Sébastien Stoitzner

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Sébastien founded GenSearch in 2010 after a successful seven-year tenure leading the Europe Life Sciences practice at a global executive search firm. His deep sector expertise and leadership experience have been central to GenSearch's growth as a trusted partner in senior-level recruitment and talent strategy across the life sciences industry. He is also a certified Mozaik coach, bringing additional insight into leadership development and executive performance.

A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure de Physique de Strasbourg (1996), where he specialised in Physics Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Sébastien gained early exposure to research environments at the Institut Pasteur, Inserm and IRCAD before beginning his career as a biomedical engineer in a French military hospital.

He subsequently moved into the private sector, holding roles at CGEM — part of the Générale de Santé hospital group, later acquired by GE Healthcare — and at AMTECH Médical as Sales and Technical Manager. These positions deepened his technical, commercial and operational understanding of healthcare environments, providing the foundation for his transition into executive search and, ultimately, the creation of GenSearch.

Stéphanie Blanc

Client Partner

Stéphanie brings extensive experience in executive search for the life sciences sector, with specialist expertise across Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and Consumer Healthcare. She partners with regional headquarters and local affiliates to deliver senior and executive-level appointments across a wide range of strategic functions, including General Management, Business Development, Marketing, Commercial Excellence, Medical Affairs and Regulatory Affairs.

Before joining GenSearch, Stéphanie worked for a leading global executive search firm, where she managed international assignments and built a strong network of senior leaders across Europe. Her deep sector knowledge and ability to identify both technical and behavioural fit have made her a trusted advisor to clients navigating competitive and fast-evolving talent markets.

Stéphanie holds a degree from Paris Dauphine–PSL University and is fluent in French and English, with ongoing studies in German.

Stéphanie Blanc

Client Partner

Romain Lussiez is an executive search and interim management specialist dedicated to the Life Sciences sector. Romain combines deep sector expertise with a highly pragmatic, results-oriented mindset, enabling the rapid deployment of senior talent in situations where timing and execution are critical. He is joining GenSearch to launch and develop the Interim Management practice, strengthening the firm’s ability to support clients with flexible, high-impact leadership solutions across Europe.

Prior to joining GenSearch, Romain was part of France’s leading interim management firm, where he partnered with senior Life Sciences executives to deliver high-impact interim solutions. His track record includes multiple assignments in complex and high-pressure environments across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, CDMOs and healthcare services.

Romain holds a Master’s degree in Corporate Finance from Paris School of Business.

Heiko Bruhn

Managing Director, Switzerland

Heiko joined GenSearch in 2017, bringing extensive leadership and advisory experience within the life sciences sector. Prior to this, he served as Managing Director in Switzerland for a German-based life science boutique search firm, successfully establishing the Swiss branch and advising companies across Europe — Switzerland, France, Benelux, Germany and Spain — on senior executive appointments at board, C-suite and senior functional level.

A qualified Attorney at Law, Heiko graduated from the University of Freiburg/Breisgau with a specialisation in Labour and Social Security Law. He began his career in 1992 as a Human Resources Manager at Roche in Grenzach, before moving to Basel in 1994 to take on roles within the company's international HR organisation. Over the course of his career at Roche, he supported global functions including Commercial, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, ultimately serving as Deputy Head of Human Resources Switzerland.

Heiko is also a qualified systemic coach, adding depth to his advisory work in leadership assessment, organisational dynamics and executive selection. A native German speaker, he is fluent in both German and English.

Pauline Rambaud

Client Partner

Pauline joined GenSearch in 2011 as a Life Sciences specialist, bringing twenty years of experience across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, strategy consulting and financial analysis. Her dual background in biology and finance enables her to combine scientific depth with strategic and market-driven insight when advising clients on senior leadership appointments.

Before joining GenSearch, Pauline worked at Bionest Partners, a strategy and advisory consultancy dedicated to the life sciences sector, contributing to M&A, business development and market opportunity assessments for biotech and pharma companies and investment funds across Europe and North America. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade in equity research in London and Paris — at Nikko Securities and Banque Paribas — as a European analyst covering the healthcare and cosmetics sectors.

Pauline holds advanced degrees in Biology and Finance from Pierre et Marie Curie University (Paris VI) and is a graduate of the Société Française d'Analyse Financière.

Iulia Sala

International Research Associate

Iulia joined GenSearch in 2018, bringing more than 15 years of experience across consulting, the non-profit sector and university cooperation in France and Romania. Her background provides a strong foundation in organisational dynamics, stakeholder engagement and cross-cultural collaboration.

Passionate about understanding what drives organisational performance, Iulia focuses on the pivotal role leaders play in building effective, high-performing teams. She has developed recognised expertise in diversity management and gender balance, making her a valued specialist in fostering inclusive leadership and equitable talent pipelines across international executive search assignments.

Caroline Marmouze

International Research Associate

Caroline joined GenSearch after working for a leading executive search firm, where she supported searches within the Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Energy sectors. Before this, she held project management roles in consulting and the construction industry in London, developing strong analytical, organisational and stakeholder-management skills.

A graduate of the University of Paris-Sorbonne and the University of Warwick, her international academic background and cross-sector professional experience add depth to her research capabilities and enable her to navigate complex, multi-market mandates across the life sciences sector.

Alix Aubert

Global Marketing & Communications Manager

Alix is the Global Marketing & Communications Manager at GenSearch, bringing more than 20 years of experience in international marketing and corporate communications. Since joining in 2016, she has played a key role in shaping GenSearch's global brand strategy, enhancing its visibility across the life sciences executive search market and driving integrated digital and content initiatives.

Prior to GenSearch, Alix spent 15 years in the IT industry in senior leadership roles including International Field Marketing Director, and gained extensive experience in the telecommunications sector as European Marketing Manager, based in London. She is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University, Groupe Sup de Co La Rochelle (Excelia) and London Metropolitan University.

Corinne Durant

Executive Coaching & Organisational Development — Connect International

Corinne leads executive coaching and organisational development for GenSearch through her firm, Connect International, which became a partner in 2017. She works with senior leaders across Europe to strengthen leadership capability, support transformation and develop effective, high-performing teams.

Her approach blends deep understanding of corporate culture, organisational dynamics and talent development. She holds degrees from the Weller International Business School and the Californian Institute of Entrepreneurial Management, a Master's in European HR Management, and a PCC certification from the International Coaching Federation. She is also a certified coach supervisor.

Derick Haire

Managing Partner, Signal Hill Partners

Derick Haire is a Managing Partner at Signal Hill Partners, specialising in senior executive and C-suite recruitment across the life sciences and healthcare sectors. With more than 20 years of global experience, he has supported multinational companies, SMEs and venture-backed start-ups in building high-performing leadership teams.

He previously held senior roles at Spencer Stuart, CTPartners and ZRG Partners, and earlier helped build the global talent acquisition function at Life Technologies/Invitrogen, including an assignment in Tokyo. Derick holds a bachelor's degree and MBA from the University of Miami, along with executive programme completions at the University of Michigan, Kellogg School of Management and Harvard Medical School. He is currently enrolled in Yale School of Management's Healthcare Management Program.