Leadership Team

Mr. Lettmann has served as our Chief Executive Officer since September 2023 and as a member of our board of directors since April 2020. He previously served as a member of our board of directors from March 2015 to May 2017. Previously, Mr. Lettmann was a General Partner of Lightstone Ventures from March 2012 to July 2023 and a Partner at Morgenthaler Ventures, a venture capital and private equity firm, since June 2009. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Promedior Inc., a biotechnology company acquired by Roche, from January 2019 to February 2020 and as Vice President at Split Rock Partners, a venture capital firm, from June 2006 to June 2009. Mr. Lettmann has been a member of the board of directors of several public and privately held companies, including Ra Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company acquired by UCB. Mr. Lettmann holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Iowa and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Dr. Pons has served as our Chief Scientific Officer since September 2023 and as President since April 2015. Dr. Pons also served as a member of our board of directors from April 2015 to August 2024 and as Chief Executive Officer from April 2015 to September 2023. He currently serves as a Venture Partner at venBio Partners, a venture capital firm. Prior to joining ALX Oncology, Dr. Pons worked with Pfizer, Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President and a member of the Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development Leadership Team and Chief Technology Officer for Pfizer Biotherapeutics from September 2009 to February 2015. From October 2007 to February 2015, he served as Chief Scientific Officer at Rinat Neuroscience Corporation, a subsidiary of Pfizer. Dr. Pons holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Autonomous University of Barcelona, and a Master of Science in biotechnology and a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the Institute on Fundamental Biology, Barcelona.

Dr. Alan Sandler has served as our Chief Medical Officer since November 2024, and prior to this had been a member of our board of directors starting August 2024. He also currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Elevation Oncology, Inc., and as a member of the strategic advisory boards of TOLREMO therapeutics AG and N-Power Medicine, as well as the Clinical Advisory Board of Mythic Therapeutics. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Mirati Therapeutics, prior to and through its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb, from November 2022 to April 2024. Prior to joining Mirati Therapeutics, Dr. Sandler was the President, Head of Global Development, Oncology at Zai Lab Limited from December 2020 to October 2022. Prior to that, Dr. Sandler held roles of increasing responsibility at Genentech, and member of the Roche Group.

Dr. Byrd has served as our General Counsel since May 2022. Prior to joining ALX Oncology, Dr. Byrd worked with Kite Pharma, Inc., a biotechnology company, where he served as Senior Associate General Counsel and led the corporate legal function from April 2019 to December 2021. Prior to that, Dr. Byrd practiced law at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC for almost two decades, where he specialized in complex business transactions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Dr. Byrd received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin, a Ph.D. in biology from Caltech and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Dr. Dillon has served as Chief Business Officer since May 2024. She joined ALX Oncology from Calithera Biosciences, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Commercial and Portfolio Strategy. Prior to joining Calithera in 2017, Dr. Dillon served in roles of increasing responsibility across marketing, sales and pipeline commercialization at Genentech. Prior to Genentech, Dr. Dillon was a Senior Consultant at the management consulting firm Campbell Alliance. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, in what is now the Broad Stem Cell Center. Dr. Dillon holds a Ph.D. and Master of Science degree in neuroscience from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Richmond.

Harish Shantharam has served as Chief Financial Officer since January 2025. He joined ALX Oncology from CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc., where he helped guide the company in its transition towards late-stage development and commercial readiness and through its $4.3 billion acquisition by Gilead Sciences, Inc. Earlier in his career, he served in roles of increasing responsibility and scope at Gilead Sciences, including as Vice President and Head of Global Commercial Finance, where he led the financial operations supporting a global $20 to $30 billion-dollar revenue business. Prior to joining Gilead, Mr. Shantharam served in various roles of increasing responsibility driving forecasting, commercial analytics and business development at Amgen. Mr. Shantharam holds an MBA in finance from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a graduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is also a CFA charter holder.