Executive Leadership
Our Aspirations for Excellence Start with Our Leadership
Our Aspirations for Excellence Start with Our Leadership
David has over thirty years of industry experience, where he held various global executive leadership positions in large pharmaceutical and commercial-stage biotechnology companies focused on oncology including as chief executive officer (CEO) of Ipsen, a leading global biopharmaceutical company.
During his tenure as CEO at Ipsen, David led the transformation of the company into a high-growth and leading global biopharmaceutical organization through the expansion of the oncology portfolio in the U.S. and Europe, and growing the R&D portfolio through internal and external innovation.
David most recently served as president, CEO and board member of FerGene focused on developing an innovative gene therapy for bladder cancer. His prior leadership roles include serving as executive vice president and president of oncology at Baxalta from 2014 to 2016, until its acquisition by Shire plc. He was also chief commercial officer of Endocyte from 2012 to 2014. Prior to that, Mr. Meek served in various executive leadership roles at Novartis Pharma and Novartis Oncology after beginning his career at Johnson & Johnson and Janssen from 1989 to 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to his biopharma career, David was an active duty commissioned officer in the U.S. Army achieving the rank of Captain.
David has also served on the boards of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), and currently serves on the boards of uniQure N.V., Entasis Therapeutics Holdings Inc. and Stargazer Pharmaceuticals.
Chuck served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mirati Therapeutics from 2012-2021. He is currently President, Founder and Head of Research and Development at Mirati, and is a Board Member.
Under his leadership, Mirati has transformed into a precision oncology company focused on advancing drug discovery and research and delivering novel therapeutics that target the genetic and immunologic drivers of cancer.
Prior to joining Mirati, Chuck was Senior Vice President for Biotherapeutic Clinical Research within Pfizer’s Worldwide Research & Development division. He was at Pfizer from 2003 to 2012, serving in roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President, Head of Oncology Development and Chief Medical Officer for Pfizer’s Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Center. He was responsible for the development of Pfizer’s oncology portfolio, including Inlyta,* Xalkori* and the approval of Sutent.* Prior to Pfizer, Chuck was at Schering-Plough where he was responsible for the Phase I-IV development of several oncology compounds, including Temodar.*
Chuck’s career has also included academic and hospital positions at Stanford and Emory universities. He currently serves as chairman of the board at OncoMyx Therapeutics, as well as on the board of directors at PMV Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Odyssey Therapeutics. Chuck is also on the Scientific Advisory Board at ALX Oncology. Previously, he served as a member of the board of Array Biopharma from 2014 to 2019 when it was acquired by Pfizer, Inc., Immunomedics from 2019 to 2020 when it was acquired by Gilead, and BCTG Acquisition Corp from 2020 to 2021 when it merged with Tango Therapeutics.
Chuck received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Washington University School of Medicine and completed his post-graduate training at Stanford University. Additionally, he has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society, published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and holds a number of patents and patent applications.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Jamie joined Mirati in 2013 as Chief Scientific Officer. In his role, Jamie is responsible for drug discovery, translational research, drug manufacturing and companion diagnostics research. At Mirati, Jamie has led activities related to the discovery and advancement of the company’s clinical and preclinical programs, including adagrasib (KRAS G12C selective inhibitor), MRTX1133 (KRAS G12D selective inhibitor) and sitravatinib (spectrum-selective receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor).
Prior to Mirati, Jamie was the head of Oncology Precision Medicine and a member of the executive leadership team in the Oncology Research Unit at Pfizer. He joined Pfizer in 2003, and his responsibilities included leading oncology nonclinical research and translational sciences for programs including Sutent* and Xalkori.*
Prior to Pfizer, Jamie held positions at SUGEN/Pharmacia as a Group Leader on the Preclinical Research and Exploratory Development team. He began his industry experience at Warner Lambert/Parke-Davis.
Jamie has authored or co-authored over 140 peer-reviewed research articles in scientific journals including Science, Nature, Cancer Cell, Cancer Discovery, New England Journal of Medicine and many others. In addition, he also participates on the editorial boards for Cancer Research and Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and is a member of the Scientific Advisory panel at Bridge Bio/QED.
Jamie received his Ph.D. at North Carolina State University and his B.S. in biology from Northern Illinois University.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Reena joined Mirati in 2020 as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and was appointed Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary in 2021. In this role, Reena serves as the legal advisor to the Board of Directors and company executives and is responsible for shaping the company’s legal strategy.
Reena brings over 20 years of legal experience to Mirati, having held legal positions across the pharmaceutical industry, including at SUGEN/Pharmacia, Pfizer, IONIS Pharmaceuticals and ACADIA Pharmaceuticals.
