Joern Aldag

Early Education

Jörn Aldag is a prominent figure in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, known for his wide-ranging experience and leadership roles in several influential companies. His educational background is rooted in finance and business strategy, having earned a Diplom Betriebswirt degree in Finance and Strategy from EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, where he studied from 1978 to 1982. Additionally, Jörn expanded his business acumen by completing the Advanced Management Program (AMP 115) at Harvard Business School in January 1994.

Career Beginnings

Jörn's career has spanned various significant positions, including executive and directorial roles in numerous pioneering biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He began his extensive career as a Business Director at Treuhandanstalt from October 1991 to December 1994, where he was involved in designing business concepts and negotiating the divestiture of East German companies post the German reunification.

MAN Gutehoffnungshütte Aktiengesellschaft

Following this, he served as EVP and CFO at MAN Gutehoffnungshütte Aktiengesellschaft in Oberhausen from January 1995 to September 1997, where he was responsible for finance, controlling, and accounting, and he executed a significant restructuring program.

Leadership at Evotec Aktiengesellschaft

One of Jörn's notable leadership roles was as President & CEO at Evotec Aktiengesellschaft from November 1997 to December 2008. Afterwards, he co-founded G7 Therapeutics AG in Zürich and served there from May 2013 to December 2016. He also held the role of Chairman at Molecular Partners AG in Zurich from August 2007 to April 2018.

uniQure NV

Jörn has led uniQure NV, a company dedicated to advancing genetic therapies, as CEO from October 2009 to December 2015. He then continued his journey in biotech leadership as CEO at Hookipa Pharma Inc. in the Greater New York City Area from June 2016 to July 2024. Hookipa Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that uses an innovative arenavirus platform to develop treatments for infectious diseases and cancers.

Recent Roles

His more recent roles include being the Chairman of Genespire in Milan since April 2020, a company that excels in in vivo lentiviral gene therapy. Additionally, he has been serving as the Chairman at Captain T Cell in Berlin from June 2024, focusing on developing T cell therapies for solid tumors. He also contributed as a Board Member at Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Basel from May 2020 to June 2024.

Expertise and Contributions

Throughout his career, Jörn has been committed to the biotechnology and lifesciences fields, adding significant value through his expertise in drug discovery, molecular biology, business strategy, and clinical and commercial development. His ability to build companies and motivate teams to achieve collective goals has been a hallmark of his professional journey. Jörn is multilingual, with proficiency in English and French, which complements his expansive international career.