Business Advisory Board

Annalisa Jenkins, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.P.

Biopharma & Life Sciences Executive

Annalisa Jenkins, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.P. is a biopharma thought leader with over 25 years of industry experience. Dr. Jenkins has extensive experience in building biotechnology companies pursuing cures for the most challenging rare diseases to address global medical issues. She has consistently built and led teams advancing programs from scientific research through clinical development, regulatory approval, and into healthcare systems around the world. In addition, she is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, particularly for women in science.

Dr. Jenkins served as president and CEO of Dimension Therapeutics, a leading gene therapy company that she took public on the NASDAQ and subsequently sold to Ultragenyx. Before Dimension, she served as Head of Global Research and Development and Executive Vice President, Head of Global Research and Development at Merck Serono. Prior to Merck Serono, Dr. Jenkins spent over 15 years at Bristol Myers-Squibb in roles including Senior Vice President and Head of Global Medical Affairs. Earlier in her career, Dr. Jenkins was a medical officer in the British Royal Navy during the Gulf Conflict, achieving the rank of surgeon lieutenant commander.

Dr. Jenkins is a board member of several growing companies, including Oncimmune, AVROBIO, COMPASS Pathways, AFFIMED, AOBiome, AgeX, ADOR Diagnostics, Conduit Connect, TrustedDoctor, Cocoon Biotech Inc. (Non-Executive Chair), Kuur Therapeutics (Non-Executive Chair). She also is a committee member of the Science Board to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, which advises FDA leadership on complex scientific and technical issues, board member at Faster Cures a center of The Milken Institute and Chair of The Court The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Jenkins was named the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Woman of the Year in 2014, a prestigious award that honors exceptional leaders and role models in the healthcare industry.

Jeff Kindler

CEO, Centrexion Therapeutics

Jeff Kindler has decades of experience building and advising companies of all sizes and brings a unique combination of practical experience at the highest levels in business, healthcare, and venture capital. He’s worked with numerous VC-backed companies in biopharmaceuticals and adjacent sectors, providing strategic counsel on new investment opportunities in healthcare.

Kindler currently serves as CEO of Centrexion Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotech company he co-founded, which is developing non-opioid treatments for pain, and has one of the largest pipelines of potential such treatments in the industry. He is also a current Operating Partner at ARTIS Ventures. Kindler has served as Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, the world's largest research-based biopharmaceutical company, and prior to that he held senior executive positions at McDonald's and General Electric Company. He also served as a member of President Obama’s Management Advisory Board.

Michael Marks

Founding Managing Partner, WRVI Capital

As manufacturing and production challenges the gene therapy field, Michael Marks is one of the world’s top leaders in growing companies, scaling manufacturing, and leading rapidly growing organizations to global success.

Marks is the Founding Managing Partner at WRVI Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm which invests in transformational technology companies globally. A seasoned investor, executive operator, and founder, Marks was a Founding Partner of Riverwood Capital, a Menlo Park-based private equity firm, and also a Partner and Senior Advisor at KKR & Co. Before KKR, he spent 13 years as CEO of Flex Ltd. (formerly Flextronics International Ltd.) and built the company into one of the largest technology companies in the world, increasing annualized revenues from approximately $93 million to approximately $25 billion, while establishing operations in over 35 countries and integrating over 100 acquisitions. During his time as Chairman, he helped Flextronics grow to annualized revenues of $36 billion.

Marks has been named one of the top ten most influential executives in Silicon Valley history by Electronic Business Magazine and was their CEO of the Year for 2003. He is a director of Berkeley Lights (Chairman), Bossa Nova Robotics (Chairman), The Melt, Enjoy, Maui Greens, White Rabbit, Smartfrog/Canary, and Finicast. He was previously a director of SanDisk Corporation (former Chairman), Katerra (former Chairman), Schlumberger Limited, GoPro, and many others.

Mark Pruzanski, M.D.

Former CEO Intercept, Apple Tree Partners, Oak Investments

Mark Pruzanski, M.D., co-founded Intercept Pharmaceuticals in 2002 and, as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), led the company through a successful IPO in 2012 and grew it into a fully integrated, commercial-stage pharmaceutical company. Before founding Intercept, Dr. Pruzanski built a career in venture capital and strategic consulting. He was a co-founder and venture partner at the early-stage life science venture firm Apple Tree Partners, and an entrepreneur-in-residence at the venture firm Oak Investment Partners. Since January 2021, Dr. Pruzanski has been the Managing Member of Figurati LLC, a life sciences investment and consulting firm. He currently serves on the Boards of Equillium LLC, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a non-profit policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security, and on the Emerging Companies Section of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Dr. Pruzanski received his M.D. from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, a M.A. degree in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy and Washington, D.C., and a bachelor’s degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Paul Sekhri

President and CEO, eGenesis

With decades of experience leading life sciences companies, Paul Sekhri brings unparalleled industry knowledge to the Excision Board of Advisors. Currently the president and CEO of eGenesis, Sekhri has been a director on more than 24 private and public company boards.

He was previously president and CEO of Lycera Corp., and prior to that he served as group Executive Vice President, Global Business Development, and Chief Strategy Officer for Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries, Ltd. Previously he was Operating Partner and head of the Biotechnology Operating Group at TPG Biotech, Founder, President and CEO of Cerimon, and President and Chief Business Officer of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals. He has also held various senior positions at Novartis AG.

Sandy Zweifach

Former CEO Nuvelution Pharma, Ascendency Healthcare, Reedland Captial, Pathways Diagnostics, CFO Bay City Capital

Sandy Zweifach is an accomplished executive bringing experience in corporate partnering, business development, operations, finance, private and public investing, and capital raising from his more than 30 years in the life sciences industry. Most recently, he was a Venture Partner at Medicxi where he served as Chair of several portfolio companies. Previously, Mr Zweifach was the Founder and CEO of Nuvelution Pharma, Inc., a company that deploys capital in risk-sharing collaborations. founded and served as CEO of Ascendancy Healthcare, Inc. and, before that, headed life sciences M&A and advisory efforts as a Partner at Reedland Capital Partners, a boutique investment bank. Earlier in his career, Mr. Zweifach held a number of financial and executive positions at several emerging life science companies, serving as CEO of Pathways Diagnostics Ltd, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Bay City Capital LLC, and CFO of Epoch Biosciences, Inc. He currently sits on both private and public boards. He received his B.A. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego and his M.S. in Human Physiology from the University of California, Davis.