FRAMINGHAM, Mass.– KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KALV) has announced the appointments of Bilal Arif as Chief Operating Officer and Linea Aspesi as Chief People Officer, effective immediately.
“I am pleased to welcome Bilal and Linea to our leadership team as we advance the global launch of EKTERLY,” said Ben Palleiko, Chief Executive Officer of KalVista. “Their respective expertise in operations and human resources will be instrumental as we deliver on our commitment to people living with HAE.”
“I am excited to join KalVista and collaborate with such a talented team,” said Arif. “This is a pivotal time for EKTERLY, and I am focused on strengthening the operational framework to ensure people living with HAE fully benefit from this innovative therapy.”
“I am delighted to join KalVista at this important stage of the Company’s growth,” added Aspesi. “As EKTERLY expands globally, I am committed to shaping the people and organizational strategies that will support the business in achieving its ambitious goals.”
Arif is a senior biopharmaceutical operations executive with more than 25 years of experience spanning technical operations, product strategy, and manufacturing in both emerging biotech and global pharmaceutical organizations. He most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Operations Officer at Sarepta Therapeutics, where he also held the role of Senior Vice President, Strategy and Technical Operations. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Technical Operations at Momenta Pharmaceuticals and spent nearly a decade at Shire Pharmaceuticals in senior leadership roles, including Vice President of Product Strategy and Planning. Arif began his career as a chemical engineer at Millipore Corporation and has also held leadership roles at Altus Pharmaceuticals.
He holds an MBA from Brown University / IE Business School, an M.S. in Biotechnology from Tufts University, and a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from McGill University in Canada.
Aspesi brings more than 25 years of human resources leadership experience across the biopharmaceutical, healthcare, and technology industries. She most recently served as Chief Administration Officer at Editas Medicine, where she also held the role of Chief People Officer. Her previous positions include Chief Human Resources Officer at Forma Therapeutics and Saniona, and Vice President, Head of Human Resources and Office Management, North America, at Sobi, Inc. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade at Sanofi Genzyme supporting industrial operations and manufacturing across North America. Aspesi began her HR career in healthcare and technology, including roles at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Benchmarking Partners, Inc.
She earned her B.A. in Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Both Arif and Aspesi will receive inducement stock options to purchase 100,000 shares of KalVista common stock, granted under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The options will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of KalVista’s common stock on October 8, 2025, and will vest over four years, subject to continued employment. Each option carries a 10-year term under the Company’s 2021 Amended and Restated Inducement Plan.
