Senior Director, Global Pricing and Contracting - another JNJ alum.....

[kmall]

TJ McLaughlin - Senior Director, Global Pricing and Contracting, Geron Corporation

Hired - April 2023

3/16/2023 - FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN) reported that it has granted non-statutory stock options to purchase an aggregate of 490,630 shares of Geron common stock as inducements to newly hired employees in connection with commencement of employment with the Company. TJ McLaughlin is one of these newly hired employees.

TJ McLaughlin's former employers include: JNJ, Pfizer, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, AstraZeneca, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Nielsen

*TJ McLaughlin was at JNJ for almost 12yrs as a Director of Global Pricing and Director, Market Access, Diagnostics - Oncology, Hematology.
Geron now has at least 27 employees who were once formerly employed by JNJ/Janssen. -Kmall

[kmall]

Known current Geron Employees as of 4/9/2023 and their initial hiring dates –
* Former Janssen employee
** Former JNJ employee
+ Part-time or Consultant

Management:
1 - CEO – Dr. John A. Scarlett, MD - 2011
2 - CFO – Olivia K. Bloom - 1994
3 - CAO – Melissa A. Kelly Behrs – 1998
4 - CBO – Edward Koval - 2021
5 - COO – Andrew J. Grethlein - 2012
6 - CCO* – Anil Kapur - 2019
7 - CMO* – Faye Feller, MD - 2019
8 - CLO – Stephen N. Rosenfield - 2011

Clinical – Operations, Science, Development:
Faye Feller*(7), MD – CMO – 2019
9 - Shyamala Navada* - Executive Medical Director, MD - 2023
10 - Laurie Sherman* – VP Clinical Operations – 2019
11 - Souria Dougherty* - Ex Director Clinical Science - 2019
12 - Tymara Berry – Ex Director Clinical Development - 2020
13 - Dr. Vivian Rodolf - Medical Director - 2022
14 - Sheetal Shah – Sr Director – 2020
15 - Denise Redding – Director - 2021
16 - Jeff Ryel – Director Clinical Operations - 2020
17 - Brandie Jonas – Sr Director, Clinical Program Management – 2019
18 - F Matthew Bakthasekaran - Sr Manger, Clinical Program Management - 2022
19 - Miranda Chrisp - Associate Director, Clinical Program Management - 2023
20 - Judy Ho - Sr Manager - 2022
21 - Natasha M - Associate Director, Clinical Research - 2021
22 - Manoj Jivani - Director Clinical Operations - 2022
23 - Kate Turner - Associate Director Clinical Operations - 2022
24 - Jennifer Riggs* - Associate Director Clinical Science - 2022
25 – Carolina Jacobs – Sr Project Manager - 2012
26 - Daria Zielinska – Sr Scientist – 2001
27 - Ron Pruzan – Principal Scientist – 2010
28 – Yelena Polonskaya – Sr Research Associate - 2001
29 - Barbara Mandelkow (Germany) Lab Assistant - 2017
30 - Janet Ahern(+) - Clinical Research Consultant - 2022
31 - Dr. Aleksandra Rizo*(+) - Sr. Medical and Regulatory Advisor - 2019
(currently employed at Vividion and Geron)
32 - Mebratu Gebreyesus(+) - Sr Development Associate - 2010
(currently employed at Bayer, Celltheon and Geron)
33 - Kerry Mundt(+) – CT Assistant – 2010
(currently employed by Pharmacyclics/Abbvie and Geron)

Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety/Information:
34 - Patti N. – Ex Director Drug Safety – 2020
35 - Annat Ikin - Director Medical Writing - 2021

