Mark Smith is a Co-Founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Finch Therapeutics. Mark is a recognized leader in the microbiome field, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications focused on the microbiome. Previously, Mark served as President and Research Director of OpenBiome, a nonprofit organization he co-founded for the purpose of expanding safe access to microbiota transplantation and catalyzing research into the human microbiome. He currently serves on the board of directors of Freya Biosciences, a privately-held biotechnology company.

Mark has a BA in biology from Princeton University and a PhD in microbiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Marc is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with more than 20 years of experience building and leading companies and critical business functions including operations, business development, program management, and manufacturing. Prior to joining Finch, Marc consulted as the Head of Business Development for Guide Therapeutics, which was acquired by Beam Therapeutics in 2021. Prior to Guide Therapeutics, Marc was the Chief Executive Officer of NED Biosystems and co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Akashi Therapeutics. Before founding Akashi, he served in various leadership positions across several biotechnology companies, including Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, Process and Commercial Operations at Dyax Corp. (now Takeda), where he led the development of Kalbitor^®. Prior to Dyax, he held business development and management roles at Alkermes, where he initiated and led the development program for Vivitrol^®. Prior to Alkermes, he worked in business development at Genetics Institute (now Pfizer). Marc began his career in management consulting, first at Mercer Management Consulting, and then as a founding partner of Northbridge Consulting.

Marc received his master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

Dr. Batycky has more than 20 years of international biopharmaceutical industry experience, spanning from early discovery to product approval. She has led development teams across a broad range of therapeutic areas including oncology, CNS disorders, inflammatory diseases and reproductive health, utilizing multiple modalities including small molecules, biologics, devices and combination products. Dr. Batycky most recently served as Chief Development Officer at Ohana Biosciences, where she oversaw regulatory, manufacturing, quality and clinical operations. Previously, she held leadership roles at Akashi Therapeutics, Warp Drive Bio, and AMAG Pharmaceuticals. Prior to this, she held increasing responsibilities at CombinatoRx, Synta Pharmaceuticals, Alkermes and GSK. Her accomplishments include supporting the successful development of Feraheme^®, Inbrija^®, and Vivitrol^®.

Alka earned a bachelor’s degree in Toxicology and Pharmacology and a PhD in Toxicology from the School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK.

Dr. Franklin has more than 20 years of experience as a general surgeon and biopharmaceutical executive, with deep expertise spanning clinical development, regulatory strategy, medical affairs, and product commercialization. He most recently served as Chief Medical Officer at Salix Pharmaceuticals, where he provided leadership and expertise to program teams focused on the development of GI therapeutics, including amiselimod, next generation Xifaxan^® formulations, ENVIVE^™, and other GI and microbiome focused programs. Previously, he held leadership roles within early-stage biotechnology companies as well as large pharmaceutical companies, including Icon Bioscience, Oceana Therapeutics, The Medicines Company, and Esprit Pharma. Prior accomplishments include supporting the regulatory submission and FDA approval of PLENVU^®, DexyCu^®, and Solesta^®. Prior to entering industry, Dr. Franklin served as a general surgeon in private practice. Howard earned his BS from Lehigh University, his MD from Drexel University College of Medicine, and his MBA from La Salle University.

Mr. Gillis has more than 20 years of experience across operations management, supply chain, global program leadership, strategic product and portfolio life cycle management, and global product quality management in the biotechnology industry. He most recently served as Vice President of Manufacturing and Supply at Rubius Therapeutics, where he led the development and execution of the company’s supply chain strategy with a focus on commercial launch. Previously, Mr. Gillis held manufacturing and company leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Alexion, Sanofi (Genzyme), Lonza, and Amgen. Prior accomplishments include supporting development programs and regulatory submissions for Replagal^® & VPRIV^®.

Bryan earned a BS in Biology from Eastern Nazarene College and an MBA from Boston University.