About
Searchlight Pharma aspires to become a leading Canadian-based specialty healthcare company through best-in class execution of the search, acquisition, commercialization, and focused development of innovative and unique specialty healthcare products that improve life-long human health and wellness.
Our expertise
We have a long track record, with:
Proven ability to identify exceptional products, backed by intelligent business development to meet patient needs and partner expectations.
Outstanding regulatory and reimbursement expertise, which allows us to manage the full range of activities that underpin patient access and commercial readiness.
A flexible sales and marketing model, that’s fast, pragmatic, aggressively responsive and scalable.
Leadership Team
Mark Nawacki, CPA, CA, MBA
President and CEO
Mark is an accomplished executive with wide-ranging experience in the pharmaceutical industry in Canada and internationally. Prior to his leadership role at Searchlight Pharma, Mark served as Executive Vice President, Business and Corporate Development of Paladin Labs, a leading Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, from 2003 – 2014.
Mark has spent his career building businesses through acquisition, licensing and business development leadership. While at Paladin Labs, Mark directed over 80 external product transactions and led the company’s international expansion into African and Latin American markets. In addition to shaping the therapeutic focus of Paladin’s Canadian business, Mark was the chief architect of Paladin’s international expansion and emerging markets strategy, leading the investments in Pharmaplan (Pty) Ltd. (2009) and the acquisition of Litha Healthcare Group (JSE: LHG) (2012) in South Africa, as well as the acquisition of Ativa Pharma in Mexico (2012), and the build out of Paladin’s Brazilian business. From his arrival at Paladin in 2003, consolidated revenues grew from about $20 million to in excess of $300 million annually.
Prior to joining Paladin, Mark held progressively senior leadership positions at Pharmacia, a global top 10 pharmaceutical company that is now part of Pfizer. He began his career as a consultant in Arthur Andersen’s Canadian financial advisory services practice in Toronto, and later spent time in the consumer packaged goods industry working with The Pillsbury Company where he worked on the Green Giant brand team in Canada.
Mark holds a BA in International Relations and Russian and East European Studies from the University of Toronto (Trinity), MBA also from the University of Toronto, and is a Canadian-designated CPA. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Licensing Executive Society (USA & Canada) and is a former President and Board Member of the Canadian Healthcare Licensing Association. He also currently sits on the Board of Kane Biotech Inc, the Montreal Bach Festival and The Sacred Heart School of Montreal.
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Mark is an accomplished executive with wide-ranging experience in the pharmaceutical industry in Canada and internationally. Prior to his leadership role at Searchlight Pharma, Mark served as Executive Vice President, Business and Corporate Development of Paladin Labs, a leading Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, from 2003 – 2014.
Mark has spent his career building businesses through acquisition, licensing and business development leadership. While at Paladin Labs, Mark directed over 80 external product transactions and led the company’s international expansion into African and Latin American markets. In addition to shaping the therapeutic focus of Paladin’s Canadian business, Mark was the chief architect of Paladin’s international expansion and emerging markets strategy, leading the investments in Pharmaplan (Pty) Ltd. (2009) and the acquisition of Litha Healthcare Group (JSE: LHG) (2012) in South Africa, as well as the acquisition of Ativa Pharma in Mexico (2012), and the build out of Paladin’s Brazilian business. From his arrival at Paladin in 2003, consolidated revenues grew from about $20 million to in excess of $300 million annually.
Prior to joining Paladin, Mark held progressively senior leadership positions at Pharmacia, a global top 10 pharmaceutical company that is now part of Pfizer. He began his career as a consultant in Arthur Andersen’s Canadian financial advisory services practice in Toronto, and later spent time in the consumer packaged goods industry working with The Pillsbury Company where he worked on the Green Giant brand team in Canada.
Mark holds a BA in International Relations and Russian and East European Studies from the University of Toronto (Trinity), MBA also from the University of Toronto, and is a Canadian-designated CPA. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Licensing Executive Society (USA & Canada) and is a former President and Board Member of the Canadian Healthcare Licensing Association. He also currently sits on the Board of Kane Biotech Inc, the Montreal Bach Festival and The Sacred Heart School of Montreal.
