William Robert Keller & Essaji Goolam Vahanvati Join Gland Pharma’s Board As Directors
William Robert Keller has been appointed as Non-Executive Independent Director (Additional Director ) on the Board of Gland Pharma Limited, with effect from June 15, 2026. Udo Jahannes Vetter has been reappointed as an Independent Director for the second term of five consecutive years, with effect from July 21, 2026.
Essaji Goolam Vahanvati has been appointed as an Independent Director of the company, effective June 15, 2026. He has replaced Satyanarayana Murthy Chavali, who resigned due to the possibility of a potential conflict of interest that may arise in the future.
Keller earlier served as Director of Cathay Biotech from 2020 to 2025 and was Chairman of Coland Pharmaceutical until 2020. He is an Independent Director at Wuxi Biologics, a Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organisation in biologics listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He is also an Independent Director at Hua Medicine. He spent nearly three decades at Roche in senior roles, including Managing Director (MD) of Roche Hong Kong and General Manager of Roche China Holding and Shanghai Roche Pharmaceutical, where he was involved in building the company’s China operations. In 2003, he founded Keller Pharma Consultancy, focused on market entry strategies for biotech companies in China. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Economics and Business Administration in Zurich, Switzerland.
Vetter served as Vice President (VP) of Licensing & Production at Martec Inc., a generic pharmaceutical company in the United States, from 1985 to 1988. He was also President of Vetter Pharma-Turm Inc., a start-up in Pennsylvania. He went on to serve as Managing Director of Vetter Pharma from 1987 to 1991 and later as Managing Director of Vetter Inject GmbH & Co. KG from 1989 to 2003. From 1999, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Vetter Pharma Corporation and has served as its Chairman since 2008. In 2004, he founded UV-Cap, an investment firm focused on life sciences businesses, where he continues as Managing Director. He is also Chairman of ITM Group and holds roles in industry bodies including ISPE and GPMLF. Vetter holds a degree in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Washington and began his career as a Manufacturing Pharmacist at Schering-Plough Corp. (now Merck & Co., Inc.), where he worked for five years on setting up production facilities in Puerto Rico.
