Paul Hastings

INNOVATION COUNCIL MEMBER
Chief Executive Officer, Nkarta Therapeutics

Paul Hastings is the Chief Executive Officer at Nkarta Therapeutics and has extensive experience in the biotechnology industry.

Paul was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Nkarta in February 2018. Before taking his current position with Nkarta, Paul was the Chairman and CEO of OncoMed Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining OncoMed in 2006, Paul was President and Chief Executive Officer of QLT, Inc. Previous to that, Paul served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Axys Pharmaceuticals. From 1999 to 2001, Paul served as the President of Chiron BioPharmaceuticals, a division of Chiron Corporation. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of LXR Biotechnology. 

Paul also held a series of management positions of increasing responsibility at Genzyme Corporation, including serving as President of Genzyme Therapeutics Europe as well as President, Genzyme Therapeutics. Paul also served as Vice President, Marketing and Sales and General Manager, Europe for Synergen, Inc., and previously held a series of marketing and sales management positions with Hoffmann-La Roche.

He is currently Lead Independent Director of Pacira Biosciences, Inc., and is the Immediate Past Chair of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Mr. Hastings was on the Board of Directors of ViaCyte (acquired by Vertex in 2022), was Chairman of the Board of Proteon Therapeutics, was on the Board of Directors of Relypsa (acquired by Galenica in 2016), was Chairman of the Board of Proteolix (acquired by Onyx Pharmaceuticals in 2010), and served on the board of ViaCell (acquired by Perkin-Elmer in 2007).

Paul received a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island.