Jessica Ballinger is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lyndra Therapeutics. She became CEO in 2023, succeeding Dr. Patricia Hurter, a current member of the Board of Directors and chair of the board's Science and Technology committee. Ms. Ballinger is a senior biotech and pharmaceutical executive who has demonstrated a proven ability to identify and deliver on patient needs throughout her 25+ year career, contributing to the development and commercialization of more than 15 leading-edge patient therapies. Armed with a strong network and organizational skills, she is excellent at establishing operating infrastructures and is a trusted advisor and consummate leader who identifies, nurtures and coaches talent to achieve extraordinary results. She joined Lyndra in 2016, was promoted to COO in 2018, added the role of President in 2021 and was promoted to CEO in 2023.
Over the past five years, Ms. Ballinger has been a key partner in ensuring Lyndra’s success and growth to where it is today: raising $380M to date through a combination of equity financing, partnerships and grants; on the cusp of its first pivotal trial; and building infrastructure and organization toward commercialization. Specifically, she has been instrumental in securing and managing the company’s collaborations with strategic partners (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AbbVie, Gilead, National Institutes of Health), securing and managing company financing activities and investor relations, and managing the Board of Directors operations and governance matters, as well as building the company operations and infrastructure.
Prior to Lyndra, Ms. Ballinger held leadership positions at both Biogen and Pfizer in which she was responsible for patient-centered technical development organizations accountable to develop and scale-up high-quality, highly innovative, globally approved combination products in critical therapeutic areas such as hemophilia, central nervous system conditions, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, ophthalmology and sexual health. Her organizations delivered on accelerated product development timelines, including reducing capital investments required and lowering the cost of goods in the product pipelines of both companies.
She is well known for leading the transformation or creation of new organizations and initiatives focused on company culture and business outcomes. A respected leader, she co-created the inaugural Biogen Alzheimer’s Patient and Caregiver Employee Resource Network (ERN), co-led the inaugural Biogen Women’s Innovation Network and co-led the inaugural Pfizer European Women’s ERN. She was appointed to the inaugural Chief of Staff position supporting the Pfizer European R&D and site leader during her time at Pfizer’s Sandwich, UK site. She received the honorable Pfizer R&D Achievement Award twice in her tenure at Pfizer, recognizing her strong leadership and business impact.
Ms. Ballinger is an active volunteer in fundraising and leadership roles, working with the Northeastern University Biotechnology Industrial Advisory Board and previously with the Oasis Domestic Abuse Service and Melanoma Education Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Illinois – Champaign/Urbana. An amateur photographer, she loves cycling, running and hiking, and lives in Watertown, Mass, with her husband and two sons.
