Novo Holdings appoints two new members to the Novo Advisory Group, strengthening its focus on Asia investments

Together with current Novo Advisory Group member Jean-Luc Butel, Li Bing and Ajay Bakshi will contribute to the expansion of Novo Holdings’ Asia investment activities.

Novo Holdings is pleased to announce the appointment of Li Bing and Dr Ajay Bakshi to the Novo Advisory Group (NAG), an expert panel of senior industry leaders that supports Novo Holdings in analysing and monitoring its life science investments.

Both Li Bing and Ajay Bakshi bring knowhow and expertise relevant to Novo Holdings’ activities in the Asia region. While Li Bing has executive experience leading and growing businesses within the life science industry in China, Ajay Bakshi has for decades been driving deep tech innovation within the healthcare sector in India.

Their appointments are part of a concerted move to deepen Novo Holdings’ regional insights, expand its networks and augment its portfolio management capabilities in Asia.

Also contributing to this, existing NAG member Jean-Luc Butel will be shifting his focus more directly to supporting our Asia activities, drawing on his extensive experience across Asia’s healthcare and innovation landscape, with particular depth in Southeast Asia.

Kasim Kutay, CEO of Novo Holdings, said: “Bing, Ajay and Jean-Luc are experienced leaders with regional knowledge of the investment opportunities across Asia, including China, India and Southeast Asia. Their complementary expertise will play an important role in expanding our Asia portfolio, and we look very much forward to working with them.”

Li Bing: insight into the life science sector in China
Li Bing has extensive experience leading and growing businesses within the life science industry in China. He has worked for various major international life science companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and, most recently, Perkin Elmer, where he serves as President for Greater China.

Bing spent close to a decade for the biotechnology and diagnostics innovator Danaher Corporation, fulfilling various executive roles. As President of Life Sciences China (LSC), he founded and led the LSC platform with seven operating companies.

Li Bing said: “It’s an honour for me to be appointed to the NAG. There is great potential for value creation and innovation in China, and it is an exciting task to contribute to building a diversified Asia portfolio that delivers strong financial returns while creating meaningful impact for people and the planet.”

Ajay Bakshi: enhancing healthcare delivery in India through deep tech innovation
Ajay Bakshi has more than three decades of experience spanning neurosurgery, neuroscience research, global consulting, hospital leadership and AI entrepreneurship.

He is the co-founder and CEO of NeuranceAI, a deep technology company that builds intelligent machines inspired by the human brain to solve critical healthcare problems globally. In addition to this, he has led three large Indian hospital networks.

Ajay Bakshi said: “I am delighted to be appointed as a member of the Novo Advisory Group. India is an interesting market with great investment opportunities, not least within new technology and healthcare. I look forward to supporting Novo Holdings’ important mission as a life science investor.”

Jean-Luc Butel: expertise across the healthcare and life science sectors in Asia, with particular depth in Southeast Asia
Jean-Luc is a global healthcare advisor with extensive experience providing strategic guidance and expertise across the healthcare and life sciences sectors in Singapore and globally, supporting both government institutions and private companies.

Over the course of his corporate career, Jean-Luc held senior leadership positions at several global healthcare companies, including Baxter International, Medtronic, Becton-Dickinson and Johnson & Johnson.

Among his numerous board and advisory roles, Jean-Luc served on the Novo Holdings Board of Directors between 2017-2024, and since then he has been a member of the NAG.

Jean-Luc Butel said: “I cherish my long affiliation with Novo Holdings, and as member of the NAG, I look forward to getting the opportunity to leverage my regional knowledge of the healthcare and innovation landscape across Asia, helping to build a diversified Asia portfolio that creates strong returns and long-term value, benefiting human and planetary health.”

About Li Bing, Ajay Bakshi and Jean-Luc Butel

Li Bing
Chinese citizen

Career
2025 -               President, Greater China, Perkin Elmer, Shanghai

2023 – 2025   Vice President of Commercial Operations, Thermo Fisher Scientific, China

2022 – 2023   Operating Partner, Hillhouse Investment, China

2019 – 2022    President, Life Sciences China, Danaher Corporation, China

2016 – 2019     Vice President/General Manager, Pall Corporation, China

2013 – 2016     Director of Innovation and Growth, Danaher Corporation, China

2012 – 2013     Vice President, International Business Development, Guodian United Power, China

Education
Bing holds an MBA in Business Administration and Management from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland, an MS in Finance from Boston College, and is a Bachelor of Economics from Sun Yat-sen University, China.

Ajay Bakshi
Indian citizen

Board and advisory positions
2024 -               Board Member, Livasa Hospitals, India

2025 -               Advisor, EQT Group, India

2021 – 2022    National Health Authority, India

2020 – 2021    Advisory Board Member, GenomSys, Switzerland

Career
2021 -                Co-Founder & CEO, NeuranceAI Technologies, India

2025 -               Independent Director, NephroPlus, India

2019 – 2021     Co-Founder & CEO, BuddhiMed Technologies

2018 – 2019     CEO, Parkway Pantai Ltd.

2014 – 2017     Managing Director & CEO, Manipal Hospitals

2011 – 2014      CEO, Max Healthcare

Education
Ajay holds an MBBS in Medicine & Surgery as well as an MCh in Neurosurgery from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. In addition to this, he has a Certificate in Management, Business from the Wharton School.

Jean-Luc Butel
Singapore citizen

Board positions
In his capacity as global healthcare advisor, Jean-Luc has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) and Singapore’s Accelerate (ASTAR).

He currently serves on the boards of several prominent organisations, such as Rani Therapeutics, ICON Group, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Jana Care and Singapore Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), where he is on the board of the DxD Hub and Chair of the Investment Committee.

Between 2017-2024, Jean-Luc was a Board member at Novo Holdings, and since then he has served on the Novo Advisory Group.

Career
2015 – 2015     President – International, Baxter International, Singapore

2012 – 2014     Corporate Officer; Operating Committee Member; Corporate Vice President; President – International, Baxter International, US

2011 – 2012      Corporate Officer; Executive Committee Member; Executive Vice President; Group President – International, Medtronic, Singapore

2008 – 2010    Group President – International, Medtronic, Japan

2003 – 2008   Corporate Officer; Executive Committee Member; Senior Vice President, Medtronic; President, Medtronic Asia Pacific, Japan

1991 – 1999      Various positions (General Manager, Microbiology, Nippon; President, Nippon; Vice President, Consumer Healthcare, North America; Corporate Officer, President, Worldwide Consumer Healthcare), Becton Dickinson, Japan & US

1990 – 1991      Marketing Director, Johnson & Johnson Medical - Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore

1988 – 1990     China Project Manager, Johnson & Johnson International, Hong Kong

1985 – 1988     General Manager, Johnson & Johnson, Fiji

Education
Jean-Luc holds a BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and an MBA in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management.