Stefan Lohmer is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Axxam, as well as Board Member of Rewind Therapeutics NV. Prior to founding Axxam, he was head of the assay development unit at the Bayer Research Centre in Milan and the Head of Genomics worldwide for Bayer AG. He was responsible for generating and managing Bayer’s external genomic alliances with Millennium and Lion Bioscience. Stefan Lohmer joined Bayer in 1992. He holds a degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Cologne and completed his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding in Cologne.

Alessandro Sidoli is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Axxam, as well as Managing Director of IMAX Discovery GmbH. He has been Board Member of Xbrane Biopharma AB (2016-2019). He has been President of Assobiotec/Federchimica, the Italian association of the biotech industry (2010-2016), after having been Vice President since 2004. Since 2016 he is Chairman of Federchimica’s Research Development and Innovation Committee. In 2015 he co-founded a business angels association focused on biotechnology (Italian Angels for Biotech), being Vice President (2015-2019). He started his career as a Research Scientist at the Biotechnology Department of Farmitalia Carlo Erba in Milan, and later he was also a researcher at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology at Oxford University (UK). Afterwards he served as Head of the Biotechnology Department at the Istituto Sieroterapico Milanese (Milan). He also founded Primm, one of the first Italian biotech companies, and was also Director of Technology Transfer at San Raffaele in Milan. Alessandro Sidoli received his degree in Biology from the University of Pavia where he conducted his studies as a member of the Ghislieri College.

Luigi Gavazzeni has been Chief Financial Officer of Axxam since 2005. Prior to Axxam, he held Finance Director positions at BioXell SpA and Novuspharma SpA. He has successfully managed several strategic and corporate development projects for a number of companies in the biopharmaceutical industry. He has extensive experience in project management and a broad knowledge of finance, accounting and tax principles, regulations and financial control. Luigi received his Degree in Engineering from the Polytechnic in Milan.

Silvia joined Axxam in 2008 to lead the Human Resources Department. She has over 15 years experience in the HR field, having worked with a number of Italian and multinational pharmaceutical companies, as well as in other industries. After starting her career with a headhunting company, she had her first in-company experience in the HR department of Siemens S.p.A, where she worked until 2001 as Recruiting Manager. From 2001 to 2005 she worked for Janssen-Cilag S.p.A, a pharmaceutical subsidiary of the Johnson & Johnson Group, as Recruiting and Development Manager. Before joining Axxam, Silvia worked as Human Resources Manager at Siena Biotech (2005–2008). Silvia holds a degree in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Milan.

Lia has been Director of Discovery Services since 2007. She is responsible for Assay Development, High Throughput Screening, Compound Profiling, Hit Follow-up, Liability Platforms, Library and Data Management. She coordinates numerous collaborations with international companies and she is Work Package Leader for different grants supported by the Italian government and the European Community.
Before taking this role, she was Head of the Cell Biology unit at Axxam from 2001, and previously she was Head of Cardiovascular Research Unit in the Pharmacology Department at Bayer-Italy. She holds a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a Master in Experimental Pharmacology from the University of Milan.

Member of the Axxam Team as of 2001, responsible for the BD activities of the Company since November 2009, Sabrina has been appointed Director, Business Development at Axxam in March 2015. Prior to that, she was head of the Enabling Technologies group at Axxam. Before joining Axxam in 2001, she was responsible for coordinating assay development in the CNS field at the Bayer Research Centre, based in Milano. Sabrina holds a degree in Biology from the University of Milano.

Chiara was appointed Director of Discovery Research at Axxam in October 2017.  She is responsible for managing Axxam’s discovery projects also including fund raising for the generation of NewCos.
Prior to that, Chiara was Head of Discovery Biology, coordinating a wide range of proprietary multidisciplinary programs in the therapeutic areas of Inflammation, Autoimmune Diseases, and CNS, in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and renowned international research institutes.
Chiara was actively involved in Axxam’s most recent asset transfers into a NewCos focused on new therapeutics to treat hearing loss or to stimulate re-myelination in MS patients, respectively.
Before Axxam, she worked at Bayer Pharma Italia and Biosearch Italia SpA. Following the BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Chiara achieved a Master in Human Molecular Genetics at University of Milan by working on human globin genes regulation.  She is author of about 20 publications and patents.

Russell Thomas was appointed Director of Strategic Alliances at Axxam in October 2017; prior to that he held the role of Director of Discovery Research. Before joining Axxam in 2015, he was General Manager of Siena Biotech, having previously held the positions of Head of Medicinal Chemistry and then as Director of Portfolio Operations and Alliances.
Between September 2012 and November 2013 he was VP of Lead Discovery at Proteros in Munich Germany. He assisted in the startup of Rodin Therapeutics, co-founded by Proteros and Atlas Ventures. Between 1998 and 2004 he was Department Head at Evotec in Oxford, UK.
He worked at Glaxo, subsequently Glaxo Wellcome between 1991 and 1998 with positions of increasing responsibility in Medicinal Chemistry.
In his scientific career Russell Thomas has worked on a range of projects delivering clinical and preclinical candidates, including selisistat, currently in Phase II clinical trials for Huntington’s disease.
Originally from Swansea, Wales, he graduated in chemistry from the University of Kent at Canterbury, followed by a Ph.D with Prof. Stan Roberts at Exeter University, UK.

Giorgio has sat on Axxam’s board since the company’s inception. He works for UBI Banca (formerly Centrobanca), one of the major Italian banking groups, engaged in mergers and acquisitions. Previously he served as the head of the corporate finance division for Arca BIM and was responsible for the mergers and acquisitions activities of the Credit Merchant Affairs Bank of the Credito Italiano Group.

Lucio Iannone is Director Venture Investments of Leaps by Bayer, the investment arm of the global life sciences company Bayer, where he is responsible for developing investment cases and deal execution. He is also involved in sourcing, screening, and mentoring of companies with game-changing science. As an investor, Lucio Iannone is also serving as board member for Khloris Biosciences, Casebia Therapeutics and AgBiome. Before joining Bayer, he had several senior roles in biotechnology companies and venture capital firms. Lucio Iannone previously worked for 4 years at Silence therapeutics in London and Berlin where he held scientific and business roles. He has experience with molecular biology, cell & gene therapy technologies and their application in oncology and other therapeutic fields. Lucio Iannone began his career as a cardiovascular scientist at Imperial college of London in the Department of Experimental Medicine where he received his Ph.D.

Giovanni Magnaghi is Chief Financial Officer of Zambon Company and its controlled entities (Pharma, Chemicals, Real Estate, Healthcare Services and Venture Research) since December 2018. He has 27 years of finance and commercial expertise in Italy and abroad matured in multinational companies like Gillette, Bausch & Lomb, Henry Schein and Gilead. At Gilead he had an opportunity to cover multiple roles as Regional Finance Director as well as General Manager in Italy and Turkey and he recently served as Vice President Finance EMEA for Gilead supporting the business expansion in HCV, Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy (Kite Pharma). He has a deep understanding of the pharma business dynamics and pricing and reimbursement environment across multiple EMEA countries having worked on more than 10 new product launches in the last 5 years.