Clinical stage biotechnology company, Five Prime Therapeutics has announced Aron Knickerbocker to succeed Lewis T. "Rusty" Williams, M.D., Ph.D., as President and CEO of Five Prime effective January 1, 2018.
Knickerbocker is currently Five Prime's Chief Operating Officer (COO), and will maintain that position until the end of 2017.
Knickerbocker joined Five Prime in 2009 to lead the company's business development efforts, eventually serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer and later COO. He helped the company establish an important cabiralizumab license and collaboration agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS).
During his tenure, he also has led the company's Portfolio Management Group, has managed the research teams involved in Five Prime's collaborations with GSK and UCB, and has been responsible for overseeing investor relations.
Dr. Williams said, "I couldn't be more pleased to see Aron become the next CEO of Five Prime," Aron's broad executive abilities have been evident since he joined the company and business development is only one of his many strengths. Aron also brings a deep working knowledge of oncology and cancer immunotherapy, which is essential in this role. He has been instrumental in the design and execution of our corporate strategy--whether it be clinical, operational or financial—which contributed to his promotion to COO.”
“Importantly, through our IPO and beyond, he has remained fully committed to communicating and delivering value for our shareholders through effective pipeline growth and the lucrative collaborations we have established with leading pharmaceutical companies. I am confident in the strength of our programs and in the ability of Aron and the rest of our seasoned management team to successfully execute our clinical and corporate strategy”, he added.
Mark D. McDade, Lead Independent Director of the Five Prime Board, commented: "Since Rusty informed us of his intention to transition from the CEO position, the Board has been conducting a comprehensive search for the right CEO candidate to continue advancing and expanding the pipeline and moving Five Prime toward being a commercial stage company. After months of extensive search efforts that considered numerous highly qualified candidates including Aron, it became clear that he stood out due to his oncology experience, strategic thinking and leadership skills, which will be critical as the company grows and advances its pipeline.”
“The Board and I would like to reiterate our immense gratitude to Rusty for his tireless dedication to making the Five Prime vision a reality, with a protein therapeutics platform of unparalleled scope and scale and a robust and growing clinical pipeline. The company is in a very strong position as the torch is passed, and we are fortunate that Aron's first-hand knowledge and appreciation for Five Prime's technology, team and shareholders should ensure a smooth leadership transition”, he added.
Prior to Five Prime, Knickerbocker served at Genentech for eight years in positions of increasing responsibility, including leading the oncology business development team as Senior Director, Business Development. Previously, Mr. Knickerbocker served as Director of Commercial Development at ALZA Corporation (which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson), and in oncology sales, marketing and corporate development roles at Amgen, and as a research scientist at BMS. Mr. Knickerbocker received an A.B. in biology from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Knickerbocker said, "I am honored to be chosen to lead Five Prime as we look to the future and our next stages of growth. I am excited to work with the Board, the management team, and all of our employees as we endeavor to bring promising new protein therapies to cancer patients. The power of our platform and the caliber of our people offer us extraordinary potential in this industry. I will strive to ensure that we build on the momentum of our discovery and development programs and preserve the culture and spirit of innovation that has inspired and motivated us all over the years."
