CRB Expands Life Sciences Leadership Team with Appointment of Senior Director Eric Hanson
Biotech veteran brings 20+ years of operations, facility design and manufacturing expertise
Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRB, a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction, and consulting services for the life sciences and food and beverage industries, today announced the appointment of Eric Hanson as Senior Director in its Life Sciences business.
A veteran biotechnology operations leader with more than two decades of experience in advanced biologics and viral vector manufacturing, Hanson brings deep technical knowledge and proven leadership in facility design, operational excellence and regulatory readiness to CRB’s growing project portfolio. In his new role at CRB, Hanson will help guide clients through the complexities of advanced therapy manufacturing strategy and execution, supporting the design and delivery of fit-for-purpose facilities that enable safe, high-quality, and efficient production of cutting-edge therapeutics.
“Eric’s depth of operational leadership in biologics and viral vector manufacturing, GMP facility design and regulatory readiness is a perfect addition to CRB’s quiver,” said Noel Maestre, CRB’s Vice President of Life Sciences. “His executive leadership skills and ability to guide organizations through the most challenging phases of CAPEX delivery and operational readiness will be an invaluable asset to our team and to our clients who put their trust in CRB to deliver advanced therapy facilities with speed, certainty, and quality.”
Prior to joining CRB, Hanson served as Senior Director and Head of Manufacturing at Kite Pharma, where he led commercial and clinical manufacturing operations for retroviral and lentiviral vectors. There, he was responsible for operational readiness across engineering, new product introduction, process performance qualification (PPQ), and licensure. His leadership drove a culture of safety, quality and continuous improvement, achieving significant reductions in deviation rates through LEAN principles and best practices.
Before Kite, Hanson spent over a decade with Gilead Sciences in senior leadership roles, including Director and Senior Director of Facilities & Operation at the company’s Oceanside, California, campus. He oversaw facilities and engineering, supply chain, validation, capital delivery, and project and portfolio management, supporting both Gilead’s biologics process development and clinical manufacturing. Notably, he led the design and construction of a new multi-product commercial viral vector manufacturing facility for Kite Pharma to meet stringent global regulatory standards.
Hanson’s experience spans the full lifecycle of cGMP facilities – from design, build, commissioning, and qualification to operational management, regulatory inspections and commercial production. He has also led complex site expansions and strategic supply chain initiatives, including efforts that maintained uninterrupted clinical supply during the global COVID-19 pandemic. His early career included seven years at Genentech, where he supported commercial operations and helped transform mothballed biologics facilities into full clinical manufacturing operations.
Hanson holds a Master of Business Administration from California State University San Marcos and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Thomas Edison State College. He is also an active volunteer, participating in initiatives like the AIDS Walk San Diego and Surfrider Foundation beach cleanups.
About CRB
CRB is a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction and consulting solutions to the global life sciences and food & beverage industries. From 21 offices across the United States, Canada and Europe, our professionals provide world-class solutions that drive success and positive change for our clients, our people and our communities. CRB is a privately held company with a rich history of serving clients throughout the world, consistently striving for the highest standard of technical knowledge, creativity and execution. See us at crbgroup.com, and follow us on LinkedIn.
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Christopher Clark CRB Group, Inc. 816-674-0572 chris.clark@crbgroup.com
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