Management

Vaccinex Leadership Team

Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D.

Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D. has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since our inception in April 2001. Prior to founding the company, Dr. Zauderer was an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester and has also held senior faculty positions at Columbia University. During his academic career, Dr. Zauderer held the position of visiting scientist at the Laboratory of Cell Biology, the Ontario Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Zauderer received a B.S. in Physics from Yeshiva University and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Jill Sanchez, CPA

Jill Sanchez has served as our Chief Financial Officer since March 21, 2024. Prior to this Ms. Sanchez served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer from March 14, 2024 to March 21, 2024, and as our Controller from January 2019 to March 21, 2024. Ms. Sanchez also previously served as our Accounting Manager from 2002 to 2005. Ms. Sanchez received a B.S. in Accounting from St. John Fisher College.

John E. Leonard, Ph.D.

John E. Leonard, Ph.D. has served as our Senior Vice President, Development since January 2009. Prior to joining us, Dr. Leonard served as a principal at John Leonard Consulting, LLC from September 2005 to January 2009. From February 2003 until September 2009, he was the Vice President, Program Executive of Biogen Idec, Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company, and from August 1988 until January 2003 he served in various roles in product development, regulatory affairs and quality assurance at IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation, which merged with Biogen, Inc. to form Biogen Idec, Inc. Dr. Leonard received a B.S. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from California State University, Long Beach, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Riverside.

Ernest S. Smith, Ph.D.

Ernest S. Smith, Ph.D. has served as our Senior Vice President, Research and Chief Scientific Officer since December 2008. Dr. Smith previously served as our Vice President, Research and Chief Scientific Officer from April 2003 to December 2008 and our Research Director from June 2001 to April 2003. Prior to joining us, Dr. Smith was a research scientist at the University of Rochester. Dr. Smith received a B.A. in Biology from St. John Fisher College, and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Rochester.

Elizabeth E. Evans, Ph.D.

Elizabeth E. Evans, Ph.D. has served as our Senior Vice President, Discovery and Translational Medicine since March 2020 and Chief Operating Officer since May 2021. Dr. Evans previously served in a variety of research and leadership roles at Vaccinex including as our Vice President, Discovery Research. Prior to joining Vaccinex, Dr. Evans was a research scientist at the University of Rochester. Dr. Evans received a B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Anthropology from State University of New York at Stony Brook, and an M.S. in Immunology and a Ph.D. in Pathology from the University of Rochester.

Directors

Albert D. Friedberg

Albert D. Friedberg has served as chairman of our board of directors since our inception in April 2001. Mr. Friedberg has also served as the Chief Executive Officer and President and a director of Friedberg Mercantile Group Ltd., a Toronto-based commodities and investment management firm, since founding the company in 1971. Since 1978, he served as the President and Chief Investment Strategist for the Friedberg Group of Funds. Mr. Friedberg was appointed as a member of the Commodity Futures Advisory Board of Ontario in 1979, and served as chairman of the Toronto Futures Exchange from March 1985 to June 1988. Mr. Friedberg received a B.A. in Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an M.B.A. in International Banking from Columbia University. We believe that Mr. Friedberg’s experience in the financial and investment management industry, and his experience as the Chief Executive Officer and President and service as a director of Friedberg Mercantile Group give him the qualifications and skills to serve on our board of directors.

Jacob B. Frieberg

Jacob B. Frieberg has served as a member of our board of directors since February 2015. Mr. Frieberg has also served as a principal at The WTF Group, a Toronto-based property management company, since founding the company in 1984. Prior to that time, he was the Vice President at Rockford Developments, a Calgary-based multi-family building company. Mr. Frieberg received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. We believe that Mr. Frieberg’s experience in business, including his management responsibility, gives him the qualifications, skills and financial expertise to serve on our board of directors.

Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D.

Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D. has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since our inception in April 2001. Prior to founding the company, Dr. Zauderer was an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester and has also held senior faculty positions at Columbia University. During his academic career, Dr. Zauderer held the position of visiting scientist at the Laboratory of Cell Biology, the Ontario Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Zauderer received a B.S. in Physics from Yeshiva University and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.