Editas Medicine Strengthens Executive Leadership Team to Support Long-term Growth

Michelle Robertson joins as Chief Financial Officer

Manufacturing veteran Harry Gill joins in newly created role of Senior Vice President, Operations

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a leading genome editing company, today announced the appointment of Michelle Robertson as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, and the appointment of Harry Gill in the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Operations, both effective immediately.

“We are thrilled to have Michelle and Harry join Editas and round out our executive team.  Michelle’s proven financial acumen, ability to deliver valuable business tools and improve business processes, and strong interpersonal skills will be invaluable in helping drive our growth. Harry is an accomplished leader with significant expertise in quality, plant operations, technical services, and operational excellence,” said Cynthia Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Editas Medicine.

“This is truly an exciting time to join Editas Medicine. As we advance our pipeline of medicines towards the clinic and to the people who need them, I look forward to working with my colleagues to deliver on our mission for patients and stakeholders,” said Michelle Robertson, Chief Financial Officer, Editas Medicine.

“The opportunity to be on the front-line of making this new class of potentially game-changing medicines for people around the world is unique, and I am looking forward to working with the team to build our capabilities and capacity to manufacture and create a supply chain to move several experimental medicines into the clinic,” remarked Harry Gill, Senior Vice President, Operations, Editas Medicine.

Collins added, “I look forward to working with Michelle, Harry, and the rest of our strong executive team as progress through the clinical trial for EDIT-101, advance our pipeline, and execute on our bold vision to develop transformative, durable medicines for people living with serious diseases.”

Michelle Robertson brings to Editas Medicine more than 25 years of biotech finance and commercial operations management experience.  Ms. Robertson joins Editas Medicine from Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she held roles of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Momenta, Ms. Robertson was Vice President, Oncology Finance for Baxalta, Inc. (which was acquired by Shire PLC in 2016) following its spin-out from Baxter International in July 2015. Before that, Ms. Robertson served as head of Financial Planning and Analysis and Operations at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and, prior to that, she held various leadership positions in the Oncology and Biosurgery divisions with Finance and Commercial Operations, focusing on financial analysis for business development, acquisition integrations, and divestitures at Genzyme Corporation. Ms. Robertson earned a BS in Finance from Bentley University.

Harry Gill brings more than 30 years of life sciences experience to Editas Medicine. Throughout his career, Mr. Gill has held leadership roles in quality, plant operations, technical services, and operational excellence, including serving as Senior Vice President of Quality and Continuous Improvement at Patheon Pharmaceuticals (now ThermoFisher Scientific). Earlier in his career, he held various positions at Wyeth (now Pfizer Pharmaceuticals) and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Mr. Gill received a BS degree in biology from Milligan College and a MS in microbiology from East Tennessee State University. 

About Editas Medicine

As a leading genome editing company, Editas Medicine is focused on translating the power and potential of the CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cas12a (also known as Cpf1) genome editing systems into a robust pipeline of treatments for people living with serious diseases around the world. Editas Medicine aims to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize transformative, durable, precision genomic medicines for a broad class of diseases. For the latest information and scientific presentations, please visit .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘continue,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘potential,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘would,’’ and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.  Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials and clinical development of the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials; whether interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial or the results of future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products and availability of funding sufficient for the Company’s foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements.  These and other risks are described in greater detail under the caption “Risk Factors” included in the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other filings that the Company may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future.  Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent the Company’s views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Except as required by law, the Company explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.