Sipko Mülder took office as general secretary/director of the CCMO on July 1. He succeeds Stan van Belkum, who led the national office supporting the committee for the past five years.
Mülder obtained his Ph.D. for research on the resistance of tumor cells to cytostatic drugs and chemotherapies. After completing his studies, he joined the pharmaceutical company Zeneca Farma, which later merged with AstraZeneca. Partly as a result of that merger, he landed his first management position at a newly formed oncology unit. From there, he went on to hold leadership and executive positions at the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG), the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ), and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technology Department (GMT) of the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport.
He has thus thoroughly explored the field of clinical research and all that it entails. In doing so, he has also broadened his interests to include other areas of research, such as medical technology.
“Naturally, I’ve built up a substantial network over the years. For the past six years at GMT, I’ve been involved in shaping policy regarding medical innovations. That makes the move to the CCMO a very logical step for me. Medical innovation is a good fit for me; I remain fascinated by it. So, I am incredibly pleased to be able to contribute to this area in my new role.”