Business Development:
Melissa A. Kelly Behrs (3) – Chief Alliance Officer – 2014
Edward Koval (4) – CBO - 2021
Anil Kapur* (6) - COO - 2019
36 - Jason Grossman - Ex Director, Commercial Operations - 2022
37 - Ryan Vincenti - Associate Director, Commercial Excellence, Geron Corporation - 2023
38 - Nishan Sengupta** - VP, Market-Access, Pricing, Evidence Strategy - 2021
39 - TJ McLaughlin** - Sr. Director, Global Pricing and Contracting - 2023
40 - Dylan Supina** - Sr. Director, Real World Evidence Analytics & Strategy - 2023
41 - Scott Hutson** - VP Sales - 2022
42 - Denise Meyer – VP Medical Affairs – 2022
43 - Dana Clark - Oncology Clinical Educator, Medical Affairs - 2023
44 - Stacey Brewer - Oncology Clinical Educator, Medical Affairs - 2023
45 - Peter A. Avalos** - VP Trade & Channel Relations - 2022
46 - Mary Lou Szekeres - Sr. Director, Channel Marketing - 2023
47 - Oliver Gessner* - Sr. Director, Business Insights and Analytics, Hematology - 2022
48 - Lorraine Shui** - VP Marketing - 2022
49 - Nisha Javeri - Associate Director, Professional Marketing - 2023
50 - Valli ThIrunavukkarasu* - Director, Forecasting, Geron Corporation - 2023
51 - Christopher Cornell - Sr. Field Medical Liaison - 2022
52 - Natasha Moningka, Ph.D - Sr. Medical Field Liason - 2022
53 - Terry Downey-Freiman - Sr. Medical Field Liason - 2022
54 - Sara Shinnick - Sr Field Medical Liason, Oncology, Southeast, Geron Corporation - 2023
55 - Stewart H - Sr. Director; GPO/Physician Networks, Field Reimbursement & Payer National Accounts - 2023
56 - Ryan Goldstein - Sr. Director Patient Services, Trade & Distribution - 2023
57 - Angela Federici - Director, Market Research - 2023
58 - Edmund Shangold - Director, Digital Marketing - 2023
59 - Helen Lee – Sr. Reporting Analyst - 2012
60 - Anthony Kuczynski – Business System Manager - 2019
61 - Aron Feingold - VP Investor Relations & Corporate Communication - 2022
62 - Stacie W. - Manager, Commercial Administration and Launch Readiness - 2020

Finance:
Olivia K. Bloom (2) – CFO – 1994
63 - Karen Boyce – VP -2008
64 - Andrew Good – Ex Director – 2006
65 - Gilian Fong – Director – 2021
66 – Iasko Cable – Sr. Clinical Trial Accountant – 2019
67 – Dave Clark – CPA, VP Corporate Controller - 2022
68 - Katherine Harmon, CPA, Director & Assistant Controller - 2022
69 - Angie K. - Sr Payroll & Stock Administrator - 2021

Data Management:
70 - Ben Thorp - Head of Clinical Data Management - 2022
71 - Sarfraz Haroon - Associate Director, Clinical Data Management - 2022
72 - Mernyka Webster - Clinical Data Collector - 2023
73 - Rana F.* – Director, Statistical Programming - 2020
74 - Sridevi Sridhar, CCDM – Associate Director – 2021
75 - Aswin Jayaraman - Director, IT Applications - 2022

Manufacturing:
76 - Patrick Murphy – VP Manufacturing – 2019
77 - Eric Mueller – Director – 2019
78 - Leslie C. – CMC Director - 2021
79 - Bharat Baral* – CMC Manager – 2021 & 2011
80 - William Garzon-Rodriguez* - Associate Director Drug Product Manufacturing – 2021
81 - Tim Tickner – Director, Supply Chain Management – 2022

Regulatory:
82 - Sharon McBain* - VP Global (UK) - 2019
83 - Shirin Mirshamsi* – Director EU (UK) – 2019
84 - Ilesh Sanathra* - Director Global (UK) – 2020
85 - Nick Lyon** –Sr Director (UK) – 2020
86 – Ronan Balicanta* - Sr Manager, Submissions (UK) - 2022
87 - Tarin Araujo** - Sr Manager (US) - 2022
88 - Joyce Reader** - Sr Regulatory Consultant (UK)(+) - 2022

Biostatistics:
89 - Ying Wan* – VP - 2019
90 - Libo Sun* – Sr Director - 2019

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:
91 - Denise Grippo – VP Quality and Compliance – 2019
92 - Samantha Taylor – QA Manager, Document Control – 2007
93 - Joe Denton – Director – 2019
94 - Damanjit Singh – Sr Manager – 2018
95 - Willie Mobley – Materials/Document Specialist - 2007
96 - Leah Wood – Manager – 2021
97 - Murugappa Vedachalam (+) – QA/QC/CMC Consultant - 2019

Legal and Intellectual Property:
Stephen L. Rosenfield (8) – CLO – 2011
98 - Pamela Smith – Associate General Counsel - 1999
99 - Christopher Johnson – Director - 2019
100 - Laura Reederson – Director - 2020
101 - Leslie Mooi – VP IP – 2007
102 - Abby B. – Sr Patent Paralegal - 2014
103 - Cheryl Northern – Sr. Contracts Manager – 2007
104 - Kimberlee Nickell - Contracts Manager - 2023

