DIA, a global member-driven volunteer organization driving thought leadership in healthcare product development, announced today the appointment of Thomas Bols as Senior Vice President & Managing Director for DIA Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Thomas’ appointment signals the next milestone for DIA in the EMEA region as it continues to grow and evolve thought leadership and knowledge platforms in the EMEA region.

Prior to joining DIA, Thomas held a variety of consulting and corporate international public affairs positions for Amgen, Merck KGaA, and Biogen. He brings to DIA a wealth of experience in market access, government affairs, public affairs, health policy, corporate communications, and patient advocacy, having advised and represented companies as well as industry federations in engagements with policy makers, patient representatives, regulators, payers and other stakeholders in the healthcare continuum. Thomas served on the boards of several European industry federations including Europabio and EUCOPE and chaired a variety of working groups related to regulatory and pricing issues within EFPIA. He was also a member of the European Commission High Level Pharmaceutical Forum (2005-2008) and its Process on Corporate Responsibility in the Field of Pharmaceuticals (2010-2012).

“I am delighted to be joining the DIA Global Team. As a longstanding member of DIA, I recall the initiatives undertaken by DIA around biosimilars, and the key role they played in Europe being the first region to have created a regulatory pathway for biosimilars” said Thomas. “The life sciences industry continues to evolve and is entering an exciting era. I am thrilled to be spearheading DIA’s mission in the EMEA region and taking the organization to the next level.”

“DIA works with academia, industry, regulators, policy makers, payers, and patients across the globe to accelerate the development and delivery of safe and effective therapies: Thomas’s diverse expertise and experience provides us with the leadership necessary to deliver on our mission in the rapidly evolving EMEA region. We’re honored to welcome him to DIA,” said Barbara Lopez Kunz, DIA’s Global Chief Executive.