As Karen Fallen steps down, the company has appointed CDMO veteran, Will Downie, as the interim CEO to guide its next phase of commercial growth and scale across the advanced therapy landscape.
Innovation-driven CDMO that is pioneering enzymatic GMP DNA production, Touchlight, has announced a change in its leadership. The company revealed, in an Oct. 21, 2026 press release (1), that after nearly six years in her role as Chief Executive Officer, Karen Fallen is now stepping down, and the Board of Directors has appointed Will Downie as the Interim CEO.
“I am very pleased to welcome Will Downie as Touchlight’s Interim CEO,” said Jonny Ohlson, Executive Chair and Founder of Touchlight, in a company press release (1). “He brings a wealth of CDMO experience to the company which will help us to grow and deliver on our promise of bringing new cell and gene therapy products to market for patients.”
Downie brings over 30 years’ experience from the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries to the role and continuity for the company, given his advisory and Board Member positions that he has held since January 2025. Previously, Downie was the CEO of a specialist CRO and CDMO in the animal health sector, Argenta, and was the Chief Executive Officer of Vectura Group in the inhaled drug development space. Before those roles, Downie served as the Chief Commercial Officer at Catalent, a position he held for a decade.
“Having had the opportunity to get to know Touchlight and many of its people over the past 18 months, I am delighted to take on the role of Interim CEO,” added Downie in the press release (1). “Touchlight has outstanding science, technology and expertise, and I am looking forward to working closely with the team as we partner with our clients to solve their most complex advanced therapy challenges.”
As a result of Downie’s previous commercial leadership experience, the company anticipates his appointment to the Interim CEO position will help drive progression across scale and growth within the cell and gene therapy market.
The company’s progress in bringing cell-free DNA manufacturing into regulated production and clinical use is already gaining broader recognition as it recently won the Innovation Catalyst award at CPHI Milan 2026 (2). The award highlights the benefits of Touchlight’s proprietary ‘doggybone’ DNA platform, which is enabling faster, more scalable manufacturing of genetic medicines that removes bacterial sequences and can also support increasingly complex therapeutic designs.
References
1. Touchlight. Touchlight Announces Leadership Transition, with Will Downie Appointed Interim CEO. Press Release, Oct. 21, 2026.
2. Touchlight. Touchlight Celebrates Innovation Catalyst Win at CPHI Pharma Awards 2026. Press Release, Oct. 7, 2026.
