Executive Management

John A. Scarlett has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a director since September 2011 and President since January 2012. Prior to joining Geron, Dr. Scarlett served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Proteolix, Inc. from February 2009 until its acquisition by Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in November 2009. From February 2002 until its acquisition by Ipsen, S.A. in October 2008, Dr. Scarlett served as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Tercica, Inc. and also as its President from February 2002 through February 2007. From March 1993 to May 2001, Dr. Scarlett served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sensus Drug Development Corporation. In 1995, he co-founded Covance Biotechnology Services, Inc. and served as a member of its board of directors from inception to 2000. From 1991 to 1993, Dr. Scarlett headed the North American Clinical Development Center and served as Senior Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Novo Nordisk A/S. Dr. Scarlett received his B.A. degree in chemistry from Earlham College and his M.D. from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine.

Graham K. Cooper has served as our as Executive Vice President, Finance and Business Development and Chief Financial Officer, since January 2012. From May 2006 until March 2011, Mr. Cooper served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Orexigen Therapeutics. He was instrumental in growing Orexigen from a venture-backed startup into a sizable public company, completing a large Phase 3 obesity program and filing an NDA with the FDA. Previously, Mr. Cooper held the position of Director, Health Care Investment Banking, at Deutsche Bank Securities, where for approximately eight years he was responsible for executing and managing a wide variety of financing and merger and acquisition transactions in the life sciences field. Mr. Cooper has earned a C.P.A., holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Stephen M. Kelsey has served as our as Executive Vice President, Head of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer, since May 2011. He joined Geron in April 2009 as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Oncology. From June 2002 until April 2009, Dr. Kelsey held various positions at Genentech, Inc., most recently as Vice President, clinical hematology/oncology. From June 2000 to June 2002, Dr. Kelsey was the Director of clinical affairs at Pharmacia Corporation (SUGEN, Inc.) and Director of global clinical development (oncology) at Pharmacia Corporation in Milan, Italy. From July 1993 to June 2000, Dr. Kelsey served as a Senior Lecturer in hematology/oncology at St. Bartholomews and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry and visiting fellow at Vancouver General Hospital and Terry Fox Laboratories. Dr. Kelsey earned his B.Sc. in Pharmacology, M.B., Ch.B., and Doctorate of Medicine (M.D.) degrees from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

David J. Earp has served as our Senior Vice President, Corporate Transactions and Chief Legal Officer since May 2011. He is also a director of our wholly-owned subsidiary, Geron Bio-Med, Ltd. and Executive Chairman of ViaGen, Inc., a Geron affiliate. From May 2004 until May 2011, Dr. Earp served as Geron's Senior Vice President, Business Development and Chief Patent Counsel. From October 1999 until May 2004, he served as our Vice President, Intellectual Property. Prior to joining Geron, Dr. Earp was a partner at the intellectual property law firm of Klarquist Sparkman, LLP. Dr. Earp holds a B.Sc. in microbiology from the University of Leeds, England, a Ph.D. from the biochemistry department of The University of Cambridge, England, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California at Berkeley/U.S.D.A. Plant Gene Expression Center. He received his J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College.

Melissa A. Kelly Behrs has served as our Senior Vice President, Strategic Portfolio Management, Product Development and Manufacturing, since May 2011. She served as Senior Vice President, Therapeutic Development, Oncology from January 2007 until May 2011, and as Vice President, Oncology from January 2003 until January 2007. From April 2002 until January 2003, Ms. Behrs served as our Vice President, Corporate Development. From April 2001 until April 2002, Ms. Behrs served as our General Manager, Research and Development Technologies. Ms. Behrs joined us in November 1998 as Director of Corporate Development. From 1990 to 1998, Ms. Behrs worked at Genetics Institute, Inc., serving initially as Assistant Treasurer and then as Associate Director of Preclinical Operations where she was responsible for all business development, regulatory, and project management activities for the Preclinical Development function. Ms. Behrs received a B.S. from Boston College and an M.B.A. from Babson College.

Melanie I. Nallicheri has served as our Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, since joining us in April 2011. Prior to Geron, Melanie was a partner and senior member of the global health team at Booz & Company/Booz Allen Hamilton. She joined Booz in 1993 and advised clients across all sectors of healthcare, including large pharma, bio-pharmaceutical companies, payors and providers in both the U.S. and Europe. The focus of her work was on commercialization strategies, strategic planning, corporate strategy including M&A, due diligence, payor/provider economics and performance improvement. Ms. Nallicheri received an M.S. in Business and Economics from the WHU Otto Beisheim School in Germany and an M.B.A from Columbia Business School.

Olivia K. Bloom has served as our Vice President since January 2007, Chief Accounting Officer since September 2010 and Treasurer since February 2011. Ms. Bloom was Controller from 1996 to 2011 and joined Geron in 1994 as a Senior Financial Analyst. Prior to Geron, Ms. Bloom started her career in public accounting at KPMG Peat Marwick and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1994. Ms. Bloom graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley.

Stephen N. Rosenfield, J.D., has served as our General Counsel and Secretary since January 2012 and Secretary since October 2011. From July 2009 to the present, Mr. Rosenfield has been a consultant to private companies. From October 2008 until June 2009, Mr. Rosenfield was the General Counsel and Secretary of Tercica, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Ipsen, SA. From June 2004 until October 2008, Mr. Rosenfield was the General Counsel and Secretary of Tercica, Inc.; from January 2006 until October 2008 he was also the EVP of Legal Affairs, and from June 2004 until January 2006, Mr. Rosenfield was the SVP of Legal Affairs. Prior to joining Tercica, Mr. Rosenfield served as the EVP of Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of InterMune, Inc. Prior to joining InterMune, Mr. Rosenfield was an attorney at Cooley Godward LLP where he served as outside counsel for biotechnology and technology clients. Mr. Rosenfield received his B.S. degree from Hofstra University and his J.D. degree from Northeastern University School of Law.