Team & Culture

We are an ambitious organization that celebrates creativity and deep team engagement

The Nexus Team thrives in an environment that values collaboration, creativity, and individual contribution. This culture ensures we are constantly moving toward the innovative scientific development that is at the heart of who we are.

Our Executive Team

Mariam S. Darsot

Chief Executive Officer & President

Usman Ahmed

Chief Financial Officer

Vince LoPiccolo

VP of Sales and Marketing

Shahid Ahmed

Chief Scientific Officer

Omair Ahmed

Chief Strategy Officer

John Cook

VP of Manufacturing Operations

Ayesha Ahmed

General Counsel & VP of HR

Matt Cohen

Vice President, Scientific Affairs

Explore opportunities to embrace innovation

At Nexus Pharmaceuticals, we have the vision to identify unmet needs and innovate to meet them. And we have the vision to nurture the talent that can help us do that. Curiosity, creativity and a desire to make a difference are at the core of all we do, and we strive to support those values in each and every one of our team members.

Careers at Nexus

400 Knightsbridge Parkway,
Lincolnshire, IL 60069 United States

P: (847) 996-3790

Mariam S. Darsot
Chief Executive Officer & President

Mariam S. Darsot has been CEO & President of Nexus Pharmaceuticals since its inception in 2003, and is responsible for directing global strategy, business development and key growth initiatives. Prior to establishing Nexus Pharmaceuticals, Ms. Darsot was a manager at GeoAnalytical Laboratories, and has held various analytical chemist roles at GTEL Laboratories, Westech Laboratories and Triangle Laboratories. Ms. Darsot holds a Master of Science degree in Organic Chemistry from Miami University.

Usman Ahmed
Chief Financial Officer

Usman Ahmed joined Nexus Pharmaceuticals in 2009 and held a number of finance positions within the company before becoming its Chief Financial Officer; he is responsible for strategic planning, budgeting, treasury, tax and corporate development/M&A. Prior to joining Nexus Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Ahmed was an associate in the treasury analytics group at JP Morgan Chase. Mr. Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from The Ohio State University.

Vince LoPiccolo
VP of Sales and Marketing

Vince LoPiccolo brings over 20 years of specialty injectable pharmaceutical industry experience to his position with Nexus Pharmaceuticals. He is responsible for overseeing sales and marketing functions. Vince has been a member of teams that have successfully launched over 70 ANDAs across multiple therapeutic classes including cardiovascular, anesthesia, oncology and pain management. Previously, Mr. LoPiccolo was Vice President of GPO and Strategic Sales at Major Pharmaceuticals and held various positions with Bedford Laboratories. Mr. LoPiccolo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Maryville University – St. Louis.

Shahid Ahmed
Chief Scientific Officer

Shahid Ahmed joined Nexus Pharmaceuticals in 2007 having spent his career helping pharmaceutical companies develop new products and spearheading the FDA-approval process. Before joining Nexus Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Ahmed held positions at American Pharmaceutical Partners and Ben Venue Laboratories, where he was responsible for obtaining FDA approval of a combined 90 ANDAs and one NDA. Mr. Ahmed holds a Master of Science degree in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Manitoba.

Omair Ahmed
Chief Strategy Officer

Omair Ahmed joined Nexus Pharmaceuticals in 2011 as Director of Trade Relations and quickly advanced to positions of increasing responsibility with the commercial business. As Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Ahmed is responsible for growth strategy and strategic partnerships to continue to expand Nexus Pharmaceuticals' reach and impact. Prior to Nexus Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Ahmed worked in field sales at Beckman Coulter. Mr. Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

John Cook
VP of Operations

Jonathan Cook joined Nexus Pharmaceuticals in 2018 as the Vice President of Operations, where he is responsible for overall operations and for overseeing the expansion of the company through the build-out of a new, state-of-the-art, aseptic manufacturing facility. Previously, Mr. Cook was a Vice President of Quality at Oakwood Laboratories in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was responsible for the oversight of all quality-related areas, including the analytical and microbiology laboratories. Mr. Cook holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Youngstown State University and has studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron.

Ayesha Ahmed
General Counsel & VP of HR

Ayesha Ahmed joined Nexus Pharmaceuticals in 2011 and currently serves as its general counsel. She is also on the board of directors at UMMA Center, a not-for-profit organization that is helping people of all backgrounds transform their lives and communities by offering GED classes, food pantries, career counseling and more. After beginning her legal career in 2006 at a boutique law firm, Ms. Ahmed went on to clerk for the Honorable Moshe Jacobius at the Circuit Court of Cook County in 2008. Ms. Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Case Western Reserve University and a law degree from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Matt Cohen
Vice President, Scientific Affairs

Matt Cohen brings over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to his position with Nexus Pharmaceuticals. He is responsible for overseeing laboratory functions, and serves as a liaison between domestic and international contract manufacturing organizations and Nexus Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Cohen has comprehensive experience in quality assurance, and has been intimately involved in the installation and validation of laboratory information management systems, as well as remediation activities for 21 CFR part 11 compliance. Mr. Cohen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from John Carroll University.