Hookipa Biotech, a company pioneering a new class of immunotherapies for oncology and infectious diseases, has appointed Reinhard Kandera as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will also become a member of Hookipa’s management board.
Reinhard Kandera has more than 20 years of professional experience in the finance and healthcare industries including 15 years as senior executive within biotech companies.
Immediately prior to joining Hookipa, he was a Member of the Management Board and CFO of Valneva SE, a commercial stage biotech vaccine company, listed on the Euronext Paris and the Vienna Stock Exchange.
Before his role at Valneva, he was CFO and member of the Management Board of Intercell, another publicly listed European biotech company, which was merged with Vivalis to become Valneva in 2013.
Reinhard Kandera held various other positions at Intercell, including Global Head of Finance and Investor Relations and CFO of Intercell USA (the formerly NASDAQ-listed Iomai Corporation).
Kandera played a pivotal role in the IPO of Intercell in 2005; multiple public and private financings exceeding hundreds of millions of euros/dollars; and the acquisition and integration of businesses in Scotland, the USA, Switzerland and Sweden.
Kandera started his career in the finance industry at Deutsche Bank. He holds doctorate degrees in Business Administration and in Law from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and the Vienna University’s Faculty of Law.
Kandera said: “With its novel Vaxwave and TheraT platforms, Hookipa has a strong technology foundation and I am excited to help the company to deliver on its ambition of bringing next-generation cancer immune therapeutics and vaccines to patients.”