SOMERVILLE, Mass.– bluebird bio, a leading gene therapy company focused on severe genetic diseases, has strengthened its executive leadership with the appointment of three senior leaders: Brian Riley as President and Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Joanne Lager as Chief Medical Officer, and Adrian Chaisson as Chief of Staff.
The new appointments come as bluebird bio sharpens its focus on commercial execution and expanding access to its gene therapy portfolio.
“I am thrilled to welcome Brian, Joanne, and Adrian to bluebird’s leadership team,” said David Meek, CEO of bluebird bio. “They each bring exceptional experience in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, from strategic leadership to clinical development and manufacturing. Their expertise will be instrumental in driving our next phase of growth.”
Brian Riley: President and Chief Technical Officer
Riley brings more than 25 years of experience in biologics operations, quality, and manufacturing. He most recently served as Chief Manufacturing Officer at Beam Therapeutics, where he led the development of a GMP facility for both ex-vivo and in-vivo gene therapy products. His career also includes senior leadership roles at Catalent Pharma Solutions, bioMerieux, Biogen Idec, Amgen, and Diosynth Biotechnology.
Riley holds an MBA from Campbell University and a B.S. from North Carolina State University.
Dr. Joanne Lager: Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Lager joins bluebird with over two decades of experience in clinical drug development. She previously served as CMO at NiKang Therapeutics and iTeos Therapeutics, and led oncology development at Sanofi. A trained pediatric hematologist-oncologist, Dr. Lager
began her career caring for patients at Duke University Medical Center before transitioning into industry roles at GSK and Sanofi.
She earned her M.D. from Duke University and completed fellowships in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Oncology Drug Development.
Adrian Chaisson: Chief of Staff
Chaisson brings a strong background in strategic operations and drug development. Prior to bluebird, he was Vice President of Program Leadership at Be Biopharma, where he helped advance novel B cell therapies and establish program management infrastructure. He also held leadership roles at FerGene and began his career in biotech consulting.
Chaisson holds an MBA from Clark University.
The appointments underscore bluebird bio’s continued commitment to advancing its gene therapy pipeline and delivering life-changing treatments to patients.
