The Evanston Group, a Chicago-based life sciences consulting firm, has announced the addition of a new executive team: president and chief revenue officer Michael Romero; senior vice president Nick Katzenbach; and chief of staff Christine Luke. The trio join from global IT consulting firm HCL.
Founded in Chicago 21 years ago, Evanston supports clients in the global pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The company, which has more than 40 employees, uses its deep industry expertise to advise companies on regulatory, quality, and compliance issues, clinical trials, and the development of drugs, vaccines, treatments, and medical devices.
Kay Anderson will remain CEO and board managing director, while Michael Anderson will continue as company secretary and managing director. The Andersons cofounded the firm in 1999. Michael Anderson retired in 2011 from the day-to-day operations of the business.
As president and CRO, Michael Romero will be tasked with driving the company’s long-term growth strategy while overseeing the sales, marketing, operations, finance, and recruitment functions. He has over three decades of executive leadership experience, with expertise in strategy and digital transformation.
He previously led the global SAP practice at IT consultancy HCL. Before that, Romero was VP and general manager of the mobile retail division at SanDisk.
“We found exactly the right fit in Michael Romero. I’m confident he will propel us to new heights,” said Kay Anderson. “His strengths in business, finance, and operations will drive our growth and innovation to accelerate the breakthroughs of the companies we serve.”
As SVP, Nick Katzenbach will focus on building a new digital transformation practice, filling demand for digital platforms, transformation capabilities, and consulting talent. He brings over two decades of digital transformation experience.
Katzenbach previously was VP of enterprise digital at HCL, leading a team of 25 sales and solution architects. Before that, he was VP of retail and consumer products at NTT Data Corporation.
New chief of staff Christine Luke will advise president Romero, managing strategic projects and day-to-day priorities. She will also serve as a key liason between staff and senior management.
Luke was previously the operations manager in the SAP practice at HCL. Before that, she was an operations manager at Ingram Micro.
The trio join an executive team which further includes Paul McEntee, VP of finance; Naomi Janovec-Easley, controller; and Kevin Sheehan, operations supervisor.