Management
Our team of visionaries and leaders combine rich experience with a diversity of strengths
VEERAPPAN SUBRAMANIAN, Ph.D., R.Ph.
CEO & Chairman
Dr. Subramanian, a veteran of the pharmaceutical industry is completing his 50th year of service, first 11 years with big pharma (Squibb, J&J, and Richardson Merrill) and the last 39 years in the generic industry. As a registered pharmacist in New York and New Jersey and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from Rutgers, Veerappan has held scientific and executive positions of increasing responsibilities for the first 24 years of his career. After retiring from IVAX/Zenith as the Chief Scientific Officer in 1996, he has owned and operated three generic pharmaceutical companies in the last 26 years, including Somerset Pharma since 2013. Veerappan has led the development and commercialization of more than three hundred (300) generic drug products to the US market.
Dr. Subramanian actively continues to lead Somerset Pharma and Somerset Therapeutics sterile products plant in Bangaluru, India as the CEO. Over the years, Veerappan has served on FDA/Generic Industry Technical Committees, Generic Pharmaceutical Association Board of Directors, United States Pharmacopoeia Committees, and several Charity Boards. Veerappan and Govi have been happily married for 45 years and enjoy travelling and the company of their 5 grandchildren.
ILANGO SUBRAMANIAN, PHARM.D.
President
As the President of Somerset Pharma, Dr. Ilango Subramanian oversees Technical Operations, Manufacturing, and Research & Development.
He previously held leadership positions at Novel Laboratories and Gavis Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for Corporate Development, Biopharmaceuticals, Medical Affairs, and Project Management. Dr. Subramanian coordinated the development of over 100 drug products and the commercialization of 25 drug products. He also established strategic development alliances with R&D organizations in softgel and transdermal drug technologies.
Prior to this, Dr. Subramanian served as a Project Manager at Publicis Healthcare and a Consultant for BGB Healthcare Group.
Dr. Subramanian received a Doctor of Pharmacy from Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. He is a registered pharmacist in New Jersey.
ARSHAD KAGALWALLA
Chief Financial Officer
Arshad Kagalwalla joined Somerset Pharma as Chief Financial Officer in 2016. He has over 20 years of experience in Finance & Accounting, with 15 years specifically in the generic pharmaceutical industry.
As CFO, he is responsible for accounting operations, financial planning and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, taxation, and revenue management, including contracts and pricing.
Arshad previously held finance and accounting positions at Novel Laboratories, GAVIS Pharmaceuticals, Par Pharmaceuticals, and Kali Laboratories. He began his career in public accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Accountant in India.
SCOTT TALBOT
Vice President, Quality & Regulatory Affairs
Scott Talbot became the Vice President of Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs at Somerset Pharma in 2019. With over 30 years of experience, Mr. Talbot brings a wealth of knowledge in quality and compliance, particularly in sterile facility compliance with the FDA.
Prior to joining Somerset, he served as the Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Slayback Pharma. Throughout his career, Mr. Talbot has held management positions at reputable companies such as Baxter Healthcare, Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceuticals, Teva, and Actavis.
He has worked closely with FDA district offices in Puerto Rico, Florida, Kansas, and New Jersey, successfully addressing issues raised by FDA warning letters on behalf of those facilities.
Scott holds bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry from Illinois State University.
AMAN TREHAN, Ph.D.
Chief Product Portfolio, Licensing & Intellectual Property Officer
Dr. Aman Trehan joined Somerset in 2019. He is responsible for overseeing all activities related to company’s product portfolio including product selection and product strategy, business development & licensing deals, intellectual property including patent portfolio, patent strategies and Hatch Waxman litigations and coordinating all R&D projects.
Dr. Trehan has more than 18 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He began his career at Ranbaxy Labs and then held leadership positions at Wockhardt, Alembic, Zydus, Novel Labs and Lupin.
Dr. Trehan has received the prestigious Hatch Waxman Impact Case of the Year award and “Top 25 IP Leaders award” two times in a row highlighting his significant contributions to the field.
Dr. Trehan holds a Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutics and has obtained certification in Prescription Drug Regulations, Cost, and Access from Harvard University.
ARUN MENON
Chief Commercial Officer
Arun Menon joined Somerset in 2019 as Chief Commercial Officer. In this role, he is responsible for business development, commercialization, and managing activities related to sales, marketing, and corporate business development.
Prior to joining Somerset, Arun served as the President of North America at Claris Injectables, overseeing sales and marketing operations and achieving revenues of $70 million before the company was acquired by Baxter International in 2017.
With a career spanning 21 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Arun has experience in commercializing pharmaceutical businesses in the United States, Canada, and European markets. He has successfully established sales and commercial infrastructures, including product selection, finance, regulatory compliance, and distribution.
JAI VELUSAMY
Chief Operations and R&D Officer
Jai Velusamy became a part of Somerset in 2022, as the Chief Officer for Operations & Research and Development (R&D). In this capacity, Mr. Velusamy is responsible for overseeing all operational and R&D endeavors at Somerset and its affiliate entity, Somerset Therapeutics Ltd.
With a career spanning more than two decades in pharmaceutical R&D and operations, Mr. Velusamy possesses extensive expertise encompassing Portfolio & Corporate Strategy, M&A, R&D, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing, Quality Control, Profit & Loss management, Brownfield projects, and the establishment of North America Operations from the ground up.
Before joining Somerset, Mr. Velusamy held the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc. His prior experience includes notable stints with esteemed organizations including Teva, Actavis, Watson, Par Pharmaceuticals, Novel Laboratories (Gavis Pharma), and Kali Laboratories. Jai Velusamy holds a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science (M-Pharm), solidifying his academic foundation in the field.
RAVI KARKERA
Vice President, Engineering & Projects
Ravi Karkera joined Somerset in 2018 as Vice President of Engineering & Projects. He is responsible for providing technical and strategic oversight in planning for both manufacturing operations and capital projects including development at scale of all processes and systems. In his previous roles, Ravi worked at multinational companies like Lupin, Novel Labs and Strides where he had experience in overseeing all engineering operations including design, construction, commissioning & start -up of greenfield manufacturing facility.
Ravi has BS degree in Mechanical Engineering with a career spanning 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry across all dosage forms including sterile operations. To enhance his knowledge domain, Ravi is also pursuing his Professional Engineering.