Facilities Operations and Information Technology:
105 - Michael Yamada – VP -2007
106 - Jyoti Shetty – Sr Director IT – 2021
107 - Brent Jones - Director Business IT Systems - 2021
108 - John Albert - Director Information Technology Infrastructure - 2022
109 - Tim W - Associate Director, IT Business Systems - 2022
110 - Miguel Hundelt – Systems Administrator – 2018
111 – Julian Cornejo - Systems Administrator - 2021
112 - Briana Martinez – Ex Assistant - 2006
113 - Julia Mensing – Ex Assistant – 2011
114 - Mia Pham – Sr Office Manager, CA & NJ - 2020

Human Resources:
115 - Shannon Odam – HR Executive -2019
116 - Stephanie Dellari – Director - 2004
117 - Susan Finan – Employee Benefits – 2021
118 - Marisa Cerniglia - Manager, People Operations – 2021
119 – Jennifer Allen - Associate Director, Talent Acquisition – 2022
120 – Fiona McAuliffe – Talent Acquisition Associate - 2022
121 - Christine Geary (+) - Sr Talent Acquisition (contract) - 2023


***This latest "known" Geron employee roster reflects the most recent additions of:

37 - Ryan Vincenti - Associate Director, Commercial Excellence
39 - TJ McLaughlin - Sr Director, Global Pricing and Contracting
43 - Dana Clark - Oncology Clinical Educator, Medical Affairs, Geron Corporation
44 - Stacey Brewer - Oncology Clinical Educator, Medical Affairs
46 - Mary Lou Szekeres - Sr Director, Channel Marketing
49 - Nisha Javeri - Associate Director, Professional Marketing.....(cont)

[kmall]

(cont).....
50 - Valli ThIrunavukkarasu* - Director, Forecasting
54 - Sara Shinnick - Sr Field Medical Liason, Oncology, Southeast
58 - Edmund Shangold - Director, Digital Marketing
71 - Mernyka Webster - Clinical Data Collector



Former Janssen and JNJ employees now at Geron:

Janssen -
1. Dr. Aleksandra Rizo - Sr. Medical and Regulatory Advisor - 2019
2. Dr. Faye Feller, MD – CMO – 2019
3. Shyamala Navada, MD - Executive Medical Director - 2023
4. Laurie Sherman – VP Clinical Operations – 2019
5. Souria Dougherty - Ex Director Clinical Science - 2019
6. Jennifer Riggs - Associate Director Clinical Science - 2022
7. Anil Kapur - COO - 2019
8. Oliver Gessner - Sr. Director, Business Insights and Analytics, Hematology - 2022
9. Rana F. – Director, Statistical Programming - 2020
10. Bharat Baral – CMC Manager – 2021 & 2011
11. William Garzon-Rodriguez - Associate Director Drug Product Manufacturing – 2021
12. Sharon McBain - VP Global Regulatory (UK) - 2019
13. Shirin Mirshamsi – Director EU, Regulatory (UK) – 2019
14. Ilesh Sanathra - Director Global, Regulatory (UK) – 2020
15. Ronan Balicanta - Sr Manager, Regulatory Submissions (UK) - 2022
16. Ying Wan – VP, Biostatistics - 2019
17. Libo Sun – Director, Biostatistics - 2019
18. Valli ThIrunavukkarasu - Director, Forecasting, Geron Corporation - 2023


JNJ
1. Nishan Sengupta - VP, Market-Access, Pricing, Evidence Strategy - 2021
2. Scott Hutson - VP Sales - 2022
3. Lorraine Shui - VP Marketing - 2022
4. Nick Lyon - Sr Director, Regulatory (UK) - 2020
5. Tarin Araujo - Sr Manager US, Regulatory - 2022
6. Joyce Reader - Sr Regulatory Consultant, Regulatory (UK) - 2022
7. Peter A. Avalos - VP Trade & Channel Relations - 2022
8. Dylan Supina - Sr Director, Real World Evidence Analytics & Strategy - 2023
9. TJ McLaughlin - Sr Director, Global Pricing and Contracting - 2023

***As of now, this is the current list of "known" ex-Janssen and ex-JNJ employees now working at Geron. More to come...... -Kmall

[LWS]

6/ JNJ has been part of Imetelstat’s past, present and most likely its future (along with AbbVie).----LWS

It appears that whatever JNJ's relations have been with Geron in the past, that they never lost interest in Imetelstat, especially its potential in combinations.

