-- John W. Smither Departing for Personal Reasons
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., March 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNNA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the promotion of Alexander Azoy to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Azoy, who has served as Sienna’s Corporate Controller since December 2017, will succeed John W. Smither, who has resigned for personal reasons, effective April 1, 2019.
“We are delighted to announce Alex’s promotion to Chief Financial Officer,” said Frederick C. Beddingfield III, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Sienna. “His expertise in both U.S. and international finance operations and accounting, as well as corporate governance, particularly within healthcare and life sciences, combined with his leadership within the finance team has been invaluable. Alex is a laser-focused professional, with a solid track record of developing and executing financial objectives to achieve strategic priorities. When Alex joined Sienna, we fully expected that in a very short time he would be our succession plan for the CFO role. He is ready, and with his experience and intimate knowledge of Sienna’s financial operations he is the obvious choice. On behalf of our Board of Directors and the entire Sienna team, I want to thank John for his remarkable service to the Company and our shareholders and wish him all the very best in his future personal and professional endeavors.”
Sienna also announced the appointment of Sean Andrews to the Company’s leadership team as Vice President, Investor Relations (IR). Mr. Andrews has served as Sienna’s Senior Director, Investor Relations, since May 2017.
Dr. Beddingfield continued, “We are also glad to announce Sean’s appointment to the leadership team as Vice President, Investor Relations, to ensure continued access and direct insight into Sienna’s strategy for the investor and analyst community. His experience heading up IR spans two biotech initial public offerings to a well-established, multi-billion dollar, fully integrated pharmaceutical company. Sean has an impressive relationship network and is very well regarded. He has been crucial to our evolution as a company, helping us get in front of and attract high quality investors and providing strong support as we streamlined our focus on strategic priorities. We look forward to continued leadership and valuable contributions from both Sean and Alex, as we work together to build a strong presence in the inflammation and immunology space and value for our shareholders.”
Mr. Azoy has served as Sienna’s Corporate Controller since December 2017. During that time, he has worked directly with the Company’s CFO on financing projects and preparing Sienna to be a public reporting company. Mr. Azoy was previously the Vice President of Accounting for Smart & Final, a public consumer products retailer with over $4 billion in annual revenues and 12,000 employees, from January 2016 to November 2017. In this role, he oversaw accounting operations, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) financial reporting. Mr. Azoy was the Corporate Controller for Kythera Biopharmaceuticals from March 2015 until December 2015, after it was acquired by Allergan plc. At Kythera, he had responsibility for accounting and tax functions, as well as SEC financial reporting and preparing the company for its first commercial product launch. From June 2013 to March 2015, Mr. Azoy served as Director, Finance Business Strategy for Warner Bros. Entertainment, supporting corporate finance initiatives and mergers and acquisitions. From 2003 to 2013, he held roles of increasing responsibility in Ernst & Young’s audit practice, serving clients in the life sciences sector, including Amgen. Mr. Azoy holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from California State University, Northridge. He is a certified public accountant in California and a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Mr. Andrews has served as Sienna’s Senior Director, Investor Relations, since May 2017. During that time, he was instrumental to Sienna’s successful initial public offering (IPO) and transition to being a public company, and was a strong business partner to both the CEO and CFO regarding the Company’s IR and corporate strategy, including messaging, investor targeting, corporate financing, pipeline evaluation and business development. Prior to joining Sienna, from January 2016 to April 2017, Mr. Andrews served as Senior Director of Investor Relations at Novan, Inc., where he was integral to its successful IPO and transition to being a public company and chaired its disclosure committee. From June 2013 through December 2015, Mr. Andrews was Managing Partner of Credible Strategic Advisors, where he provided investor relations and corporate strategy consulting services and assisted sell-side equity research teams with company and asset valuations. Previously, Mr. Andrews served in roles of increasing responsibility at Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp., most recently as Director, Investor Relations, from January 2008 until it was acquired by Valeant in December 2012. Mr. Andrews is a United States Air Force veteran, and holds undergraduate degrees in aircraft systems maintenance technology and instructor of technology and military science. He is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute and the Public Relations Society of America.
About Sienna Biopharmaceuticals
Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing unconventional scientific innovations to patients whose lives remain burdened by their disease. We draw upon our deep knowledge and experience in drug development across multiple therapeutic areas as we build a unique, diversified, multi-asset portfolio of therapies in immunology and inflammation that target select pathways in specific tissues, with our initial focus on one of the most important ‘immune’ tissues, the skin. We are leading the way with our novel proprietary technology platform, applying a scientific design process to create potent targeted pharmacologically active molecules that are directed toward a specific target tissue and a select disease pathway, and with minimal to no systemic exposure. At Sienna, we are going where it still matters for patients.
For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.SiennaBio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the statements by Sienna’s Chief Executive Officer. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause Sienna’s clinical development programs, future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the pharmaceutical drug and medical device development processes, including regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing pharmaceutical drug and medical device products, Sienna’s ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its development programs, and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of existing cash to fund operations and the availability or commercial potential of Sienna’s drug candidates. Sienna undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Sienna in general, see Sienna’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent current and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
Media
Caroline Van Hove
cvanhove@siennabio.com
818-575-6250
Investors
Sean Andrews
sandrews@siennabio.com
818-629-2244