On September 18, 2023, Black Diamond Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it separated with David M. Epstein, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer of the Company, in each case, effective as of September 15, 2023. Effective September 16, 2023, the Board appointed Mark A. Velleca, M.D., Ph.D. as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Dr. Velleca joined the Board of Directors of Black Diamond in 2021 and became Chairman of the Board in 2022.

Prior to joining the Black Diamond Board, Dr. Velleca served as CEO of G1 Therapeutics, Inc. At G1, he successfully led the company through its initial public offering and the development of its first therapy (COSELA®) from investigational new drug (IND) filing to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Dr. Velleca continues to serve as a Senior Advisor to and Board member of G1; he is also the Executive Chair of Myeloid Therapeutics, Inc. Earlier in his career, Dr. Velleca was a co-founder and Senior Vice President of CGI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he managed the company from its inception through clinical trials of multiple drug candidates. After Gilead Sciences acquired CGI, he served as a Senior Advisor to Gilead in R&D Strategy and Corporate Development.

Between CGI and G1, Dr. Velleca was Executive Vice President and Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Most recently, Dr. Velleca was CEO of StrideBio, a gene therapy company, and a Venture Partner at Hatteras Venture Partners. Dr. Velleca began his career as an attending physician at Yale New Haven Hospital and was on the faculty of the Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Velleca earned an M.D. and Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, and a B.S. from Yale University.