Speakers

Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., Co-Founder and CEO of BioNTech, is a physician, immunologist and leader in the development of novel approaches to fight cancer and infectious diseases. Sahin is one of the world’s foremost experts on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) medicines. He has pioneered several fundamental breakthroughs enabling the development of mRNA vaccines and other types of immunotherapies. Sahin initiated and oversees “Project Lightspeed,” the historic development of the first mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, moving from lab and clinical testing to conditional approval within an unprecedented 11-month period. He also leads BioNTech’s research and development of neoantigen specific mRNA cancer vaccines which are individually tailored and produced on demand according to the profile of non-synonymous mutations identified by next-generation sequencing in patients’ tumors. Ugur Sahin is co-inventor of more than 500 filed patents applications and patents.

Sahin’s academic credentials include serving as a Full Professor in Translational Oncology & Immunology at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, where he was the supervisor of more than 50 PhD students. He also holds the role of Chairman of the Scientific Management Board of the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON). Based on his contributions to scientific discovery, Dr. Sahin has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the German Sustainability Award, the Mustafa Prize, and the German Cancer Award. He is married to Prof. Özlem Türeci.

Prof. Özlem Türeci, M.D., Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of BioNTech, is a physician, immunologist, and cancer researcher with translational and clinical experience. Türeci has helped lead the discovery of cancer antigens, the development of mRNA-based individualized and off-the-shelf vaccine candidates and other types of immunotherapies which are currently in clinical development. Türeci leads the clinical development of BioNTech’s “Project Lightspeed,” the company’s successful effort to develop and distribute an mRNA-based vaccine against COVID-19, a historic achievement completed in less than one year.

Türeci previously served as CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Ganymed Pharmaceuticals AG, which she co-founded with Ugur Sahin and Christoph Huber. She is also a professor for Personalized Immunotherapy at the University Medical Center Mainz and the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology Mainz (HI-TRON) and currently serves as President of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT) in Germany. She is a recipient of the German Sustainability Award, among other notable recognitions. Türeci is married to Prof. Ugur Sahin.

Ryan Richardson is our Chief Strategy Officer. He brings more than 15 years of experience in the finance and healthcare industries to BioNTech. Prior to joining BioNTech in 2018 as SVP Corporate Development & Strategy, Ryan was an Executive Director in the Global Healthcare Investment Banking team at J.P. Morgan in London, where he advised companies in the biotech and life sciences industry on M&A, equity and debt capital financings. Earlier in his career, Ryan spent five years as a Management Consultant to biopharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and Europe, where he worked on a wide range of strategic and operational projects in the areas of commercial strategy, pricing and market access, new product planning, and R&D operations. Ryan holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BSc in Biology from the University of Kansas.

Annemarie Hanekamp is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive experienced in developing patient-focused commercial strategies for innovative oncology products encompassing sales, marketing and market access. As Chief Commercial Officer, she drives and executes the global commercialization strategy to leverage BioNTech’s full potential as a vertically integrated biopharmaceutical company.

 Annemarie Hanekamp has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including 15 years of commercial experience in companies ranging from early-stage biotechnology companies to full-scale pharmaceutical companies. She successfully delivered significant value in a broad range of roles: At Novartis, she led the U.S. and global teams through a time of strategic opportunities and operational headwinds following an unprecedented strong launch uptake of their novel treatment for prostate cancer. She was also responsible for building a new global oncology organization following a company-wide transformation. At Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., she held a pivotal role in evolving the company’s U.S. oncology strategy, resulting in significant and sustainable growth including an expanded market access as well as product launches. 

Annemarie Hanekamp holds degrees in biomedical sciences as well as organizational leadership.