Howard W. Robin

Howard W. Robin has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Nektar Therapeutics since January 2007. He brings to the role more than 25 years of extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical sector, particularly in managing clinical development and commercial operations. Prior to joining Nektar, Robin was the President and CEO of Sirna Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on RNAi-based therapies, where he successfully re-launched the company, significantly increasing shareholder value and leading to its acquisition by Merck for $1.1 billion. Before his tenure at Sirna, Robin spent 20 years at Berlex Laboratories, a U.S. subsidiary of Schering AG. During his time at Berlex, he served as Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the U.S. Therapeutics division from 1991 to 2001, where he was responsible for the development of major drugs like Betaseron for multiple sclerosis and Fludara for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which collectively generated annual global sales exceeding $800 million. Additionally, he held positions as Vice President of Finance and Business Development and CFO at Berlex, and was a member of the Executive Committee. Earlier in his career, Robin was a Senior Associate with Arthur Andersen and Co. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, where he also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. Furthermore, Robin is a director of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the world’s largest biotechnology industry trade organization.