BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PIERLUIGI PARACCHI
CEO
Co-Founder
Chairman
Pierluigi Paracchi is CEO and co-founder and serves as the Moderator of the National Working Table for the Internationalization of Biotechnology Sector, promoted by the Foreign Ministry. He is a Member of the Executive Committee of Federchimica-Assobiotec, the National Association of biotech companies. Paracchi is also Co-Founder & Board Member Altheia Science and AurorA Science, Chairman Lipogems International. Previously, as a venture capitalist, he was Founder & CEO of Quantica SGR, Co-founder of Axòn Capital, Venture Consultant at Sofinnova Partners, achiving over $400MM+ exits and raising more than $200MM in venture funding.
JOHN L. CANTELLO
Ph.D.
John is an independent advisor to the biopharma industry with over 20 years of experience. Former VP and Head of Business Development, Oncology Therapy Area at GlaxoSmithKline and VP and Head of BD, Respiratory & Immune Diseases at AstraZeneca. John has led teams accountable for assessing, valuing and transacting M&A, pipeline & commercial asset deals covering oncology, respiratory, inflammation, metabolic and rare diseases. He has a track record of closing deals (transacting >$30B in deal value) representing primary care, specialty care and rare diseases.
LAUREN H. CHUNG
Ph.D.
Lauren is the CFO of Laxxon Medical, a pharma-technology company. Lauren has over 20 years of operating experience spearheading agile investment management strategies and tactical asset allocation in the healthcare industry. As the founder and CEO of Minleigh LLC, a healthcare focused strategic advisory firm, Lauren advised leadership, boards, and investment firms on global strategic plans, M&A, integration, and compliance. Previously, Lauren co-founded Tokum Capital Management, a global institutional healthcare fund, and successfully managed its merger with Perella Weinberg Partners. Lauren serves on public and private company boards. She has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, and a B.A. in Biochemistry and Economics with Honors from Wellesley College.
ARMON R. SHAREI
and received his Post-Doctoral at Harvard Medical School
Ph.D.
Armon is Founder and CEO of Portal Bio and formerly the CEO and Founder of SQZ Biotechnologies (NYSE: SQZ), where he led the company from invention to post-IPO with over $300M in equity financing, a $1Bn collaboration with Roche, and three clinical trials. He graduated from Stanford University, obtained his Ph.D Ph.D. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his Post-Doctoral at Harvard Medical School
TODD WIDER
M.D.
Todd Wider is consultant to numerous entities in the biotechnology space, Co-founder and Board Member Xanadu Bio and prior Executive Chairman Emendo Biotetherapeutics, Board Member Abeona Therapeutics, Arya Science Acquisition Corp. Todd is an active, honorary member of the medical staff of Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC. He received his AB, with high honors and Phi Beta Kappa, from Princeton University and his M.D. from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Todd is also a principal in Wider Film Projects, a documentary film company focused on producing films with sociopolitical resonance that have won Academy, Emmy and Peabody Awards.