Recro Pharma Inc., a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) dedicated to solving complex formulation and manufacturing challenges for companies developing oral solid dose drug products, has appointed Erica Raether as the company’s inaugural vice president of people, culture and ESG (environmental, social and governance).

Raether has 20 years of human resources experience within the biotech and medical device industries focused on creating and executing innovative strategies that drive employee engagement, advance ESG objectives and achieve operational goals.

“Recro has long held a deep commitment to our people and culture, as well as the company’s impact in the areas of ESG. As such, it is a natural next step for us to create the position of vice president of people, culture and ESG and appoint an individual with Erica’s impressive track record in these areas to be the first to serve in this role,” said David Enloe, president and chief executive officer of Recro. 

He continued, “Erica combines a unique blend of foundational human resources skills focused on talent acquisition and employee relations with an innovative approach to culture building and corporate citizenship. Importantly, she has honed these skills within the framework of CDMO, health technology and medical device companies, bringing a familiarity with the industry to her role. We are excited to welcome Erica to the Recro team and look forward to the important work she will undertake and oversee to further strengthen the company’s leadership in the areas of people, culture and ESG.”

As part of her new role, Raether will be responsible for helping advance the company’s commitment to ESG by developing and implementing programs and initiatives designed to bring about meaningful change in these key areas of corporate impact. To date, Recro has already made significant strides in these categories, as evidenced by its robust environmental sustainability program. This program, which includes a number of employee-focused and employee-led initiatives, has resulted in milestones in offsetting its carbon emissions and minimizing its energy and water usage.

Experience

Raether most recently served as vice president of human resources (US) and was a member of the global leadership team at Ajinomoto Bio Pharma Services, the global CDMO arm of Ajinomoto Co., which employs approximately 1,800 individuals and operates in Europe, India, Japan and the US. In this role, she was a key member of the company’s global and U.S. senior leadership teams with responsibility for advancing people strategies and solutions aligned with the short and long term goals of the business. Her wide-ranging focus included culture and change management, talent acquisition and planning, employment branding, performance management, and related employee relation activities. 

During her career, Raether has also served as director of human resources for Awarepoint, a medical technology start-up, as well as human resources manager for Breg Inc., a leading medical device and medical equipment company.

She earned a master’s degree in human resource management from University of Westminster in London, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of the Pacific. Raether is also a certified human resource professional (PHR).