Synopsis:

Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., is the President and CEO of Kura Oncology, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. Troy talks about his experiences being a CEO and the differences in responsibility between being a CEO and a board member. He also shares what it takes to have a productive board for a biotech company. He discusses recruiting at both the team level and the board level and the qualities that he looks for in a candidate. He shares where he thinks cancer drug development is headed, where it needs to head and where he thinks there’s unmet need. Finally, he talks about the work they’re pursuing at Kura and where they are from a development perspective.

Biography:

Troy E. Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., is one of Kura’s Co-founders and has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and as the Chairman of our Board of Directors since our inception in August 2014. Previously, Dr. Wilson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, and its parent company Araxes Pharma LLC from July 2012 to March 2019 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Avidity Biosciences, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, from November 2012 to February 2019.

Dr. Wilson served as the President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Intellikine, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, from April 2007 to January 2012 and from August 2007 to January 2012, respectively, until its acquisition by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of Puma Biotechnology, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, since October 2013, Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of Avidity Biosciences, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, since February 2019 and November 2012, respectively, Executive Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of Wellspring Biosciences since February 2019 and July 2012, respectively, and a member of the Board of Managers of Araxes Pharma LLC since July 2012. Dr. Wilson holds a J.D. from New York University and graduated with a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry and a B.A. in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley.