Who We Are

Pangaea is a team of deeply experienced, highly insightful consultants with decades of experience in the Canadian pharma industry. We love learning about our clients so we can do amazing things for them. Get to know us:


  • Beverley Herczegh, R.Ph., B.Sc.Phm., Director

    Bev worked as a community pharmacist with a major chain for 23 years, serving on various committees and in various roles including pharmacy manager. From 2006 to 2009, Bev managed a central fill site, servicing long-term care facilities exclusively.

    As director of The Pangaea Group, Bev’s work includes trade relations to manage pricing, product launches, pharmacy segmentation, sales representative training, trade marketing and consulting to pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

    Bev has a keen interest in the changing role of pharmacists in the larger healthcare picture. She has worked as a consultant with Pangaea since 1998, helping the pharmaceutical industry relate more effectively with frontline pharmacy for the benefit of patients, pharmacy and industry.

  • Eddy Leverock, Director

    Eddy has over 15 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, spanning various corporate positions including sales, marketing, business development, government affairs, and corporate communications. Eddy served as director of marketing and business development at Fournier Pharma, Inc., and general manager of a newly formed healthcare company where he focused on global strategic planning for consumer healthcare products.

    Eddy has a diverse background in various therapeutic areas, including respiratory, anti-infectives, gastroenterology, women’s health and cardiovascular health. He has experience in global and local brand marketing, commercial business development, market access and team leadership. With this background, Eddy can partner with his clients to offer a wide range of timely solutions for their business needs.

  • Ghislain Gauthier, Director

    Ghislain is a graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Études Commerciales in Montreal, where he studied marketing and advertising. He has worked as a marketing services manager, advertising manager, product manager and marketing director at four major pharmaceutical companies and three advertising agencies.

    At ICN Canada, he conducted an in-depth analysis of the generic market and made strategic recommendations for the future of the generic division. As project manager for a biotech company, Ghislain prepared an FDA submission of a compound in its early stage of development, rewrote the business plan, set up a business development team and handled public relations. As an account director at Taxi Advertising and Design, he established pharmaceutical expertise in the agency and successfully revamped the professional image of two major brands at Pfizer.

  • Giles Derome, Director

    Gilles has more than twenty-five years of marketing-sales and senior management experience in pharmaceuticals combined with consulting for bio-pharmaceutical companies.

    Through his pharmaceutical career at Sandoz/Novartis, Gilles had the opportunity to launch several products spanning different therapeutic areas such as immunology, oncology, neurology, asthma, cardiovascular, mental health and women health. During his tenure as Head of Scientific Development, Gilles had the pre-marketing responsibility for the entire Company’s portfolio ensuring proper product positioning, pricing and reimbursement strategy to accelerate market penetration. With a special interest in product life cycle extension, Gilles orchestrated the development of a Mental Health franchise through the introduction of value-added services to a non-patented product, Clozaril. Building on these successful assignments, he became Head of the Oncology – Neuroscience Business Unit.

    Early 2000, Gilles started consulting for pharma and biotechnology companies including start-ups. Since, he has been assisting many Companies in product development and commercialization providing strategic insights, market evaluations, new product planning & implementation and business development.

    Gilles holds a Master in Pharmacology and a MBA from Sherbrooke University. He also participated in a global training Program for Pharma Executives in development. Recently, Gilles was invited to join the Montreal in Vivo Commercialization Committee, a Quebec spearheading organization for Biopharmaceutical Companies.

  • Helen Kalra, Associate Managing Director

    Helen began her career in pharma over 20 years ago as a sales representative, quickly advancing through roles in business development, product management and into a leadership role in marketing. Most recently, she served as marketing director for the gastrointestinal franchise at AstraZeneca Canada, Inc.

    She has managed a range of business challenges, including corporate restructures, co-promotions, patent expiry, mega-brand launches, hospital strategy for primary care brands and significant changes to reimbursement policy. She has led brand and cross-functional teams that managed the lifecycle of small and large brands in a variety of therapeutic areas. She also led the development and implementation of initiatives that were used as models across organizations including launch models, assessments of public sector policy and new strategic planning processes.

