Hans G. Nilsson, PhD (1943–2021), has during a cross country ski trip on a beautiful Sunday in January 2021, unexpectedly left us in grief and mourning.

Hans G. Nilsson’s long career at AstraZeneca AB (AZ) covered the period 1976–2006, first as a chemist and then, for several years, as Head of Research and Development of the extremely successful drug, Losec. In 1995 he was asked to set up a new AZ site in Boston, USA, and he and the family moved there. This eventually became AZ Boston and the facility was completed in 1999 with 400 employees. From 1995 to 2003 Hans G. served as CEO of the company. This was a highlight in a distinguished career. Hans G. eventually returned to Sweden, AZ Södertälje, now as Head of internal audit, a key research function in AZ; he reported to Claes Wilhelmsson, then Head of Research, AZ.

Hans G.’s and AZ’s paths parted ways in 2006 but he was far from finished with his career. He established his own consulting company and took on professional board member roles in different companies over the next years. An important assignment and a new challenge, among others, came through Hans G.’s passion for architecture. Johan Norén and Johan Casselbrant, Kanozi Arkitekter AB, got to know Hans G. when they designed laboratories in AZ Mölndal and Boston. Hans G. became Chairman of the Board of Kanozi Architects. He served as a mentor, and he contributed to the company’s strong growth. Hans G. always worked with a big heart, integrity, morality and ethics. His approach was always to set the tone at the top – aiming simply for a better society.

The desire to develop into areas close to Hans G.’s  heart was never exhausted. In 2009, Hans started a new collaboration with the biopharmaceutical company PharmNovo (PN). When PN began the development of a  compound for the treatment of chronic pain Hans G. became an essential part of the PN team and a key Board member. Hans was a strong organizer and never left a discussion without identifying the way ahead for the company. Although Hans G. had not worked directly with chemistry for many years, he started PN’s successful synthetic program for their candidate compound.

Hans G.’s bedrock in life was the family with his wife Christina and their three children, Pontus,  Sofia and Emma, who currently live and work in Australia, Sweden and the USA respectively. Like many great talents, Hans G. was able to balance family and work lives. He shaped his work environment with an exceptional organizational ability, a strong will – and a lot of humanity.

We, in the PharmNovo leadership team, colleagues Per von Mentzer, Göran Lerenius, David Kendall and Bengt von Mentzer, mourn and miss our esteemed colleague and friend and will always remember Hans G. for the warm and generous person he was.

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