Sir Allen McClay Dies In Philadelphia

Sir Allen McClay, Chairman of pharmaceutical giant Almac died last week in the Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Sir Allen had been receiving treatment since November last year, having taken ill while in the United States on business.

Alan Armstrong, Almac's CEO said: "On behalf of all the employees at Almac we express our very sincere regret and sorrow at the death of our founder and company Chairman Sir Allen McClay. Allen was a father figure to every single Almac employee, he often referred to his Almac family and we all shared that view of the organisation he created.

"Our sympathy goes to Allen's family and especially his wife Heather."  Sir Allen had worked in the pharmacy industry since he qualified as a Pharmacist in 1953.  As Chairman of Almac, Sir Allen led the Group's work in driving forward world-class service and innovation in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.   

Sir Allen first established Galen in 1968 and floated the company on the London and Dublin stock markets in 1997.

In September 2001, he retired as President of Galen Holdings plc and, in January 2002, completed the first of a series of acquisitions, which today form the five divisions of the Almac Group.

Allen also established a charitable foundation, The McClay Trust, for the benefit of Chemistry and Pharmacy education at the Queen's University of Belfast. The Trust has donated approximately £20 million to Queen's, including a £10 million contribution to a new central library at Queen's and funding a £4 million Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Centre at the University's Belfast City Hospital Campus.

Sir Allen was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in December 2005.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness expressed his deep sadness at the passing of "one of our most successful businessman Sir Allen McClay."

"It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Sir Allen McClay," he said. "I know that I will echo the thoughts of many when I say that we have not only lost a wonderful businessman but also a true gentlemen.

"Sir Allen McClay was perhaps the most successful businessman we have ever produced. He placed the north of Ireland on the international stage. The Almac group is a shining example of what can be achieved here.

"Sir Allen's commitment to business was only surpassed by his commitment to charity and to improving the lives of others.

"The McClay Foundation and the McClay Trust are just two examples of Sir Allen's dedication to innovation in both the pharmaceutical and healthcare fields. Sir Allen's philanthropy changed the lives of so many people and his legacy will live on for many years to come. I would like to pass my deepest condolences to his friends and family."

Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster, also paid tribute to McClay, saying that he "was a truly inspirational entrepreneur, with a real vision for Almac and the wider life sciences sector, and the personal drive to realise it.

"Almac was one of the first companies I visited on taking up the post of Enterprise Minister and it was clearly evident that his drive, determination and personality touched all those he worked with.

"In a relatively short space of time, he oversaw the growth of the Almac Group into a global service provider at the forefront of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, putting Northern Ireland firmly on the global map in a number of areas, including drug discovery and cancer diagnostics.

"Almac has also become one of Northern Ireland's major employers with 1,500 skilled individuals at its headquarters in Craigavon and an additional 1,000 located in facilities throughout the rest of the UK and the east and west coasts of the US."