Management Team

Julianne Smith

Chief Development Officer

Julianne Smith is Chief Development Officer of Genespire. She has over 30 years of experience in scientific research, with 18 of those working in the biotech industry. She joins Genespire from Nasdaq listed Cellectis S.A., a global leader in gene editing and allogeneic CAR-T cells, where she held various senior roles, managing research teams responsible for the development of allogenic CAR T-cell products, working on product portfolio prioritization and shaping development strategies. While at Cellectis, Julianne also established and led the translational sciences department and interacted with regulatory authorities in both the US and Europe. Julianne holds a PhD in Genetics and Development from Columbia University and pursued her academic career as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Institut Curie in Paris.

Dr. Smaragda Angelidou

Head of CMC

Smaragda Angelidou is the Head of CMC of Genespire. She is a CMC subject matter expert with extensive industry experience in cell and gene therapies, from early phase development through to commercialisation. She joined Genespire from Autolus, a clinical stage autologous CAR T-cell therapy company, where she was the Senior Director of CMC projects and Tech Transfer. Prior to Autolus, she worked at GlaxoSmithKline, where she held positions in Cell and Gene Therapy Product Development and Medicine and Process Delivery. She was accountable for the strategic, technical, quality and regulatory aspects of CMC development and previously she was a process development technical lead. In her roles, she worked on a number of CGT programs, including autologous TCR T-cell therapies for cancer and ex vivo HSPC gene therapies for rare diseases, which included Strimvelis, the first approved ex vivo autologous gene therapy. Smaragda holds a BSc in Human Genetics and an MSc in Molecular Medicine from University College, London and a PhD in Molecular Oncology from Imperial College, London.

Dr. Lucia Faccio

Chief Executive Officer

Lucia Faccio has been Chief Executive Officer of Genespire since 2025 and is a Partner at Sofinnova Partners, a leading European venture capital firm specializing in life sciences with over €4 billion in assets under management. She is a core member of the Sofinnova Telethon Fund, the largest biotech fund focused on Italy, and serves on the board of the Italian Tech Alliance, promoting the growth of the national startup ecosystem.

Lucia has more than 25 years of experience in technology transfer, business development and company creation in the life sciences sector. 

Previously, she was Director of Research & Development at Fondazione Telethon, advancing therapies for genetic diseases, and Director of Technology Transfer at San Raffaele Hospital, Italy’s largest private research center.

She holds a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Padua and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the University of L’Aquila, completed in collaboration with Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Albert Molina Gil

Associate Director – CMC external development & supply management

Albert Molina Gil is Associate Director, CMC External Development & Supply at Genespire, with a strong track record in lentiviral vector process and cell line development. He joined Genespire from Orchard Therapeutics, where he combined responsibilities as CMC vector subject matter expert for early-stage programs with internal lentiviral vector process development and characterisation for late-stage gene therapies, including the now-approved Libmeldy®. Prior to this, he led the Cell Line Development group at Autolus, overseeing all phases of retroviral packaging and producer cell line generation—from construct design, clone isolation and high-throughput screening through to functional characterisation and outsourced GMP manufacturing to support multiple autologous CAR-T therapy programmes. Albert holds an Industrial PhD in Gene Therapy from University College London in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, focused on developing genome-edited lentiviral packaging cell lines

Dr. Simon Hawkins

VP Clinical Development

Simon Hawkins is Vice President of Clinical Development at Genespire, where he leads strategic planning and execution of our next-generation gene therapy platforms. He brings more than 15 years of experience in driving global clinical development in immunoinflammatory, hematologic, and rare diseases. He has led programs spanning small molecules, biologics, and advanced gene therapies, with deep expertise in clinical strategy, regulatory engagement, and translational medicine. Simon brings extensive gene therapy leadership, having spearheaded ex vivo lentiviral programs at AVROBIO and Orchard Therapeutics – from early clinical design through pivotal regulatory submissions. While at GSK, he contributed to landmark Phase III programs and completed the Esprit leadership program. Prior to joining Genespire, Simon held senior roles at biotech and clinical-research organisations focused on advancing gene therapy and broader immunology-driven therapies, where he built clinical teams, managed global regulatory interactions, and oversaw portfolio prioritisation.

 Simon earned a PhD in the field of Stem cells, with his thesis published in Nature Nanotechnology, in 2018 and qualified as a Doctor of Medicine in 2004 from the University of Bristol.

Dr. Mary Wang

Patient Engagement Director

Mary Wang is the Patient Engagement Director of Genespire, ensuring that the perspectives of people living with rare diseases (PLWRD) inform the development of advanced therapies. She previously served as Global Programme Director at Rare Diseases International (RDI), the international alliance of PLWRD, and led projects on essential medicines, holistic care, quality of life framework, and technical collaboration with the World Health Organization. Prior to RDI, Mary was the Global Partnership Manager at Fondazione Telethon in Italy. With over 15 years’ experience in rare disease research and policy, she has advanced biobank networking, data-sharing initiatives, and training programmes for both scientist and patients. She is a member of the Interdisciplinary Scientific Committee of the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC). Mary holds a PhD in Cell Biology from University College London, UK.

Emanuela Balzo

VP of Finance

Emanuela Balzo serves as Vice President Finance at Genespire, where she oversees the company’s financial and operational activities. Her results-driven approach supports the management team in achieving corporate objectives and generating sustainable value.

With over 20 years of international experience in the sector, she has developed strong expertise in operations, strategic planning, and financial governance. Prior to joining Genespire, she held leadership positions in multinational companies, including Lundbeck, where she oversaw the full finance function and acted as a strategic partner to the business, driving performance, planning, and operational success. Her career also spans senior roles in business partnering at organisations including Zobele Group and Avnet Technology Solutions, giving her a broad understanding of complex, fast-moving commercial environments.

 She holds a degree in Economics and earned an MBA from SDA Bocconi.

Dr. Simona La Seta Catamancio

Head of Project Management

Simona La Seta Catamancio is the Head of Project Management at Genespire. She has 25 years of experience in cell and gene therapy, spanning early- and late-stage clinical development through marketing applications. She joins Genespire from MolMed S.p.A., a privately owned biotech company developing proprietary Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products. At MolMed, as Regulatory Affairs Manager, she led proprietary and partnered CGT programs, including post-approval management of Zalmoxis® and support for CTA submission and Marketing Authorization Applications for client products. As Senior Project Manager, she oversaw the development and clinical start-up of a proprietary CAR-T Phase I trial, coordinating cross-functional teams and external providers. She was also a member of an internal team performing due diligence for an out-licensing product. Simona holds a PhD in Molecular Biology focused on HIV research and a Postgraduate Specialization Diploma, both from the Università degli Studi di Milano.