Meet the Leadership Team
The GELITA Pharma Institute (GPI) brings together experts from the fields of technical service, research and development, process development, quality and regulatory, sales, innovation and marketing. It represents a global team, with members from the USA, Brazil, Germany, China and Australia.
Here we introduce the leadership team that chairs the GPI.
Dr. Holger Becker
Holger studied chemistry at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany and completed his PhD thesis on acrylic polymers in the Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry in cooperation with BASF.
In 2003 he started his industrial carrier within Naturin Viscofan GmbH, a leader in the food industry. His responsibilities included the development and implementation of new edible collagen casings and later in the Bioengineering department he focused on products for regenerative medicine on the basis of the natural biopolymer collagen.
In 2013 he became a member of GELITA AG, one of the world leading producers of gelatin and collagen peptides. Here he started as Technical Product Manager Pharmaceuticals for Europe. In this position, he learned about the pharmaceutical industry's expectations for our products and recognized the challenges and issues that concern our customers. With more than twenty years of experience focusing on natural biopolymers, today he is responsible for the global application technology and product development for pharmaceutical life science applications within the Global Business Management.
An important goal is that we will improve our customer orientation and we are continuously working on that. We are actively engaged with our multidisciplinary team within the GELITA Pharma Institute (GPI), aiming to pursue a holistic, customer- and market-oriented approach while considering technical and commercial aspects.
Dr. Michelle Montgomery
She holds a Doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. With over a decade of experience in the industry, she currently serves as the Senior Manager Technical Service & Lab Pharma & Consumer Health at GELITA USA.
Over her 12-year tenure at GELITA, Dr. Montgomery has been instrumental in driving innovation and improving technical services within the company. Her expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology has contributed significantly to the advancement of GELITA's Global Business Management, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of the industry.
Dr. Montgomery has led several key projects focused on gelatin innovation, playing a crucial role in the development of GELITA's portfolio of specialized gelatins. Her work has included advancements in gelatin formulations that have improved product performance across various applications, from pharmaceuticals to food production. These innovations have positioned GELITA as a leader in the gelatin industry, offering cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of their clients.
In addition to my role at GELITA, I am the co-leader of the Gelatin Pharma Institute (GPI), where I collaborate with other industry leaders to drive forward-thinking strategies and innovations in gelatin performance. My leadership in GPI underscores my commitment to advancing the field and fostering collaboration within the industry.
Martin Junginger
Martin is a chemical engineer with nearly 20 years of experience developing manufacturing processes and products in the field of medical devices. Since 2017, he has served as a product manager for pharmaceutical gelatin and innovation process at GELITA. He currently serves as a category manager for pharma markets, with a particular focus on our recently developed portfolio of bioscience applications (ECE — Endotoxin Controlled Excipients).
As a member of the GPI leadership team, he tries to provide a framework and structure for the global team to interact effectively in regular virtual and face-to-face meetings. He also works on innovation projects as a counterpart to the technical project manager. Together they try to understand the market for the potential new product from the early stages of an idea through to launch. In the end, they want to have successful innovations in the market.
Each member of our team is committed to going the extra mile to ensure the success of our customers. What does this mean? It is not unusual for a question from one side of the world to be answered overnight by someone on the other side of the globe, with additional comments being added to the answer. In a short amount of time, facts are compiled in such a way that further discussions and advice with the customer are possible—all in addition to the day-to-day business.
Dr.-Ing. Stephan Hausmanns
He currently holds the position of Vice President Market Management Collagen Peptides at GELITA, a role he has filled since 2025. Since joining GELITA in 2010, he has been responsible for managing global sales, product management, and new business development for Pharma and Collagen Peptides.
Before joining GELITA in June 2010, Dr. Hausmanns led New Business Development and managed New Ingredients for BENEO Palatinit GmbH/Südzucker AG. Additionally, he oversaw Patent and Innovation Management for NUTRINOVA GmbH.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Hausmanns worked as an R&D Scientist and Project Manager at the former HOECHST AG and Aventis R&D. His focus during this time was on food biotechnology and bioprocess engineering.
Dr. Hausmanns' educational background includes a Dipl. Chem. (M.Sc.) degree in chemistry from the University of Bonn, Germany, and a Ph.D. in food bio-engineering. He also pursued additional studies in business economics at the University of Bonn, Germany, and the University of Bath, UK.
I’m member of the GPI leadership team, together with my colleagues Michelle Montgomery, Holger Becker and Martin Junginger. As a team, we are positing the GPI at the interface of our internal departments and our customers, and we are responsible for its management and our services offered by our Institute.
