Mr. Fairey currently serves on the Boards of Mirum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MIRM), Ascendis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ASND), Aileron Therapeutics (previously Lung Therapeutics) (NASDAQ ALRN), and as Chairman of Respira Therapeutics. Mr. Fairey served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of MyoKardia, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing targeted therapies for the treatment of serious cardiovascular diseases, from January 2019 to November 2020 prior to its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) in 2020. Prior to MyoKardia, from January 2018 to January 2019, Mr. Fairey served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ChemoCentryx, Inc., (Nasdaq: CCXI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer. Prior to ChemoCentryx, Mr. Fairey served in various leadership roles at Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and its subsidiaries, including as President of Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc., a pharmaceuticals and biotechnology company that specializes in orphan diseases, from April 2013 to December 2017, Regional Vice President, Australia Asia Pacific, of Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. from July 2008 to March 2013, President of Actelion Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. from June 2003 to June 2008, and Vice President of Sales and Managed Markets of Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. from January 2001 to June 2003. Actelion was acquired by Johnson & Johnson (NYSW: JNJ) in 2017. Mr. Fairey holds a B.S. in biology from the University of Oregon and an M.B.A. from Saint Mary’s College of California.
Ben is the Chief Executive Officer and a director of KalVista. Since 2023, he served as the Company’s President, where he was given the responsibility for leading future business growth, including the development of KalVista’s commercial organization. Ben joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer in August 2016 and in 2019 was promoted to the additional role of Chief Business Officer. He has more than 25 years of industry experience as a life sciences investment banker at firms including Robertson Stephens and SunTrust and a senior executive of several public and private biotech companies including SVP & CFO of Ore Pharmaceutical Holdings and Penwest Pharmaceuticals Co. In his roles, Ben has overseen strategic planning, business development, business operations, finance, human resources, legal, and investor relations. He has completed over 50 strategic, licensing and financing transactions and raised more than $2 billion in capital.
Ben holds a BA in Quantitative Economics from Tufts University and an MBA in Finance and MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago. He served as a Naval Aviator in the U.S. Navy.
Brian J. G. Pereira is a veteran biopharmaceutical and healthcare leader with experience in financing and growing companies. He has been President & CEO of Visterra, Inc. since 2013 and continues to serve in this role after the acquisition by Otsuka in August 2018. He previously served as President & CEO of AMAG Pharmaceuticals where he raised four financing rounds at increasing valuations and built the clinical development, manufacturing, supply-chain and commercial infrastructure for Feraheme. Prior to AMAG Pharmaceuticals, he held senior roles at Tufts Medical Center, including President and CEO of a Tufts Medical Center Physician Organization and interim COO.
Brian is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Africa Healthcare Network and member of the Board of Visterra, Inc., and ProKidney Corp. He has previously served on the board of several private and public companies. Dr. Pereira also serves on the Board of Directors of the America India Foundation. He was the Chairman of the Board of the Harvard-MIT Biomedical Enterprise Program and President and Board member of the National Kidney Foundation. Brian is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and has authored over 200 published scientific articles. He received his medical degree (MBBS) from St. John’s Medical College, MD (Medicine) and DM (Nephrology) from the Post Graduate Institute and MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Laurence Reid, Ph.D., is an entrepreneur, company builder, and biotech executive, leveraging his experience as an advisor to growing biotech companies. Previously, Laurence served as CEO of Decibel Therapeutics (acquired by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) and as CEO of Warp Drive Bio (merged with Revolution Medicines). He also served as an entrepreneur in residence at Third Rock Ventures, focusing on novel drug discovery opportunities. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw the company’s business development, finance, and legal functions. Before joining Alnylam, Laurence held the position of Chief Business Officer at Ensemble Therapeutics. He spent ten years at Millennium Pharmaceuticals in various general management and business development roles. Laurence serves on the boards of several emerging biotechnology companies, and he also serves on the board of The Possible Zone and is a board advisor to Life Science Cares and Mount Auburn Hospital. He earned his Ph.D. from King’s College, London, and his B.A. from Cambridge University.
Ms. Stuart has more than 30 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry including tactical, operational and development activities. She is the former Chief Operating Officer of Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNCE), which was acquired by Sun Pharma in 2023. Prior to joining Concert, Ms. Stuart held senior business and drug development positions in large and small biotechnology and clinical development companies including Amgen Inc., Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Genzyme Corp. She also serves on the Board of Directors of The Greater Boston YMCA. Ms. Stuart received her M.B.A. from the Simmons College Graduate School of Management and her B.S. from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Patrick Treanor has served as a member of our board since May 2022. Mr. Treanor is the Chief Operating Officer of Pathalys Pharmaceutical, a private biopharmaceutical company committed to the development of multiple advanced therapeutics that address unmet needs in the management of late-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). Prior to Pathalys Mr. Treanor served as the President of Vifor Pharma North America where he helped the company through the integration of Relypsa Pharmaceuticals and the expansion of its presence and product portfolio in North America. Mr. Treanor had previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Relypsa, helping lead the launch and commercialization strategy for Veltassa® worldwide. Mr. Treanor has more than 25 years of experience building commercial organizations in the biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors at organizations including Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Oscient Pharmaceuticals, AMAG Pharmaceuticals and Insulet Corporation. Mr. Treanor received an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. in Management from Bryant University.
Edward W. Unkart has served as a member of KalVista’s Board of Directors since the consummation of the Carbylan Therapeutics, Inc. transaction in 2016. From August 2006 to August 2009, Mr. Unkart served as a member of the Board of Directors of XTENT, a publicly traded manufacturer of drug-eluting stent systems, where he was the Chair of the company’s audit committee and a member of the nominating and governance committee. From October 2004 to June 2009, Mr. Unkart served as a member of the Board of Directors of VNUS Medical Technologies, a publicly traded medical device company, where he was the Chair of the company’s audit committee and a member of the compensation committee. From January 2005 to December 2008, Mr. Unkart served as Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of SurgRx; a manufacturer of medical devices. Mr. Unkart is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a BS and an MBA from Stanford University.