
  • Periodically assess the level of competence acquired by the personnel
  • Keep the personnel informed of evolution in the sector via the scientific, technological and regulatory surveillance carried out by the Strategy & Innovation Department

2. Guarantee the quality of data generated

  • Respect the rules set out in the Site Master File
  • Respect the organisational and technical procedures drawn up and reviewed periodically
  • Respect the pharmaceutical sector quality standards: GMP, GLP, GCLP and GCP
  • Keep track of national and international regulations applicable to the development, registration and manufacturing of medicinal products

3. Respect work deadlines

  • Reliably evaluate the work requested and the overall workload at any time
  • Use appropriate tools to ensure transparent planning for each person involved in the work

4. Establish efficient communication

  • Organise information and communications within and without Quality Assistance
  • Exchange details of the business, technical, operations and Quality contact people in Quality Assistance, its partners, providers and clients involved in each project
  • Ensure regular contacts, managed by a Project Leader, between the personnel in charge of the work and the client, especially in the case of deviations from an approved protocol, modifications to planning and unexpected results
  • Computerised traceability of all contacts, internal and external, business and technical, for each project

5. Guarantee the safety of the personnel and of items entrusted

  • Inform the personnel of, and training them in, the industrial risks specific to our activity via a Biosafety Committee and a Committee for the Protection of Workers
  • Ensure the personnel has thorough knowledge of the Material Safety Data Sheets for the products handled
  • Limit access to client documents, samples and products to authorised people
  • Protect electronic data via a dedicated restricted access server room, daily backups and a secured network

6. Guarantee the confidentiality of business relationships

  • Give clients a formal commitment to respect confidentiality for any projects outsourced to them
  • Ensure the accountability of the personnel in their involvement in the process of development of medicinal products which gives them access to confidential data

7. Conserve the environment

  • Give appropriate information on, and training in, the environmental risks linked to our sector of activity
  • Use natural resources and energy efficiently and rationally
  • Manage disposal of solid and liquid waste appropriately

8. Respect standards of good governance and ethical behaviour

  • Behave professionally, responsibly and with integrity, respecting the laws and regulations in force in the context of our activity
  • Ensure the absence and refusal of any requests or personal benefits which could influence the assignment and/or performance of work
  • Respect appropriate, transparent, impartial procedures in the selection of suppliers and providers
  • Keep shareholders and investors informed of the evolution of the company