About Us

Harry has over 30 years of combined experience in all aspects of new drug research and development, including API cGMP manufacturing, solid state chemistry, and project management. Harry is the author of numerous patents and publications, including key process and polymorph patents related to several important pharmaceutical compounds. In 2003, he founded Wilmington PharmaTech with three cGMP production facilities, an R&D center in Newark, Delaware, and a research center in Suzhou, China, and continues to serve as President and CEO. Harry received a B.S. in chemistry from Nanjing University of Science and Technology, an M.S. in natural product chemistry from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Tokyo Institute of Technology. From 1990 to 1991, Harry was a post-doctoral fellow at the Medical Products Department of DuPont Company. After working as a medicinal chemist with DuPont Merck Pharmaceuticals from 1991 to 1995, Harry worked as a process chemist at the Process R&D department of DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company (1995-2001) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (2001-2002). He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware and Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences in China. 

Dr. Kent Payne is distinguished as a business operator and leader in sales, commercial manufacturing, operational excellence and product R&D. His leadership philosophy blends scientific rigor with strategic decision-making, enabling Wilmington PharmaTech to scale its capabilities while maintaining agility and quality. In support of Dr. Li, Kent oversees company-wide operational performance, ensuring the alignment of people, processes, and facilities as Wilmington PharmaTech continues its expansion in API, HPAPI, and integrated development services. He is a three time CEO with extensive executive experience in M&A and successfully leading offerings from target identification through commercialization for both small and large molecules including complex sterile, inhalation, oral, topical and oral solution formulations. Kent also serves as an Operating Partner for Curewell Capital and Board Director for GBI (a Signet Healthcare Partners company). Dr. Payne previously was CEO of Aliri Bioanalytical (an Archimed Co.); Bioduro (an Advent International Co.), and Socorro Pharmaceuticals (a specialty generic Rx company). He also led the initial angel investment and was Board Chairman for PDS Biotechnology (NASDAQ: PDSB).

Mike leads commercial strategy at Wilmington PharmaTech, playing a pivotal role in driving growth, strengthening client partnerships, and positioning the organization as a trusted partner for API development and manufacturing. With more than 24 years of experience across leading CDMOs and pharmaceutical services organizations, he brings a strategic, client-centric approach to every engagement. Prior to joining Wilmington PharmaTech, Mike spent over 21 years at Catalent, where he held multiple senior leadership roles. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Rx Early Phase Development and Zydis®, leading global commercial teams and supporting a diverse portfolio of advanced drug delivery solutions. Throughout his tenure, Mike successfully led cross-functional, global teams and developed commercial strategies that drove sustained business growth. Beyond commercial execution, Mike’s leadership and vision help ensure Wilmington PharmaTech continues to meet the evolving needs of its clients today, while preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. Mike holds a Bachelor’s degree from Drexel University and an MBA from the University of California, Davis.

Carl Behrens combines advanced technical expertise in organic and process chemistry with decades of experience guiding clients through early development and scale-up. Known for his ability to solve challenging synthetic problems and identify efficient routes to API, he plays a central role in shaping Wilmington PharmaTech’s scientific strategy and service offerings. Carl serves as a technical interface with clients, ensuring each program benefits from Wilmington PharmaTech’s strengths in complex synthesis, solid-state chemistry, and route optimization.

Dr. Hongfeng Chen is a recognized expert in process development and scale up and has successfully navigated numerous complex synthetic routes, including having successfully overcome what one client with >30 years of industry experience characterized as the most difficult-to-synthesize molecule he had ever seen. He has overall responsibility for translating scientific innovation into reliable, scalable, and compliant manufacturing solutions. He provides strategic oversight across chemical development, technology transfer, engineering, analytical sciences, and production, ensuring integrated execution and operational excellence throughout the product lifecycle. Since joining Wilmington PharmaTech in 2008, Dr. Chen has directed numerous IND-enabling GMP manufacturing programs, supporting clients from early development through phase III clinical trials. Prior to WPT, he served as a scientist in the Process Development organization at Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Chen holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Arizona.

Feng Han leads operations with a focus on quality systems, regulatory compliance, material management, and manufacturing efficiency. His experience spans GMP manufacturing, integrated project planning, and cross-functional program execution. He plays a vital role in maintaining Wilmington PharmaTech’s high standards for documentation, quality assurance, and on-time delivery. His leadership strengthens the organization’s operational continuity and supports the scalability required for IND, NDA, and commercial-ready programs. Prior to his current role, he spent nearly two decades at DuPont, beginning as a research scientist and manager in genomics and molecular biology, authoring numerous peer-reviewed publications and earning more than 30 patents globally. Over the latter part of his tenure, he led business development and licensing across industrial biotechnology, biocatalysts, and bioprocessing, executing first-of-kind global process licenses and supply agreements and driving their successful translation into commercial-scale manufacturing. He combined deep scientific expertise in process technology and scale-up with disciplined project and manufacturing execution, coordinating cross-functional teams across R&D, engineering, operations, supply chain, and commercial functions to deliver robust, deployable production platforms worldwide.

Qi Chen serves as the Executive Director of Quality Control at Wilmington PharmaTech, where he oversees the technical and strategic direction of the QC department. With over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology research involving intensive study evaluation, methods development, technical support, troubleshooting, and project management, Qi bridges the gap between complex analytical science and robust business operations, ensuring strict GMP compliance across all studies while managing the financial and technical quality of analytical operations. Qi joined Wilmington PharmaTech in 2016 as an Analytical Chemist, then started to lead the Quality Control Department two years later. Prior to his current role, he spent nearly a decade at DuPont Central Research & Development, where he spearheaded groundbreaking research in genomic engineering and metabolic pathways. Qi holds an MD from Peking Union Medical University and finished postdoctoral training as a Biochemist at Wistar Institute in Philadelphia.

Dawn has over 20 years of QA/QC experiences in the pharmaceutical industry, responsibilities include overseeing cGMP compliance of operation and procedures, handling customer audits, analytical method development and validation, analytical support for drug development, and reviewing SOPs, analytical procedures, and instrumentation qualification. Dawn received a B.S. in Medicinal Chemistry and a M.S. in Organic Chemistry from University of Delaware.