Gritstone Oncology Appoints Experienced Financial Executive, Steve E. Krognes, to its Board of Directors

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Gritstone Oncology, Inc., an immuno-oncology company developing tumor-specific cancer immunotherapies to fight multiple cancer types, today announced the appointment of Steve E. Krognes to the company’s board of directors. Mr. Krognes, who currently serves as the chief financial officer of Denali Therapeutics Inc., brings more than 25 years of finance and life sciences industry experience to Gritstone Oncology, including experience in investment banking, corporate and operational finance, mergers and acquisitions and as a board director.

“We are thrilled to welcome Steve to our board of directors as we work to advance our lead neoantigen immunotherapy, GRANITE-001, toward clinical trials,” said Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Gritstone Oncology. “Steve's life sciences industry experience will be a valuable addition to Gritstone.”

Prior to joining Denali Therapeutics, Mr. Krognes served as the chief financial officer and a member of the executive committee at Genentech. Mr. Krognes also represented Genentech on the board and executive committee of the California Life Science Association and served as chairman of the Genentech Access to Care Foundation. Before Genentech, Mr. Krognes led the global mergers and acquisitions team at Roche Holdings in Switzerland. Earlier in his career, Mr. Krognes worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and as a venture capitalist. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a second lieutenant in the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

“I am impressed with the Gritstone team’s innovative approach to developing personalized cancer immunotherapies for patients, and I am very excited about the opportunity to contribute to the company’s development by joining its board of directors,” said Mr. Krognes.

About Gritstone Oncology

Gritstone Oncology is developing tumor-specific cancer immunotherapies to fight multiple cancer types. The company has built its approach on two key pillars—a proprietary machine learning-based platform, Gritstone EDGE™, which provides the powerful ability to predict from a routine tumor biopsy the tumor-specific neoantigens, or TSNA, that are presented on a patient’s tumor cells; and second, the ability to develop and manufacture potent immunotherapies utilizing patients’ TSNA to drive the patient’s immune system to attack and destroy tumors. Gritstone brings together distinguished scientific founders, an experienced and diverse management team, a seasoned and successful board of directors and deep financial backing from Versant Ventures, The Column Group, Clarus Funds, Frazier Healthcare Partners, RedMile, Casdin Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Trinitas Capital, GV, Alexandria Venture Investments and Bay City Capital. More information can be found at www.gritstoneoncology.com or @gritstoneonc.

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