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Leadership Team
Nicolas Paris
Chief Executive Officer
Nicolas Paris, CEO of Gilson, Inc., is a marketing data scientist and an expert in sustainable development of businesses in the lab instrumentation industry. He has a creative mind dedicated to innovation and he values openness, achievement, and trust. He earned his master’s degree in marketing and finance and also a master’s degree in direct marketing and data management from University of Lille, France and Wolfgang Goëthe University of Frankfurt, Germany. His early professional years were dedicated to international marketing management and product management within the automotive industry which led to executive positions at Gilson. During his career, he has delivered numerous awarded products and services spanning both the biotech and high-tech industries. He became a pioneer of wearable technologies at Eyeneo, and was at the forefront of developing the first multimedia eyewear. Paris is a significant change agent and instrumental in adapting companies to the evolving global scientific and technical markets. Growing up in France and having spent most of his life travelling and working in different countries, he has finally made Madison, WI his home, where he is married and raising a happy bi-cultural family.
Molly Gilson
Senior Vice President, People and Culture
Molly Gilson is SVP of People and Culture for Gilson. In her 10+ years at Gilson, Molly has also held leadership roles in sales, service, and business unit management. In those roles, she has achieved record sales growth, alignment of management teams, and ongoing talent acquisition and development. Her innate practicality and inquisitive disposition have aided in her accomplishments. She is passionate about Gilson’s commitment to its customers as well as its employees, and thrives on helping others to succeed and grow. Prior to joining Gilson, Molly practiced law in Chicago. She holds a bachelor degree in history from the University of Wisconsin and a J.D. from Northwestern University. Outside of the office, Molly enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and traveling.
Myriam Durand
Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer
Myriam Durand, SVP Chief Commercial Officer, is a dedicated sales and customer marketing leader with extensive experience in international transformation projects. She holds a degree in IT and a Master's in Strategic Management from the ESCP Business School in Paris, France. With over 20 years of experience in sales and service in the life science industry, Myriam has many years of leadership under her belt, including a decade of experience leading IT ERP implementation for big pharma companies and six years leading supply chain and logistics with a major lab supply distribution partner. She's a self-proclaimed achiever, organizer, and communicator and finds her passion in leading teams through large projects or structural changes, especially in multi-cultural global environments. While her hard work is obvious to those that surround her, she also loves to have fun with those she works with and is passionate about professional development for her team. In her free time, Myriam loves art, sports, food, and traveling, and even did some backpacking in her youth. When she's not traveling, Myriam calls France home, where she lives with her husband and daughter.
Brian Ritzow
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Brian Ritzow, SVP Chief Financial Officer, is a Certified Public Accountant with extensive experience in financial reporting and analysis, budget, and cost management. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before starting his career with KPMG as an Auditor. Since then, Brian has worked in multiple manufacturing environments and has led global financial teams, where he helped provide insightful strategic financial planning, operational streamlining, internal control optimization, and acquisition integration. In his free time, Brian enjoys working on classic cars & motorcycles, attending Badger sporting events, staying active outdoors by biking, fishing, golfing, scuba diving, or snowboarding. He lives in Muskego, WI, with his wife and two kids.
Kevin Barrett
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development
Kevin Barrett, SVP Corporate Development, has extensive experience in national sales management, product development, OEM management, and business development. With over 36 years in commercial roles within the drug discovery and life sciences field, Barrett attributes his success and longevity in his career to being a technical, collaborative, and committed individual. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Salford, UK, he began his career as a sales representative and quickly progressed, eventually becoming the CEO and co-owner of Innovadyne Technologies California. Barrett now calls Middleton home, but spends at least three months of the year in Europe. Whether in the States or overseas, in addition to work, he enjoys spending time with family, playing golf, and contributing as a member of two advisory boards.
John Hsing
Vice President, Global Operations
John Hsing, VP of Global Operations, has extensive experience leading global sites in the design and manufacturing of highly technical product lines. He has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining Gilson, John spent over 10 years leading a fluid management division of an applied solutions provider, first in engineering leadership roles and then ultimately as the Director of Operations. Within his roles, he has also led multiple operations transformations. Most recently, he served as COO and Global VP of Operations for a major optical solutions manufacturer in Orlando, Florida. In his free time, John loves to travel, play golf, cook, and watch Sci-Fi shows and movies.
Hervé Le Dorze
Vice President, Global Quality
Hervé Le Dorze, VP of Global Quality, is a dedicated professional with decades of experience overseeing quality with global organizations. He graduated from the ESDE Business School and specialized in Industrial Management. In addition to his studies, he has completed several certifications in specific categories related to quality like Environmental Management, Software Quality, and Statistics. Before joining Gilson, Hervé held quality positions in both hydraulic and automotive industries. He has experience with different quality standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO 17025, that he acquired working with Gilson’s various entities. He values teamwork and helping employees. In his free time, Hervé enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and playing sports.
Dirk Freystadt
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management
Dirk Freystadt, SVP Portfolio Management, is proficient in product marketing and liquid handling. He graduated from the University of Essen, Germany with a degree in chemical engineering. His educational accomplishments propelled him into a fruitful career where he focused on product management and marketing, centered primarily on liquid handling. Freystadt’s penchant for discovering how customers connect to the products they purchase, combined with his specialized credentials, create a dynamic force within Gilson. He takes pride in embracing different cultural backgrounds and team building through autonomy within each role, which he’s shown cultivates success. This type of collaborative workplace where leadership takes center stage is one where he and his team prosper and one where he feels truly fulfilled. Freystadt spends his free time building and programming computers, taking photographs, motorcycling, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Claus Ritters
General Manager of Gilson Lab Instrument Shanghai and Gilson China in Hongkong
Mr. Claus Ritters, General Manager of Gilson’s China business, is a developer and builder of laboratory instrumentation business of Gilson in Asia and China. He finds opportunities to grow companies and pursues them. Claus Ritters has studied business administration at Hamburg’s Economic Akademie, with marketing and sales focus. His first business years he spent in Hamburg’s leading export trading company for capital machinery to Asia. Soon afterwards he worked in Indonesia and Hongkong to sell capital machinery, for pharmaceutical industry. During this time he developed his interest in Asian culture and countries. Meanwhile he has lived and worked in Asia for over 15 years and is driving the expansion of Gilson in Shanghai and Hongkong. He is happily married with his wife and they are raising their 2 children.
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