    Helen has an undergraduate degree in human biology with a biomedical minor from the University of Guelph. She has represented Canada in rugby and retired from the sport as captain of the Canada Women’s Team.

    Helen brings to Pangaea her experience in market, product and portfolio assessments and launching brands in a variety of therapeutic areas including cardiology, mental health/schizophrenia, pain control/anesthesia, respiratory and gastroenterology. The common underpinning of her success is a proven track record in developing enduring partnerships with key customers.

  • Joseph Knott, Managing Director

    Joe founded The Pangaea Group in 1994 as a Canadian professional services firm focused on the needs of the healthcare industry. Joe has created a network of senior executives that allows Pangaea to bring a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to the business challenges of Pangaea’s clients.

    Joe has over 35 years of experience in pharmaceutical sectors. His career began at Pennwalt Corporation, and before founding Pangaea, he was named president and CEO of Fisons Corporation Limited. He successfully launched numerous ethical and OTC products, negotiated strategic business alliances, and spearheaded Fisons into an era of strong growth.

    Joe has held board and director positions for the Non-Pescription Drug Manufacturers’ Association of Canada (now Consumer Health Products Canada [CHP]), Canadian Wholesale Drug Association (now Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management [CAPDM]), and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association of Canada (now Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies [Rx&D]). In November 2006, Joe was inducted into the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame.

  • Juergen Mueller, Consultant

    Juergen is a commerce graduate with extensive experience in the healthcare industry. He has worked with three Toronto-based subsidiaries of international pharmaceutical companies.

    He started as a sales representative and advanced to senior positions, including director of sales and marketing, and manager of business development. His responsibilites have included business, financial and people management in pharmaceuticals, OTC and consumer packaged goods. He has been an elected member of the Canadian senior executive group, and a member of various committees with Rx&D, Ontario Pharmaceutical Marketing Association (OPMA), Canadian Wholesale Drug Association (CWDA) and CTA.

    Juergen worked as a business unit manager with IMS Canada. He was involved in business planning, human resources, income/bonus plan improvements and the effective restructuring of business units that handled client services.

    Before joining Pangaea in 1998, Juergen worked as a consultant with a number of North American clinics, hospitals, medical schools and healthcare companies providing innovative business and human resource solutions.

    At Pangaea, Juergen manages a variety of business assignments with an emphasis on business/marketing management, market assessments and business development.

  • Kristen Knott, Director

    Kristen began her sales career in key account management in the consumer packaged goods industry with Bathurst Sales, handling sales and key account management for consumer and healthcare brands. At IBM Corporation, Kristen challenged her sales leadership skills with business consulting services and government-contracted team selling.

    She received her Human Resource Professional Association (HRPAO) designation through Seneca College’s Human Resources Management Certification Program, and holds a BA from the University of Toronto.

    Kristen’s focus is on Pangaea’s trade relations and channel marketing offerings.

    Kristen is actively involved with industry associations such as CAPDM (member of terms and conditions committee and annual conference committee) and was named the CAPDM 2007 Most Distinguished Member of the Year. She is also active with the CHP and Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS) as an associate member.

  • Marc M. Lafoley, Director

    Marc Lafoley has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. His varied background is an asset to the development, commercialization and lifecycle management of healthcare products such as biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, nutraceuticals, and rapid diagnostics.

    Marc’s experience spans multiple disciplines including strategic planning, analytics and forecasting, brand and sales management, e-marketing, patient support and education, and medication compliance and persistency. His therapeutic expertise includes cardiology (dyslipidemia, hypertension), gynaecology, haematology, oncology, pain management, neurology, radiology, urology, and virology.

    Marc has launched eight products and created four new markets in his career. His strength is bridgingscience and commercial needs of a brand and market. Prior to joining Pangaea, Marc worked at two multinational biopharmaceutical companies, an e-learning agency and a pharmaceutical consulting group.

    Marc was presented with the MS Leadership Award by the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society in recognition of his social commitment and contribution to the MS community.

    Marc has an undergraduate degree in marketing and finance and a Master of Science in administration (specializing in marketing) from The John Molson School of Business where he has also been a guest lecturer.