[bucbeard]

This seems to me to be a very noteworthy transition, given the importance of the role for a hemotological company that is on the cusp of submitting for FDA approval for its first and only compound. I can't imagine that JNJ would sit by and allow for this type of attrition to occur if they weren't still involved in some way with the future commercialization of Imetelstat.

[kmall]

Bucbeard - While many of these former JNJ/Janssen employees have not come directly to Geron from JNJ/Janssen, many key ones have, including: Nishan Sengupta, Sharon McBain, Dr. Faye Feller, Dr. Shyamala Navada, Dr. Ying Wan, Laurie Sherman, amongst a handful of others. Regardless of whether there was a "directive" from JNJ to transfer to Geron - there is zero proof of that as of now - Geron having 20+% of their new hires, with a background of employment at JNJ, most of whom with a decade or more there, more or less puts to rest the argument of Imetelstat's efficacy in the Hematological space. It's looking more likely that more data was needed and time ran out on the old stop clock with their business collaboration back in 2018. If this is the case, then one would assume that these extra 4-5yrs will benefit shareholders at some point......I wish the same could be said for patients during this time period. -Kmall

[LWS]

Combinations and Synergies

It seems to me that JNJ, AbbVie and Geron are all working together in ways that we can only guess at. Of the 3 medicines (Venetoclax, Imbruvia, and Imetelstat) only Imetelstat has not been approved. Considering the interaction of these medicines in various ongoing trial combinations, I would think that JNJ & AbbVie are now pushing Geron to get Imetelstat approved. In addition, with approvals, off-label possibilities will open-up. There is much interest in AML combinations centering around both Venetoclax & Imetelstat. JNJ (and current Geron staff) has known about Imbruvica and Imetelstat combinations for a very long time.

---------------------------------------------
For Reference

Summary--- 3 Ways to Kill Cancer Cells

Venetoclax (approved -- AbbVie), Imbruvia (approved -- JNJ ) and Imetelstat (pending approval -- Geron) all kill cancer cells by different methods. Together, in combinations, there likely will be important synergies.

1/ Imetelstat (telomerase, an enzyme, inhibitor) -- kills cancer cells,
2/ Venetoclax (BCL-2 protein inhibitor) -- kills cancer cells
3/ Imbruvica is a targeted medicine that works by inhibiting the enzyme Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), which is part of a crucial signaling pathway in certain cancers, especially B-cell leukemias and lymphomas. By blocking this pathway Imbruvica triggers the death of cancer cells

[biopearl123]

Bucbeard, J and J had 153,000 employees (!!). I am guessing there is plenty of redundancy regarding positions of this nature, doubt they feel the attrition. Kmall has helped us understand whether these folks are leaving J and J for greener pastures, e.g. Geron or whether they represent an “advance team”. J and J can buy whatever company they want and drop whatever company they want. Pretty much whenever they want. Doubt the advance team theory although many here still adhere to it.

[bucbeard]

yes, one can look at it as a Global Pricing and Contracting roles across all of JnJ...or one can look at it as a Global Pricing and Contracting role across the Hem division of Janssen, which is orchards of apple trees to a handful of individual oranges, comparison....

fair enough to doubt it, but IMO, there is SOME sort of understanding here between the two companies. at the very least, they (Janssen) don't appear to be objecting to the ongoing Hem talent migration.

[kmall]

Bp - Interesting that several of Geron's latest hires in Business Development were previously at JNJ for substantial time periods.

Nishan Sengupta - VP, Market-Access, Pricing, Evidence Strategy (JNJ 11+yrs)

Scott Hutson - VP Sales (JNJ 11yrs)

Peter A. Avalos - VP Trade & Channel Relations (JNJ 18yrs)

TJ McLaughlin - Senior Director, Global Pricing and Contracting (JNJ 11+yrs)

Dylan Supina - Sr Director, Real World Evidence Analytics & Strategy (JNJ 5+yrs)

*not quite sure if it's a positive yet in the case of Geron?......but it certainly isn't a negative. -Kmall

[biopearl123]

Good points all around, good enough that I won’t bet a dollar on it.

[kmall]

Bp- from the small list above your last post, only Nishan Sengupta came directly to Geron from JNJ. Perhaps he dug through his rolodex in persuading the others to join him? It wouldn't surprise me if he was acquainted professionally with each one of them.

Does anyone even have a rolodex on their desk anymore?

I'm working on winning that buck from you one way or another. -Kmall