Geri-Lynn Kushneryk, CPA, CA
Chief Financial Officer
Geri-Lynn joined Searchlight in November 2021 and just prior to the acquisition of Erfa Canada 2012 Inc., a critical and exciting time given the anticipated growth inflection and increase in the complexity of our business and financial profile. Geri-Lynn is a seasoned professional and is well-equipped to steer Searchlight through its growth evolution, having served previously as CFO of multiple organizations including Gurus Solutions Inc., Pleio Health Support Systems Inc., and Gamerizon Studio Inc.
Her experience with such high growth companies in disruptive and high tech industries is a tremendous asset to Searchlight. Prior to her CFO roles, Geri-Lynn spent about 6 years on the private equity buy side, working as an Investment Director/Principal with the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec and their early stage venture fund Garage Technology Ventures. She also worked as a Director of Finance at Bell Canada, and started her career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers where, post-articling, she spent the majority of her time in their Financial Advisory Services practice, responsible for restructuring, project finance and privatization mandates in Canada and internationally.
Geri-Lynn is a Quebec Order CPA (CA), a graduate of both McGill and Concordia universities, and a proud resident of the West Island.
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Geri-Lynn joined Searchlight in November 2021 and just prior to the acquisition of Erfa Canada 2012 Inc., a critical and exciting time given the anticipated growth inflection and increase in the complexity of our business and financial profile. Geri-Lynn is a seasoned professional and is well-equipped to steer Searchlight through its growth evolution, having served previously as CFO of multiple organizations including Gurus Solutions Inc., Pleio Health Support Systems Inc., and Gamerizon Studio Inc.
Her experience with such high growth companies in disruptive and high tech industries is a tremendous asset to Searchlight. Prior to her CFO roles, Geri-Lynn spent about 6 years on the private equity buy side, working as an Investment Director/Principal with the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec and their early stage venture fund Garage Technology Ventures. She also worked as a Director of Finance at Bell Canada, and started her career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers where, post-articling, she spent the majority of her time in their Financial Advisory Services practice, responsible for restructuring, project finance and privatization mandates in Canada and internationally.
Geri-Lynn is a Quebec Order CPA (CA), a graduate of both McGill and Concordia universities, and a proud resident of the West Island.
Robert Vinson, PhD
Chief Innovation Officer
Robert has extensive experience in all aspects of pharmaceutical product development and commercial business development, successfully merging scientific assessment and management with commercial strategy and value creation. His projects have spanned product sourcing, business valuation, contract negotiation and in-licensing activities all the way through to regulatory review and submission, commercial launch support, technology transfer, intellectual property management, key opinion leader development, and Advisory Board creation.
Prior to joining Searchlight Pharma, Robert was responsible for pharmaceutical, clinical development and in-licensing activities at Paladin Labs. His activities during his 10 years at Paladin included the clinical development, regulatory submission and approval by the US FDA of Impavido (miltefosine), resulting in only the third granting of a Tropical Priority Review Voucher in FDA history at that time. His extensive development activities have also led to him being an inventor on a patent for a novel opioid reformulation. Prior to Paladin, Robert worked at the start-up biotech H3 Pharma, working on clinical and regulatory activities for a monoclonal antibody program, and was responsible for in-licensing both biologics and manufacturing technologies for the company.
Robert has a BSc in biochemistry and holds a PhD in pharmacology, both from McGill University.
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Robert has extensive experience in all aspects of pharmaceutical product development and commercial business development, successfully merging scientific assessment and management with commercial strategy and value creation. His projects have spanned product sourcing, business valuation, contract negotiation and in-licensing activities all the way through to regulatory review and submission, commercial launch support, technology transfer, intellectual property management, key opinion leader development, and Advisory Board creation.
Prior to joining Searchlight Pharma, Robert was responsible for pharmaceutical, clinical development and in-licensing activities at Paladin Labs. His activities during his 10 years at Paladin included the clinical development, regulatory submission and approval by the US FDA of Impavido (miltefosine), resulting in only the third granting of a Tropical Priority Review Voucher in FDA history at that time. His extensive development activities have also led to him being an inventor on a patent for a novel opioid reformulation. Prior to Paladin, Robert worked at the start-up biotech H3 Pharma, working on clinical and regulatory activities for a monoclonal antibody program, and was responsible for in-licensing both biologics and manufacturing technologies for the company.
Robert has a BSc in biochemistry and holds a PhD in pharmacology, both from McGill University.