Investment banking firm Alantra has appointed Drew Wightman as a managing director and member of its global healthcare team based in the firm’s London office.

He will work closely with business owners and management teams in the life sciences and pharma sectors, as well as financial sponsors, generating off-market opportunities, providing buy-side advice and maximising value in sale processes.

Wightman has more than 15 years’ M&A experience across the life sciences and healthcare sectors gained in advisory and principal roles. He has worked on more than 40 closed transactions, including several landmark deals.

Wightman previously worked at AstraZeneca, where he spent seven years as a senior member of the business development and M&A team, where he was involved in global transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $50 billion, including strategic M&A, joint ventures, carve-outs, product divestitures, collaborations, structured investments and licences. His experience covers the full span of the product life cycle, as well as various therapeutic areas and modalities.

Before that, he was a member of the healthcare and life sciences team at EY advising companies and investors across multiple subsectors with a particular focus on biopharmaceuticals, outsourced service providers and healthcare IT. While at EY, he was also seconded to the Novartis global M&A team in Basel.

Wightman said: “The life sciences sector is highly dynamic, inherently complex and global in nature. It is one of the most active sectors for M&A and remains highly attractive to financial investors. Numerous options are available to those seeking investment, to deploy capital or to achieve other strategic outcomes. Navigating these options requires a combination of deep sector expertise and broad experience in the many facets of corporate finance. Alantra’s global team of senior healthcare advisors is well positioned to meet these needs and I am delighted to be joining.”

Justin Crowther, UK head of healthcare at Alantra commented: “Life sciences and pharma is one of the most active sectors for M&A and [Wightman’s] appointment strengthens our healthcare team in the UK and globally. Deals can be complex and Drew’s in-depth sector knowledge alongside his breadth of experience completing transactions for big pharma, corporates and mid-market private equity will benefit Alantra’s clients.”