Mereo’s COO and CFO Richard Bugay joins Diurnal as CFO, UK drugmakers shuffle managers

Two UK-based biopharma companies, Mereo BioPharma and Diurnal have reshuffled their managerial lineups by transferring and welcoming new people.

Both companies announced this on Thursday. MereoBiopharma’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Richard Bugay, has agreed with Diurnal Group for the position of its CFO, beginning on January 16, and will leave Mereo on Jan. 13. Mereo has futrher appointed Richard Jones to the position of CFO, who will also be an Executive Director on the board, effective January 30.

Diurnal Group, focused on producing drugs to tackle chronic endocrine (hormonal) diseases, will appoint Mereo’s Bungay to succeed Ian Ardill, who has resigned to go for other business opportunities. Ian will leave Diurnal on 13 January 2017 and will be available to support an orderly handover, Diurnal said.

Peter Allen, Non-executive Chairman of Diurnal, said: “We warmly welcome Richard Bungay to the Company and the Board. Richard’s extensive experience of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector, including his recent experience in another public company focused on rare and specialty diseases, will be invaluable as Diurnal strides towards realising its ambition of becoming a world leading endocrinology specialty pharma company.”