CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Surface Oncology, an immuno-oncology company developing next-generation antibody therapies that target the tumor microenvironment, announced today that Jeff Goater, currently the company’s chief business officer, has been promoted to chief executive officer. Mr. Goater succeeds interim chief executive officer Dan Lynch, who will remain executive chairman of Surface’s board of directors. Mr. Goater, a seasoned biotech executive with nearly 20 years of experience, will lead Surface as the company enters its next stage of growth, advancing the first program from its broad pipeline of novel immuno-therapeutics into clinical development.
“We are thrilled to have Jeff step into the CEO role at Surface during such a pivotal time in the company’s evolution,” said Mr. Lynch. “Jeff has made an incredibly positive impact on Surface over the past year as a member of our executive team. During our extensive search process, it became apparent that we already had the right person for the job internally. Jeff has the strategic vision, leadership qualities and capabilities to lead Surface as we look to rapidly advance our portfolio.”
Mr. Goater joined Surface in February 2017 as its chief business officer. Prior to Surface, he served as chief financial officer of Voyager Therapeutics where he was one of the members of the founding management team. While at Voyager, he oversaw business development, business operations, finance, investor and public relations, and played a leading role in the establishment of Voyager’s strategic partnership with Sanofi Genzyme, as well as its initial public offering. Previously, Mr. Goater spent nearly a decade in investment banking where he was most recently a managing director at Evercore Partners, advising on more than $100 billion in strategic transactions in the biopharma industry. He began his career as a research scientist and holds master’s degrees in Microbiology/Immunology, Pathology and Business Administration from the University of Rochester. In addition to his role at Surface, Mr. Goater also serves on the board of Vaccinex, Inc.
“Surface has made tremendous progress over the past three years and has all the foundational elements to become a leading immuno-oncology company focused on the tumor microenvironment, including an outstanding team, a world-renowned scientific advisory board, and a strong strategic partnership,” said Mr. Goater. “Surface was founded to deliver life-changing therapies to patients with cancer. I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead this talented team as we work to fulfill that promise.”
ABOUT SURFACE ONCOLOGY
Surface Oncology is an immuno-oncology company developing next-generation antibody therapies focused on the tumor microenvironment with lead programs targeting CD47 and CD73. Surface’s novel cancer immunotherapies are designed to achieve a clinically meaningful and sustained anti-tumor response and may be used alone or in combination with other therapies. The company has a pipeline of seven novel immunotherapies and a strategic collaboration with Novartis focused on up to four next-generation cancer immunotherapies. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Surface was founded by Atlas Venture. For more information, please visit www.surfaceoncology.com.
