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Ardena Strengthens Executive Team to Drive its Next Phase of Growth
Ghent, Belgium, 4 May 2026 – Ardena, a specialist pharmaceutical CDMO and bioanalytical CRO enabling precision medicines and other complex therapies, announces the appointments of Ben Ash as Chief Financial Officer and Henny Zijlstra as Chief Commercial Officer. These additions further strengthen Ardena’s executive leadership team as the company continues to scale its operations and commercial reach globally.
Ben Ash joins Ardena as Chief Financial Officer, bringing more than 20 years of finance leadership experience, predominantly within the pharmaceutical sector. He has held senior finance roles across publicly listed companies in the UK and US, as well as privately held organizations, including most recently as Chief Financial Officer at Essential Pharma, a global pharmaceutical company focused on medicines for small, underserved, and rare disease patient populations. Prior to this, he held senior finance roles at PTC Therapeutics and Shire. Ben is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
At Ardena, Ben will lead the company’s financial strategy, supporting scalable growth and disciplined international expansion while working closely with the Chief Information Officer to advance Ardena’s digitization roadmap.
Henny Zijlstra joins Ardena as Chief Commercial Officer, bringing a strong track record in commercial leadership, brand positioning, and business development within the pharmaceutical and CDMO industry. She has held senior leadership roles across the sector, including at Lonza, and most recently at Adragos.
At Ardena, Henny will lead the commercial organization across business development and marketing, elevating Ardena's brand presence, accelerating its go-to-market strategy, broadening customer engagement, and bringing greater visibility to the company's established drug development capabilities in complex molecules, nanotechnology, drug conjugates, and bioanalysis.
Jeremie Trochu, Chief Executive Officer at Ardena, commented:
“Over the past 15 months, Ardena has undergone a significant transformation, including our expansion in the US, the divestment of our Sweden operations, and continued investment in bioanalytical services, nanomedicines, and digital capabilities. As we move into the next phase, Ben and Henny bring the drive, focus, and leadership needed to help scale the business to the next level. Their experience will be critical as we continue to build a more focused, innovative, and international Ardena.”
Ben Ash reacted:
“Ardena has a very strong operational foundation and a uniquely differentiated scientific offering. I am very excited to join the company, and I look forward to supporting its next phase of international growth, and enabling rapid, scalable expansion.”
Henny Zijlstra added:
“Ardena is at an exciting stage in its growth journey, with a strong reputation among biotech innovators, deep scientific expertise, and a growing international platform, including its recent expansion in the US. That creates a unique opportunity to build stronger brand recognition and commercial leadership in the drug development space. I am energized by the opportunity to work with Ardena’s talented subject matter experts to bring the company’s capabilities to the market with clarity and impact, while building deep relationships across our customer base to support long-term growth.”
These appointments reflect Ardena’s continued investment in strengthening its leadership team to support sustainable international growth and deliver on its strategic priorities.
About Ardena
Ardena is a specialist pharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and bioanalytical Contract Research Organization (CRO) enabling precision medicines and other complex therapies. Its integrated solutions enable innovative and complex molecules through services in nanomedicine and drug conjugates, advanced drug product development and manufacturing, solid-state chemistry, bioanalytical services, and CMC regulatory support.
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Ardena appoints CFO and CCO
Ardena welcomes Ben Ash as Chief Financial Officer and Henny Zijlstra as Chief Commercial Officer, strengthening the company’s leadership team as it continues to expand its specialist CDMO and bioanalytical services for complex drug development.
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