  • Marla Weingarten, Consultant

    Marla has more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has skillfully managed different aspects of strategic planning including market assessments of new competitive threats and investigational treatment techniques. Through her leadership of cross-functional teams, she has managed the development and implementation of detailed communication plans around new clinical data.

    Marla has worked in a several therapeutic classes, including dyslipidemia, hypertension, asthma, infectious disease, oncology as well as women’s and men’s health. As a marketer, she developed the strategic platform and tactical direction for a number of prescription medicines. Throughout her career, Marla has proven her ability to lead and motivate teams and to foster productive customer relationships both internally and externally.

    As a consultant with Pangaea, Marla brings value to her clients by supporting their market research needs, investigating recent clinical data and creating useful communication tools.

    Marla holds a Bachelor of Science in physiology from McGill University and an MBA from McMaster University. She is a regularly contributes to the OPMA Web site.

  • Michael Lamey, Manager

    Michael holds a Master of Science degree in pharmacology from the University of Toronto. His thesis was adapted for publication in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry. He has extensive knowledge of the mechanism and action of pharmaceuticals and has experience with both laboratory and clinical research.

    Michael has experience in salesforce deployment, forecasting and developing bonus/compensation plans. He is also active in business development and in managing trade relations for Pangaea’s clients.

    With Michael’s extensive background in scientific and analytical research, he provides a strong foundation for consulting in the healthcare industry.

  • Peggy Cleary, Associate Managing Director

    Peggy Cleary is a strategically oriented, innovative expert in organization and leadership development with a strong record of achievement in human resources. She has over 30 years of senior management and consulting experience, including significant corporate experience in the pharmaceutical industry with Fisons, where she was director of human resources. In that role she was responsible for all human resource functions and for organization development, gaining specific experience in mergers and acquisitions, organization design and restructure, process re-engineering, total quality programs, creating a high performance culture, and ground up development of human resource processes and systems. She has been a consultant in strategic human resources, leadership and organization development, and business coaching. She is an expert in strategic planning.

    Peggy has a BA in comparative religion and humanism from the University of Toronto, holds a diploma in adult training and development from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, is a graduate in Gestalt psychotherapy of the Gestalt Institute of Toronto, and has completed the BCoach Systems, LLC advanced program in business coaching. She is accredited by The Hay Group to assess, train and coach emotional intelligence in leadership.

  • Tom Callon, Market Analyst

    Tom holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario. Tom spent five years in the market research industry in both supplier and client roles, then joined IBM Canada. During his 20-year career there, Tom focused on market research, marketing communication, ROI analysis and sales forecasting metrics. Tom worked closely with the sales and management leaders in the PC business at IBM to ensure CRM tools and sales forecasts were integrated. He also developed business and category scorecards to monitor and highlight key sales and product issues.

    As Market Analyst at Pangaea, Tom specializes in turning data into information for Rx and OTC sales as well as performance analysis.

  • Wayne Childs, Director

    Wayne has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including sales, HR, management, training and commercial operations. Before joining Pangaea, Wayne held director-level positions at Nycomed and Pharmacia. Wayne’s diverse background includes significant experience in both primary and specialty markets in many different therapeutic areas including oncology, respiratory, gastroenterology, thrombosis, wound management, infectious disease, rheumatology, diabetes, pain management and diagnostics.

    He has provided strategic insight and input into the commercialization and deployment of resources through several brand launches, as well as analysis of in-licensing business development opportunities. He has also been part of six mergers and acquisitions.

    Wayne has a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in human biology and minors in biochemistry and biomedicine from the University of Guelph. He has participated in two global programs for high-potential managers, is a member of the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) and the Society of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Trainers (SPBT), and sat on the Sales Leadership Advisory Board for IMS Health.

    With Wayne’s depth and breadth as a senior business leader, his focus is on improving and enhancing the leadership and commercial competencies and strategic frameworks for his clients. Wayne provides ongoing coaching and specializes in organizational support in the areas of commercial effectiveness and efficiency through forecasting and planning, segmentation, targeting, deployment and incentive plans.