Reena received her B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology/Genetics from the University of California, Davis, completed her graduate work in Molecular and Cellular Biology at San Francisco State University, and earned her law degree from California Western School of Law.
Kristin joined Mirati in 2020 as Chief Human Resources Officer, bringing more than 20 years of human resources leadership experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. In this role, Kristin oversees all aspects of human resources management, leads workforce planning and builds upon people programs for Mirati team members.
Prior to Mirati, Kristin was Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Facilities at Turnstone Biologics, where she was a key member of the leadership team. She helped drive the company’s rapid growth, including building out early-stage R&D capabilities with responsibility for employee engagement, strategic talent initiatives and all matters related to people and culture. Prior to Turnstone, Kristin had a range of biotech leadership experiences, including serving as SVP of Human Resources and Facilities at Kite Pharma and Intercept Pharmaceuticals. She also founded Chemo101, a company focused on patient-related services for newly diagnosed cancer patients.
Kristin attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on Business Administration.
Ben joined Mirati in 2020 as Chief Commercial Officer, bringing with him almost 20 years of industry experience. Ben is responsible for building and leading commercial and medical affairs functions and capabilities as Mirati prepares for commercial readiness. Ben has a long track record of leading commercial teams, including global product launches for innovative oncology treatments. Prior to Mirati, Ben was Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer at Halozyme Therapeutics, where he was responsible for the global commercial strategy for the company’s oncology portfolio.
Prior to Halozyme, Ben spent 17 years at Bristol Myers Squibb in various roles, including General Manager, UK & Ireland, where he oversaw an organization of more than 300 people, and Vice President Marketing, Immuno-Oncology, where he led the commercialization of Yervoy* and oversaw the launch preparedness of Opdivo* across more than eight indications. Ben currently serves as board director at Surface Oncology.
Ben received both his MBA and B.S. in Management from St. John’s University in Queens, New York.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Vickie joined Mirati in 2013 and was appointed Chief Accounting Officer in 2020. She is a seasoned financial executive with broad financial and accounting leadership experience across both public and private companies, as well as having Big 4 public accounting experience. Vickie has a track record of building high-performing teams and collaborating with colleagues across the organization, bringing a strategic focus to business decisions. She specializes in Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance, resolution of complex accounting issues and process improvement to maximize corporate financial performance.
Prior to Mirati, Vickie served as Senior Director of Finance and Controller at Zogenix, Inc. Earlier in her career, she held corporate accounting positions at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and financial leadership roles at several biotechnology and telecommunications companies. She began her career with Price Waterhouse, now PricewaterhouseCoopers, in Denver, Colorado.
Vickie received a B.S. in accounting from University of Colorado Denver.
Meet our Board of Directors
Faheem joined the Mirati board of directors in 2019 as chairman of the board. Additionally, Faheem is currently chairman of Sente Labs, Inc. and Aspen Neuroscience, lead independent director on the Kura Oncology, Inc. board, and chairman, president & chief executive officer of Gossamer Bio, Inc. Gossamer Bio has a specific focus on the discovery and development of novel and differentiated therapeutic products to address high unmet needs amongst various targeted patient populations.
Prior to joining Gossamer Bio, Faheem served as president, chief executive officer and a director of Receptos, Inc. from 2010 to 2015, when Receptos was acquired by Celgene Corporation. Previously, Faheem was the president, chief executive officer and a director of Facet Biotech Corporation, a biology-driven antibody company with a focus in multiple sclerosis and oncology. He held that position from 2008 until the company’s acquisition by Abbott Laboratories in 2010.
Faheem’s career has also encompassed various leadership roles including president, chief executive officer and a director of PDL BioPharma, Inc. from 2008 until 2008. From 2004 to 2008, Faheem served as multiple positions at Biogen Idec Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders, and cancer—the latest being executive vice president in charge of the oncology/rheumatology strategic business unit. Faheem also held roles with Bristol Myers Squibb, where he was president of the Oncology Therapeutics Network, and GlaxoSmithKline and its predecessor organizations, for 14 years. Prior board experiences include service on the board of directors of Vital Therapies, Inc., Tocagen, Ambit Biosciences Corporation, Seragon Pharmaceuticals, Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals and Tercica, Inc.
Faheem received a B.H.K. and B.Ed. from the University of Windsor Ontario in Canada.
Chuck served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mirati Therapeutics from 2012-2021. He is currently President, Founder and Head of Research and Development at Mirati, and is a Board Member.
Under his leadership, Mirati has transformed into a precision oncology company focused on advancing drug discovery and research and delivering novel therapeutics that target the genetic and immunologic drivers of cancer.
