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Leadership Team

Jason Lettmann

Chief Executive Officer
Jason Lettmann headshot

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.

Jaume Pons, Ph.D.

Cofounder, President and Chief Scientific Officer

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.

Alan Sandler, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer

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.

Chris Byrd, J.D., Ph.D.

General Counsel

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.

Allison Dillon, Ph.D.

Chief Business Officer

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.

Shelly Pinto

Interim Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Pinto has served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer since November 2024 and before this as our Senior Vice President Finance and Chief Accounting Officer since August 2023. Prior to 2023, she served as our Vice President Finance and Chief Accounting Officer since May 2021. Before joining ALX Oncology, Ms. Pinto was with Tizona Therapeutics, Inc. from July 2016 to April 2021, where she most recently served as Vice President of Finance and Operations. Prior to Tizona, Ms. Pinto was the Controller at InSite Vision Inc. from December 2008 to July 2016, the Assistant Controller at Bare Escentuals, Inc. from May 2007 to November 2008, and Director of Corporate Accounting and Financial Reporting at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc. from March 2002 to May 2007. Ms. Pinto started her career in the audit practice at Deloitte and Touche LLP after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a major in accounting from Montana State University. She is a Certified Public Accountant.

ALX Oncology is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing therapies that boost the immune system to treat cancer in new ways and extend patients’ lives.

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