Thermo Fisher hires senior Goldman banker as strategy chief after Qiagen deal

By Rebecca Spalding

(Reuters) – Thermos Fisher Scientific Inc has hired former Goldman Sachs & Co investment banker Paul Parker as its strategy and corporate development head, according to a press release on Tuesday.

Parker will report to Thermo Fisher’s Chief Executive Officer Marc Casper, the release said. He previously served for six years as a co-chairman of Goldman Sachs’s global M&A group and before that was the head of M&A at Barclays.

Parker’s hire comes amid a push from Thermo Fisher to grow its reach in scientific research through strategic dealmaking. Last week, the scientific instrument giant bought Qiagen for $11.5 billion to bolster its diagnostics business.

The company’s current strategy head, Shiraz Ladiwala, will retire next year and will spend his remaining time with the company integrating Qiagen, the release said. Goldman advised Qiagen in last week’s transaction.

Wall Street rainmakers have long been lured to senior strategy roles by healthcare giants. Current Gilead Chief Financial Officer Andrew Dickinson was formerly the co-head of healthcare investment banking at Lazard, and AbbVie’s Chief Strategy Officer Henry Gosebruch was formerly co-head of M&A for North America at JP Morgan .

Parker will be based in Waltham, Massachusetts, where Thermo Fisher is headquartered.

(Reporting by Rebecca Spalding; Editing by Tom Brown)