Molecular Templates, Inc. announced executive management changes to implement its next phase of development. Dr. Gabriela Gruia will assume the role of interim Chief Medical Officer to succeed Dr. Roger Waltzman, Jason Kim will assume the role of President, Kristen Quigley will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer, and Dr. Grace Kim will assume the role of Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Investor Relations. Dr. Gabriela Gruia joined Molecular Templates in 2022 as a Board Director for MTEM.

She has over 25 years of experience in oncology drug development. Dr. Gruia previously served as Chief Development Officer at Ichnos Sciences. Prior to Ichnos Sciences, Dr. Gruia was Senior Vice President and Global Head of Regulatory Affairs for Novartis Oncology.

Prior to that, she held oncology clinical research and development roles at Pfizer/Pharmacia, Aventis/Rhone Poulenc Rorer. Dr. Gruia earned a doctorate in medicine from Bucharest Medical School in Romania. She completed training in oncology and hematology at Rene Descartes University in Paris, France and a Masters in Breast Pathology and Mammography from the Rene Huguenin/Curie Institute Cancer Center in Paris, France.  The Company has initiated a search for a permanent Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Gruia will remain a Board Director for MTEM.

Jason Kim joined Molecular Templates in 2010 and serves as President and previous Chief Operating Officer. He also served as Molecular Templates? President and Chief Financial Officer from February 2010 to August 2017.

Previously, Mr. Kim led corporate development and strategic planning initiatives at OSI Pharmaceuticals and ImClone Systems. He served as an investment professional at Domain Associates and Safeguard Scientifics where he focused on venture and public investments in biotechnology. Mr. Kim holds a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience from Wesleyan University. Kristen Quigley joined Molecular Templates in 2017 and previously served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations.

She has 27 years of clinical research experience, including 24 years in phase I-IV clinical trial and project management, and over 6 years in executive roles.  Kristen served in Vice President/Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations roles at two biotech companies prior to joining Molecular Templates, she co-directed the Nordic region for a large global CRO, and she has successfully governed clinical development portfolios worth as much as $147M. Ms. Quigley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Grace Kim joined Molecular Templates in 2022 with 20 years of experience driving investor strategy, corporate strategy, and business development. Previously, she led two biopharma advisories in Senior Vice President and Founder roles and served on matrixed leadership teams. Companies she worked with include BeiGene, BioMarin, Cullinan Oncology, Celularity, Aimmune (Nestlé), and others. Dr. Kim earned a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Florida with post-doc immunology training and graduate studies at the University of Chicago.

She is published in Nature Clinical Oncology and holds an adjunct faculty position at Columbia University.