Stephen Irish

Stephen leads the Healthcare & Life Science Search Practice at CDS Executive where he brings more than 7 years experience in Executive Search with multinational companies in the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, Diagnostics, Life Science and Healthcare Consulting and Service sectors. Through his rich experience in the Japanese healthcare market and his strong technical understanding, Stephen brings a client-focused consultative approach to each search assignment. He is able to quickly understand client expectations and formulate those into effective search strategies to identify, assess, and successfully deploy candidates into those leadership roles.

Stephen is an active member of Pharmadelegates and belongs to the ACCJ Pharmaceuticals Subcommittee. He stays up-to-date on the latest news and industry trends, regulatory changes, and the current issues facing the Japanese healthcare industry. Some of the clients he has worked with include Baxter, Wyeth, Aesthera Japan, Merck Serono, BSI and Invatec where he has placed senior executives in a variety of roles.

Prior to joining the search industry Stephen spent 5 years in Research & Development with a leading Japanese food and chemical company where he gained valuable experience in product development, regulatory affairs and quality assurance.

Originally from Texas, Stephen earned his Ph.D. in Neuropsychology from Texas Christian University. He speaks fluent Japanese.

Stephen is passionate about Aikido and holds a 2nd degree black belt.