Prior to joining Mirati, Chuck was Senior Vice President for Biotherapeutic Clinical Research within Pfizer’s Worldwide Research & Development division. He was at Pfizer from 2003 to 2012, serving in roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President, Head of Oncology Development and Chief Medical Officer for Pfizer’s Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Center. He was responsible for the development of Pfizer’s oncology portfolio, including Inlyta,* Xalkori* and the approval of Sutent.* Prior to Pfizer, Chuck was at Schering-Plough where he was responsible for the Phase I-IV development of several oncology compounds, including Temodar.*
Chuck’s career has also included academic and hospital positions at Stanford and Emory universities. He currently serves as chairman of the board at OncoMyx Therapeutics, as well as on the board of directors at PMV Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Odyssey Therapeutics. Chuck is also on the Scientific Advisory Board at ALX Oncology. Previously, he served as a member of the board of Array Biopharma from 2014 to 2019 when it was acquired by Pfizer, Inc., Immunomedics from 2019 to 2020 when it was acquired by Gilead, and BCTG Acquisition Corp from 2020 to 2021 when it merged with Tango Therapeutics.
Chuck received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Washington University School of Medicine and completed his post-graduate training at Stanford University. Additionally, he has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society, published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and holds a number of patents and patent applications.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Bruce is an affiliate Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Washington, Seattle—a position he has held since 1986. He currently serves on the board of directors of Mirati and Enanta Pharmaceuticals, publicly held biopharmaceutical companies, and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, a publicly held pharmaceutical company based in India. Bruce also serves as Chairman of the board at the TB Alliance.
Prior to his current appointment, Bruce served as Executive Chairman of the board at Immune Design Corp. from 2009 to 2011, later serving as Chairman of the board until 2012 and as a member of the board until 2015. Between 1986 and 1994, Bruce served as Vice President of Research and Development as well as Chief Executive Officer at ZymoGenetics, Inc. In 1988, Novo Nordisk A/S acquired ZymoGenetics, leading to Bruce appointment as Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Novo Nordisk in 1994. In 2000, Bruce led the negotiations that established ZymoGenetics as an independent company from Novo Nordisk. As CEO, he was instrumental in transforming ZymoGenetics from the research arm of a European biopharmaceutical company to a company that developed and commercialized Recothrom.* Bruce also held various positions of increasing responsibility at G.D. Searle & Co., Ltd. from 1982 to 1986 and was a lecturer in genetics at Trinity College, University of Dublin from 1975 to 1982.
He received a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, and a B.Sc. with Honors in Botany from the University of Nottingham, England.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Julie joined the Mirati Board of Directors in 2019. Julie also serves on the board of QUE Oncology and Rakovina Therapeutics, Inc. She is an experienced life science executive with extensive insight in bringing drugs into the clinic and through to commercialization. She has been a key contributor to the successful development of multiple FDA-approved products, including Sutent,* Palladia,* Vistide,* Viread* and Hepsera.*
Julie most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Arch Oncology, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing novel anti-CD47 mAbs. Previously, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer at several other oncology companies, including Revitope Oncology, Zenith Epigenetics and Pathway Therapeutics, a company advancing targeted kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. In addition, she served as President and Executive Vice President, R&D, at Phenomix Corporation. Earlier in her career, Julie was Vice President of Preclinical and Clinical Research at SUGEN, a Pharmacia/Pfizer company. She began her career at Gilead Sciences, where she held a range of positions of increasing responsibility.
Julie earned her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Minnesota and Stanford University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. She holds her M.S. in microbiology and B.S. in biology from the University of California, Davis.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Aaron is co-founder and chief executive officer of Boxer Capital, LLC. After joining Tavistock Group as portfolio manager, Aaron scaled Tavistock Group’s public healthcare investing activities and formed Boxer Capital. Aaron leads the firm’s research team, deal structuring and portfolio management.
Aaron also serves as chief executive officer and a director of BCTG Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BCTG), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Boxer Capital. He is currently chairman of the board of CiVi Biopharma and is a member of the board of directors of iTeos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ITOS), Mirati Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRTX), Odonate Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ODT), and Rain Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RAIN).
Prior to joining Tavistock Group, Aaron worked in the Global Healthcare Investment Banking and Private Equity Group at UBS Warburg, LLC. During this period, Aaron led strategic transactions for public and private biotechnology and medical device companies throughout their growth, advising on financing and mergers and acquisitions. Having served in various roles with biotechnology and venture capital firms, Aaron has extensive expertise in investment analysis and overseeing in-licensing activities within the pharmaceutical sector.
Aaron holds a M.S. in Biotechnology from Columbia University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Emory University.
Henry is currently the President of Worldwide Research and Development at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN), having previously served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer from 2009 to 2016. He is a seasoned biotech drug development executive.
