Board of Directors
Randal J. Kirk, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Mr. Kirk founded Third Security, LLC in March 1999 and has served as its Chief Executive Officer since that time. In 1984, Mr. Kirk co-founded General Injectables & Vaccines, Inc. and served as Chairman of the Board prior to the 1998 sale of the company. Mr. Kirk also co-founded King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1993. Additionally, in 1996 Mr. Kirk founded and became Chairman of the Board of New River Pharmaceuticals Inc. (previously traded on NASDAQ prior to its acquisition by Shire plc in 2007) and was President and Chief Executive Officer between October 2001 and April 2007.
Mr. Kirk has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Clinical Data, Inc. since 2002 and as Chairman of the Board since 2004, as a member of the Board of Directors of Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) since May 2007, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Intrexon Corporation since February 2008 and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cyntellect, Inc. since September 2008. Mr. Kirk served as a member of the Board of Directors of Scios, Inc. (previously traded on NASDAQ prior to its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson) between February 2000 and May 2002.
In 2009, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine appointed Mr. Kirk to serve on the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors. Prior to that honor, he served as Rector of the Radford University Board of Visitors and also on the University’s Foundation board. In July 2006, Mr. Kirk was chosen by the governor to sit on the Virginia Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates. A year later, he accepted a position on the Board of Directors for the Virginia University Research Partnership.
Mr. Kirk began his professional career in the private practice of law. He holds a B.A. in Business from Radford University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. Back to the Top
Cesar L. Alvarez, Board Member
Cesar L. Alvarez has served as a Board member, since February 2008.
Additionally, Cesar L. Alvarez is Chief Executive Officer of
Greenberg Traurig and has served in this position for the last 13
years. During this time, the firm has grown from 325 lawyers in eight
offices in 1997 to more than 1850 attorneys and government
professionals in 37 locations in the United States, Europe and Asia.
The firm has been recognized as the fastest growing law firm in the
U.S. over the last five years and is the 7th largest law firm in the
country. In addition, Chambers and Partners, world leaders in
client-led intelligence on the legal profession, through a panel of
independent judges, selected Greenberg Traurig as "2007 Law Firm
of the Year." In 2008, Cesar was honored by Chambers and
Partners with their "Lifetime Achievement Award" and by the
American Bar Association with their "Spirit of Excellence
Award." Prior to becoming CEO of the firm, Cesar practiced
securities, corporate and international law for more than 25 years.
He has represented numerous public companies and serves on the board
of directors of several publicly-traded corporations and charitable
organizations. Cesar has been recognized nationally and in his
community for his professional, business and charitable leadership.
Cesar has been recognized as one of the "100 Most Influential
Lawyers in America," The National Law Journal in 1997, 2000 and 2006 (the last 3 editions), one of the top most
powerful Hispanics by Poder Power Issue, and "The 25 Best Latinos in Business," Hispanic
Magazine's Power Issue (2008). Back to the Top
Steven Frank, Board Member
Steven Frank has served as a Board member since February 2008.
Additionally, Mr. Frank joined J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. in June
2008 as Vice Chairman and Co-Head of the Global Healthcare Group.
Mr. Frank has been the head of Bear Stearns' Worldwide Health Care
Investment Banking group in New York for 16 years has provided
general investment banking services to all types of health care
companies. Specifically, Mr. Frank has led or played major
roles in dozens of mergers and acquisitions and financing
transactions across the spectrum of deal structures. He has
specialized in transactions involving pharmaceutical, medical device
and biotechnology companies. Prior to joining Bear Stearns in
1993, Mr. Frank served over ten years as an institutional investor,
primarily at State Farm Insurance Company, where he managed a life
sciences portfolio in excess of $4 billion. Mr. Frank earned an
M.B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1983. In 1993, Mr.
Frank leveraged his extensive network of contacts throughout the
health care industry and knowledge about the strategic orientation of
the companies into an investment banking career. Back to the
Top
Larry Horner, Board Member
Larry D. Horner has served as a Board member since February 2008.
Additionally Mr. Horner serves as a Director on the Board of Clinical
Data, and also served as a member of the Board of Directors of New
River Pharmaceuticals Inc., a publicly-traded specialty
pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel pharmaceuticals
and improved versions of widely-prescribed drugs, from 1999 until its
acquisition by Shire plc in April 2007. From 1994 to 2001, Mr. Horner
served as Chairman of the Board of Pacific USA Holdings Corporation,
a holding company of companies in real estate and financial services.
From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Horner served as Chairman of the Board of Asia
Pacific Wire & Cable, Ltd., a publicly traded manufacturer of
wire and cable products for the telecommunications and power
industries in the Asia Pacific Region. From 1991 to 1994, he served
as Managing Director of Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder, Inc., an
equity market trading and corporate finance firm. Prior to that, he
served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the accounting firm
KPMG Peat Marwick. Mr. Horner is on the Board of Directors of
Atlantis Plastics, Inc., TOUSA, Inc., and UTStarcom, Inc., all public
companies; Mr. Horner serves on the audit committee of all three of
these companies and as the audit committee financial expert for
Atlantis Plastics, Inc. and UTStarcom, Inc. He previously also
served on the Boards of ConocoPhillips and American General Company. Back to the Top
Dean J. Mitchell, Board Member
Dean J. Mitchell has served as a Board member since March, 2009. He was President, CEO, and board member of Alpharma Inc.
before purchase by King Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Alpharma, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Guilford
Pharmaceuticals Inc., from December 2004 until its acquisition by MGI Pharma Inc. Mr. Mitchell was at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS)
from 2001 until 2004 in several roles including President, International, President US Primary Care and Vice President, Strategy.
He also spent 15 years at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and its predecessor companies, most recently as Senior Vice President, Clinical
Development and Product Strategy from 1999 to 2001, and prior to that as Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Divisions,
Strategic Planning and Business Development from 1995 to 1999. Born in the UK, Mr. Mitchell earned his MBA degree from City
University Business School (London, UK) and his B.Sc. degree in Biology from Coventry University, UK. He is previous Vice
Chairman of the National Pharmaceutical Council, and a member of the board of directors of ISTA Pharmaceuticals. Back to the Top
Thomas D. Reed, Board Member
Dr. Thomas Reed is the Chief Science Officer and Founder of Intrexon
Corporation and has served as a Board member since the company’s
inception. Dr Reed is a molecular geneticist with over twenty years
of experience in recombinant DNA technology. He has developed
sophisticated transgenic model systems for studying the role of gene
products in neuronal, cardiovascular, and cancer systems. Dr. Reed
has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in the fields of
subcellular modulation, gene regulation and cardiac function. Dr.
Reed co-founded Intrexon in 1998 and continues to serve on the Board
of Directors. Prior to founding Intrexon Corp. Dr. Reed received a
B.S. in Genetics from the University of California-Davis, completed
his M.S. at Wright State University in Biological Science and
received his PhD. from the University of Cincinnati in Molecular and
Developmental Biology. Back to the Top
Burton Sobel M.D., Board Member
Dr. Burton Sobel has served as a Board member since July 31, 2007.
Additionally, Dr. Sobel received his M.D. magna cum laude from
Harvard Medical School and his undergraduate degree from Cornell
University. His current research interests concern mechanisms
underlying dissolution of blood clots responsible for heart attack
and development of improved therapy with molecules targeted against
them. He is currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the
Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of Vermont. Back to the Top