Orchard Therapeutics, a leading commercial-stage biotech company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with rare diseases through innovative gene therapies, announced the appointment of Jim Geraghty as chairman of its board of directors.
Ben Auspitz, a partner at F-Prime Capital, who served as Orchard’s chairman since 2016, will transition from his current role on the board.
Jim Geraghty is an industry leader with over 30 years of strategic experience including more than 20 years as a senior executive at biotechnology companies developing and commercializing innovative therapies.
Over his career, Jim served as senior vice president, North America strategy and business development at Sanofi, and previously as senior vice president international development at Genzyme, president of Genzyme Europe, and founding president and CEO of Genzyme Transgenics.
Mr. Geraghty is chairman for the boards of Idera, Pieris and Juniper Pharmaceuticals, and is a member of the board of Voyager Therapeutics.
He was most recently an entrepreneur in residence at Third Rock Ventures. Mr. Geraghty started his career in healthcare strategy consulting at Bain.
A graduate of Yale Law School, Mr. Geraghty also holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University.
“Orchard is privileged to have Jim join its board of directors at this crucial phase in the company’s lifecycle, given his unique experience and insights in building a global organization over the long-term,” said Ben Auspitz. “At Genzyme, Jim played an important role in the company’s transformation from a start-up with a strong technology base in the 1980s to a leading global rare disease company. Orchard has the potential to undergo a similar transformation as a leader of the gene therapy revolution and will greatly benefit from Jim’s experience.”