From 2005 to 2008, Henry was Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ONXX), overseeing expanded development of the kinase inhibitor Nexavar* and other key development programs. Additionally, Henry served in multiple roles of increasing responsibility from 1996 to 2005 at Ardea Biosciences (NASDAQ: RDEA), as Vice President, Clinical Affairs, President and Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. From 1987 to 1996, Henry held various positions at Genentech where, among other responsibilities, he led the clinical program that resulted in the approval of Pulmozyme.* Henry was also responsible for the Phase III development program that led to the approval of Herceptin* to treat metastatic breast cancer.
Henry received his M.D. from George Washington University and his B.A. in biochemical sciences from Harvard University.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Craig currently serves as a director of Heron Therapeutics, Inc., La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company and Odonate Therapeutics, Inc. Craig has served as a member of the Mirati Board of Directors since 2013.
Craig served as a director of GenomeDx Biosciences, Inc. from 2015 to 2018, Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation from 2011 to 2014, and Ardea Biosciences, Inc. from 2008 until its acquisition by AstraZeneca PLC in 2012. Between 2004 and 2009, Craig served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc. Afterwards, he was Vice President of a wholly owned subsidiary of Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp until 2010. From 1994 to 2004, he held various positions at MitoKor, Inc., most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations.
Craig received a B.B.A. degree in accounting from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and practiced as a Certified Public Accountant with Price Waterhouse, now PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Maya is currently President, U.S. Pharmaceuticals, for GSK, where she leads a $20+ billion pharmaceuticals and vaccines businesses in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Previously, Maya served as President of the Biopharma Latin America business for Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, where she used her proven expertise to drive pharmaceutical business in developed and emerging markets. At Merck KGaA, she oversaw business in 14 countries with more than 1,000 employees while guiding the region’s strategy for continued business growth by both delivering the company’s planned medical launches and further developing its core healthcare business. Maya also led the Regional Leadership Team, where she worked closely with General Managers and heads of regional functions and served as a member of the International Operations Leadership Team.
Maya had joined Merck KGaA in 2016 as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Oncology for the biopharma business. Aside from leading the Bavencio* worldwide launch, she supported Merck’s transformation to a recognized global oncology innovator. She played a critical role in establishing collaborations to strengthen Merck’s presence in the oncology field, including making significant contributions to the alliance with Pfizer.
Prior to joining Merck KGaA, Maya worked at Pfizer, Inc. as a senior executive for over a decade. At Pfizer, she exercised her vast cross-border, regional and global leadership experience to boost sales growth and market penetration in the areas of oncology, vaccines and specialty portfolios. In her last role, Maya oversaw the company’s oncology business in the U.S., managing a large-scale cross-functional team and leading product introductions and launches across multiple tumor types.
Maya holds her M.S. in business leadership and marketing from the IE Business Institute in Madrid, Spain, and a B.A. in Communications from Saint Louis University.
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
David has over thirty years of industry experience, where he held various global executive leadership positions in large pharmaceutical and commercial-stage biotechnology companies focused on oncology including as chief executive officer (CEO) of Ipsen, a leading global biopharmaceutical company.
During his tenure as CEO at Ipsen, David led the transformation of the company into a high-growth and leading global biopharmaceutical organization through the expansion of the oncology portfolio in the U.S. and Europe, and growing the R&D portfolio through internal and external innovation.
David most recently served as president, CEO and board member of FerGene focused on developing an innovative gene therapy for bladder cancer. His prior leadership roles include serving as executive vice president and president of oncology at Baxalta from 2014 to 2016, until its acquisition by Shire plc. He was also chief commercial officer of Endocyte from 2012 to 2014. Prior to that, Mr. Meek served in various executive leadership roles at Novartis Pharma and Novartis Oncology after beginning his career at Johnson & Johnson and Janssen from 1989 to 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to his biopharma career, David was an active duty commissioned officer in the U.S. Army achieving the rank of Captain.
David has also served on the boards of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), and currently serves on the boards of uniQure N.V., Entasis Therapeutics Holdings Inc. and Stargazer Pharmaceuticals.
Shalini Sharp joined Mirati’s Board of Directors in March 2021. She has more than 25 years of financial and corporate strategy experience in the life sciences industry. Most recently, she was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Ultragenyx where she was responsible for leading the company’s corporate finance, strategy, and information technology functions. Prior to Ultragenyx, Shalini was CFO at Agenus Inc., and before that, she worked in corporate strategy at Elan Pharmaceuticals, management consulting at McKinsey & Company, and investment banking at Goldman Sachs, in the pharmaceutical and medical device space. Shalini also serves as a board member of Neurocrine Biosciences, Precision Biosciences, Sutro Biopharma and TB Alliance. She previously served on the boards of Array BioPharma, Panacea Acquisition Corporation and Agenus. Shalini received her MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a B.A. from Harvard College.