Biotherapeutics, Inc. from 2012 to 2014, and was the founding president and chief scientific officer of Takeda San Francisco from 2008 to 2012. She received her B.S. from the University of Michigan, M.L.A. from Washington University, M.S. from SUNY-Stony Brook, C.S.E.P. from Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. We believe that Dr. Haak-Frendscho’s scientific training, work experience, and experience as a director of other biopharmaceutical companies provide her with the qualifications and skills to serve as a director of our company.
Craig Parker has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since March 2018 and as a member of our Board of Directors since April 2018. From August 2014 to March 2018, Mr. Parker served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. From 2012 to 2014, Mr. Parker served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Scientific Affairs at Geron Corporation, a publicly traded biotechnology company, and from 2011 to 2012 as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Human Genome Sciences, or HGS, until its acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline plc. Prior to HGS, Mr. Parker worked in various positions at J.P. Morgan and other Wall Street financial institutions. Mr. Parker served on the board of directors of vTv Therapeutics Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, from July 2015 to February 2019. Mr. Parker is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board and chairs the Leadership Council of the Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan and has been a member since 2005. Mr. Parker received aan A.B. in biological sciences from the University of Chicago, an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan and attended the Georgetown University School of Medicine. We believe that Mr. Parker’s extensive scientific, business and leadership experience in both public and privately-held companies in the life sciences industry provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve on our Board of Directors and as our President and Chief Executive Officer.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Class I Directors Whose Terms Expire at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
| | | | | | | | | |
Class I Director | | | Age(1) | | | Director Since | | | Current Position at Surrozen |
Tim Kutzkey, Ph.D. | | | 47 | | | 2016 | | | Director |
Anna Berkenblit, M.D. | | | 53 | | | 2019 | | | Director |
Eric Bjerkholt | | | 63 | | | 2023 | | | Director |
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(1) As of the date of this Proxy Statement.
Tim Kutzkey, Ph.D. has served on our Board of Directors since April 2016, as Chair of our Board of Directors’ nominating and corporate governance committee since August 2021, and previously served as Chair of our Board of Directors from August 2021 to March 2023 and as interim Chief Executive Officer from inception to April 2018. Dr. Kutzkey serves as Managing Partner of The Column Group, LLC, a venture capital partnership, where he has served in various roles since 2007. Prior to The Column Group, Dr. Kutzkey served as a scientist at Kai Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Kutzkey serves as board chairman for Nura Bio Inc., Neurona Therapeutics, Carmot Therapeutics, Inc., InduPro Labs and a director on the boards of Synthekine and Cajal Neuroscience. Dr. Kutzkey obtained a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley and completed his undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Stanford University. We believe that Dr. Kutzkey’s scientific training and experience as a director of publicly traded and privately held biopharmaceutical companies provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a director of our company.
Anna Berkenblit, M.D. has served on our Board of Directors since August 2018, and on our Board of Directors’ compensation committee since August 2021. Dr. Berkenblit has served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at ImunnoGen, Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company, since April 2015. Prior to ImmunoGen, Dr. Berkenblit served as Senior Vice President Head of Clinical Development at H3, Biomedicine Inc., a developer of targeted anti-cancer compounders, from 2013 to 2015. From 2011 to 2013, she served as Head of Clinical Research at AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, where she led the clinical development of oncology product candidates spanning early testing to registration trials. From January 2007 to September 2011, Dr. Berkenblit held various positions of increasing responsibility at Pfizer Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. Dr. Berkenblit received an M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School and an M.M.S. degree in the Clinical Investigator Training Program of Harvard/MIT Health Sciences and Technology. We believe that Dr. Berkenblit’s extensive leadership and scientific experience, especially in the clinical development of biopharmaceuticals, provide her with the qualifications and skills to serve as a director of our company.
Eric Bjerkholt has served on our Board of Directors and on our Board of Directors’ audit committee since April 2023. Mr. Bjerkholt is currently the chief financial officer of Chinook Therapeutics, Inc., a publicly traded company. He most recently served as the chief financial officer of Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc., from 2017 to 2020, overseeing the financial reporting, budgeting, internal controls, investor relations, business development, facilities and information technology functions and led the acquisition of Aimmune by Nestle Health Science for $2.6 billion. Prior to Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc., he spent 13 years at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2004 until 2017, where in addition to his role as chief financial officer, Mr. Bjerkholt served in various capacities, including Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Finance, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. Previously, Mr. Bjerkholt held senior executive finance roles at IntraBiotics Pharmaceuticals, Inc, LifeSpring Nutrition, Inc. and Age Wave, LLC and spent seven years in healthcare investment banking at J.P. Morgan & Company, Inc. He is currently a member of the board of directors and chair of the audit committee of CalciMedica, Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company, and a member of the board of directors of Cerus Corporation, a publicly traded biotechnology company. Mr. Bjerkholt holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Cand.Oecon from the University of Oslo in Norway. We believe that Mr. Bjerkholt’s extensive business leadership experience across a broad range of roles provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a director of our company.
Board Recommendation
The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR the election of each of Tim Kutzkey,Shao-Lee Lin, M.D., Ph.D., Mace Rothenberg, M.D., and Anna Berkenblit, M.D.David J. Woodhouse, Ph.D. as Class III directors to hold office until the 20252026 Annual Meeting and until his or her respective successor has been duly elected and qualified.