CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– Anji Pharma, an emerging global medicines company, today announced an expanded leadership team with the appointments of Julianne Averill as Chief Financial Officer and Kristen Richardson as Chief People and Performance Officer. The additions will support the company’s growth and business development.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Julianne and Kristen during this pivotal time of growth for Anji,” said Brian Hubbard, Chief Executive Officer of Anji. “Julianne brings a wealth of experience in strategic finance and business transactions and her leadership will be instrumental to Anji as we enter the next phase of growth. Kristen’s expertise in talent acquisition and employee experience will be crucial to the expansion of our team and shaping the company’s culture as we prioritize a collaborative and inclusive workplace. Complementing our leadership team, the combination of their skillsets and insights will support our vision of bringing life-changing therapies to patients as a global pharmaceutical company.”
“I am impressed with Anji’s innovative business model and the rapid progress the company has made in advancing multiple program candidates through the clinic across therapeutic areas,” said Ms. Averill. “I look forward to working alongside the talented team at Anji and contributing to the company’s corporate and pipeline growth through strategic decision-making, business transactions and financial operations.”
Ms. Averill brings nearly 20 years of financial and business development leadership experience in the life sciences and digital health industries. She joins Anji through Danforth Advisors, where she serves as a senior director providing operational and strategic CFO advisory services to biotech and health tech clients. She has led or participated in over $4B in capital raise initiatives and has a broad background in supporting organizations through significant business transformations, such as mergers and acquisitions, complex debt and securities offerings and partnering deals. Prior to Danforth Advisors, she served in multiple executive leadership positions at companies leveraging technology and science to transform industries, including Alveo Technologies, BlackThorn Therapeutics and Manifest MedEx and started her early career as an audit manager in the life sciences practice at Deloitte. She holds a B.S. in business administration and an M.S. in accountancy from California State University, Fresno, as well as has received a certificate in business analytics from Harvard University. Ms. Averill is licensed as an active CPA in California.
Ms. Richardson brings over 20 years of strategic human resource, people, and culture experience. Most recently, she served on Kaleido’s executive team building organizational capabilities and shaping the culture in an evolving competitive landscape. Prior to joining Kaleido, she held HR roles in other life sciences and biotech companies, including MicroMedicine and Genzyme, where she supported multiple sites and two large commercial organizations. Ms. Richardson obtained her undergraduate degree in management from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her master’s degree in organizational development from Suffolk University.
“I am excited to be joining a team with such strong drive and passion for bringing novel medicines to patients around the world,” said Ms. Richardson. “Anji has a proud and unique culture that naturally attracts talent, and I look forward to leading our efforts in growing a team of motivated, compassionate scientists to support the company’s growth trajectory.”
