Meet the Team

Roland Weis, PhD, Head of Operations & CEO

Roland Weis is the Head of Operations & CEO at VALIDOGEN GmbH. Roland completed his graduate in Microbiology at Karl-Franzens-University Graz and his PhD in Molecular Biotechnology at Graz University of Technology. After a post-doctorate at Graz University of Technology in a bilateral project with US-based BioCatalytics, Inc., he acted as authorized representative and scientific director of BioCatalytics Europe GmbH. He joined VALIDOGEN, known then as VTU Technology, to build up the UNLOCK PICHIA® platform and head the operational team for high throughput protein production with Pichia pastoris. Under Roland's technological leadership, and with more than 20 years of experience in the field of Pichia protein expression, VALIDOGEN has grown into a global leading Pichia protein expression service provider.

Thomas Purkarthofer, PhD, Head of Business Development & CEO 

Thomas Purkarthofer, PhD, serves as the Head of Business Development and CEO at VALIDOGEN GmbH. He earned his PhD in Chemistry from Graz University of Technology and brings experience in industrial biotechnology, having led and contributed to several international R&D projects prior to joining VALIDOGEN (formerly known as VTU Technology).
Since joining the company, Thomas has spearheaded the establishment and expansion of the business development division. He has been instrumental in the commercialization of VALIDOGEN’s proprietary Pichia pastoris protein expression platform, fostering strong global customer relationships.
In addition to his business development expertise, Thomas is an active member of VALIDOGEN’s R&D team, contributing to innovative advancements in the field. Since 2021, he has also served as one of the managing directors, further driving the company’s strategic growth and success.

Michael Koncar, PhD, Founder

Michael Koncar is a distinguished entrepreneur and seasoned executive, currently serving as the CEO of KonValue Holding GmbH. He is the founder of VALIDOGEN GmbH and founder and shareholder of VTU Engineering. Michael earned his PhD in Process Engineering from Graz University of Technology, showcasing his strong academic foundation in the field. His entrepreneurial journey began in 1990 with the establishment of VTU Engineering. In 2008, he founded VTU Technology, a company later rebranded as VALIDOGEN GmbH in October 2018, further highlighting his commitment to innovation and growth.
Beyond his primary ventures, Michael is an active shareholder in multiple pioneering companies, reflecting his dedication to advancing technology and driving industrial progress.

Iskandar Dib, PhD, Principal Scientist and Business Development Manager

Iskandar Dib holds a PhD in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering and has a scientific background in biochemistry and enzymology. With around 20 years of experience in Pichia pastoris protein expression, he has played a key role in shaping VALIDOGEN’s scientific development and today serves as Principal Scientist heading the DSP & Analytics department.

His expertise spans Pichia pastoris expression and process development, from upstream process design through protein purification and analytics, with a particular focus on developing pragmatic, fit-for-purpose solutions tailored to the specific challenges of each protein and project. Over the years, he has led and contributed to numerous client projects covering a broad range of recombinant proteins.

As part of VALIDOGEN’s business development team, he works closely with clients to understand their technical requirements, assess development challenges and define appropriate strategies for moving projects forward.

Rosie Maddock, PhD, Business Development Manager

Rosie is a Business Development Manager at VALIDOGEN GmbH, where she has worked since 2023. She holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Synthetic Biology from the University of Bristol, where her research focused on the reconstitution and characterization of enzyme pathways.

With a strong scientific background in protein biochemistry, Rosie works with clients and partners to understand their protein production needs and identify suitable development strategies using VALIDOGEN’s Pichia pastoris expression platform.

Aid Atlić, PhD, Head of Fermentation Process Development 

Aid Atlić is Head of Fermentation Process Development at VALIDOGEN. He studied at Graz University of Technology, Austria, with study and research periods in Italy and Canada. After completing his PhD, he joined VALIDOGEN in 2011.

Aid is responsible for the development, optimization, scale-up, and technology transfer of microbial fermentation processes for recombinant protein production. His expertise includes Pichia-based expression technology, molecular biology, high-throughput strain and process screening, fed-batch and continuous fermentations, process characterization, and scale-up from microbioreactors to laboratory, pilot, and industrial production scales.

His activities include the development of robust fermentation strategies, optimization of media and feeding regimes, improvement of protein titre and product quality, implementation of analytical process monitoring, and transfer of manufacturing-ready processes to customers and CMOs. He works closely with downstream processing, analytics, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing partners to support the successful development and industrial implementation of recombinant protein production processes.