Matthew Durdy to retire as CEO of Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult after fifteen years shaping UK advanced therapies

After nearly fifteen years in the leadership team of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), including seven as Chief Executive, Matthew Durdy has announced his intention to retire in the summer of 2027.

Since its founding in 2012, CGT Catapult has played a central role in establishing the UK as a global leader in advanced therapies, helping to build the infrastructure, capabilities and partnerships that have enabled companies to develop, manufacture and deliver life-changing cell and gene therapies for patients.

Leading the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult has been the privilege of my career. When I joined the Catapult at its inception, the UK had world-class science but no real industry to match it. Today, we have both — we have patients receiving therapies, developed and manufactured here, that would have been impossible a decade ago. None of that is mine; it has been the work of an extraordinary team across the Catapult, our partners in the NHS, academia, Innovate UK, industry, and the patient community. I am proud of what we have built together, and I remain fully committed to the organisation and its mission over the coming months.

Jim Faulkner, Chair of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, said:

Matthew has been a defining figure in the UK’s advanced therapies story. Under his leadership, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult has grown into one of the most respected institutions of its kind, and the UK now has a cell and gene therapy industry that can compete internationally because of the choices he and his team have made. On behalf of the Board, I want to thank him for his service and his leadership. We will begin the search for his successor with confidence in the strength of the organisation he has shaped and helped build, and we look forward to working with Matthew through to the summer to ensure a seamless transition.

The Board will begin the process of appointing a successor and has engaged Coulter Partners to assist with the search. Matthew will remain in post until June 2027.