Finch Therapeutics Group, Inc. announced the appointment of Matthew P. Blischak as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 16, 2023. In conjunction with the appointment of Mr. Blischak, Mark Smith, PhD, will conclude his role as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Company's board of directors, effective May 15, 2023. Dr. Smith is expected to remain engaged with the Company as a scientific and strategic advisor. Matthew Blischak joins Finch with over 20 years of intellectual property experience in the life sciences industry. Prior to joining Finch, Mr. Blischak has most recently served from May 2018 to April 2023 at Roivant Sciences, where he has focused on the management and protection of intellectual property across the company and its subsidiaries. During his time at Roivant, Mr. Blischak has also been involved in many significant licensing transactions, acquisitions and collaborations. Prior to that, Mr. Blischak also worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, and Teva Pharmaceuticals, where he directed patent enforcement on a global scale, including patents covering Plavix(R), Copaxone(R), Treanda(R), Azilect(R), Lunesta(R), Xopenex(R), and Ajovy(R) . Before transitioning to in-house counsel, he worked at a boutique intellectual property law firm, where he represented leading pharmaceutical companies, including Genentech and Eli Lilly. Mr. Blischak began his legal career at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. Mr. Blischak graduated cum laude from Case Western Reserve University with a BS in Chemical Engineering, magna cum laude
from the American University Washington College of Law, and from Johns Hopkins University, where he earned his MS in Biotechnology.