METUCHEN, N.J.– Tevogen Bio, a clinical stage biotechnology company specializing in developing cell and gene therapies in oncology, neurology, and virology, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Susan Podlogar to its Corporate Advisory Board. Podlogar is currently MetLife’s Chief Human Resources Officer, an Executive Vice President and member of MetLife’s Executive Leadership Team.
The Corporate Advisory Board provides guidance to Tevogen leadership as the company continues to expand its next generation precision T cell platform, overcoming the barriers of existing T cell-based immunotherapies and allowing one of nature’s most powerful weapons against diseases to be harnessed to its full potential for clinical applications.
“I am excited to join this highly experienced team who embraces a think tank mentality, which I believe is key to Tevogen’s impressive progress. They are truly developing the next frontier of medicine with T cell technology,” said Podlogar. “I believe Tevogen’s culture of free-flowing ideas, where every idea is explored, is foundational to their successful business model and is due to the inventive spirit of its CEO, Dr. Ryan Saadi. Beyond cultivating operational efficiency and scientific breakthroughs in the cell and gene therapy space, Tevogen’s corporate philosophy of cultivating human potential will beautifully serve all stakeholders, most importantly patients,” Podlogar added.
“Susan Podlogar is a brilliant strategist, and an innovative industry leader with decades of experience in the biopharma sector and we are privileged to have her joining our Corporate Advisory Board,” said Tevogen CEO Ryan Saadi, M.D., M.P.H. “Susan brings with her extensive experience in working with Board of Directors, CEOs, senior leadership teams, and institutional investors. Her diverse experience in human resources roles in a multitude of business lifecycles and sectors, as well as her unparalleled track record of success in leading complex organizational transformations, will be a tremendous asset in guiding Tevogen as it continues to carve out a new frontier of business and medicine,” Saadi added.
Podlogar joined MetLife in July 2017 and oversees the company’s global Human Resources strategies and practices with the goal of attracting, developing, and retaining a purpose-driven, and energized workforce that creates sustainable value for MetLife’s customers and shareholders every day. Among her multiple initiatives at MetLife, Podlogar championed the signing of the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change Pledge—a commitment to advance diversity, inclusion, and gender equality in the workplace, as well as a partnership with the UN Women Global Innovation Coalition. Previously, during her 16 years with Johnson & Johnson, Podlogar held a series of sector and corporate leadership roles in HR in which she introduced Human Resources strategies and practices that helped strengthen the company’s business model, accelerate the pace of innovation, and evolve its talent capabilities and culture.
Podlogar earned an MBA from the University of South Florida, graduating summa cum laude, with concentrations in Finance and Management, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, also summa cum laude, with a double major in Labor and Industrial Relations and Business Administration.