Thomas E. Needham Jr., MBA — Chief Business Officer at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals

Mr. Thomas E. Needham, also known as Tom, Jr., MBA, has been the Chief Business Officer at Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since July 24, 2017. Mr. Needham helps design and implement Merrimack's strategy for its broad pipeline of clinical and preclinical development assets. He has over 25 years of experience in corporate strategy, finance and executive management for public and private biotechnology companies. He has an extensive track record of driving strategic transactions, including in- and out-licensing, co-development and R&D collaborations. He served as the Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Development at C4 Therapeutics, Inc. since February 17, 2016, where he was responsible for executing business development strategy and establishing corporate partnerships. He served as the Chief Executive Officer and President at Trident Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since June 2012. He co-founded Synthesis Capital in 2007 and served as its Managing Director, where he helped manage two healthcare venture funds focused on biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical technology investments. He focused on life science venture capital investments and in private companies in the biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries. He has spent the last 20 years working in healthcare and the biopharmaceutical industry and has focused on life science venture capital investing since 2002. From 2002 to 2007, he was a Principal at Advent International Corporation. He focused on investments in the biotechnology and emerging pharmaceuticals sectors across the North American region. He was a Principal at Advent Health Care & Life Sciences I, L.P. and Advent Health Care & Life Sciences III, L.P. He served as the Vice President of Business Development for the U.S. operations of GPC Biotech, Inc. He served as the Vice President of Business Development at GPC Biotech AG (now Agennix AG). He served as the Vice President of Business Development for Mitotix Inc. in 1994. While at GPC Biotech and Mitotix, Mr. Needham held senior management responsibilities in corporate and business development, in-licensing and out licensing, which included involvement in negotiating and closing R&D collaborations with pharma valued in excess of $250 million. Prior to joining Mitotix, he worked in business development at ImmuLogic Pharmaceutical Corp. Mr. Needham serves as Director at and Spear Therapeutics. He served as a Director of MDeverywhere, Inc. He served as a Director of Trident Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Prexa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since November 2007. He served as a Director of Healthcare IT, Inc. (alternate name, Ardais Corporation). He is an active Board Observer at Ampla Pharmaceuticals, ReVision Therapeutics, Sirion Therapeutics and Enanta Pharmaceuticals. He holds a B.A. in History and Economics from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from the Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.