Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D.
Dr. Samarth (Sam) Kulkarni has served as the Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics since 2017. He joined CRISPR in the early stages of the company, and as President and Chief Business Officer, he architected the company strategy and early partnerships with biopharma companies, including Vertex and Bayer. During his tenure as CEO of CRISPR, the company developed the world’s first approved gene-edited treatment for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. In addition, he spearheaded the expansion of the portfolio into oncology, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and regenerative medicine.
Prior to CRISPR, Sam was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he had a leading role in the Pharmaceutical and Medical products practice. While at McKinsey, he co-led the biotech practice, where he focused on strategy and operations, and led initiatives in areas such as personalized medicine and immunotherapy.
Sam serves on the Board of Directors of Black Diamond Therapeutics, Centessa Pharmaceuticals, Repare Therapeutics and Oruka Therapeutics. Previously, Sam served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Casebia Therapeutics, a joint subsidiary formed by CRISPR Therapeutics and Bayer. Additionally, he has served on the Board of the Emerging Companies Section of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).
Sam is a scientist by background, and he received a Ph.D. in Bioengineering and Nanotechnology from the University of Washington and a B. Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology. While at the University of Washington, he conducted research on the delivery of biological drugs and in the field of molecular diagnostics. He has authored several publications in leading scientific and business journals.
