Joe Hand, J.D.

General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Operations

Mr. Hand is a seasoned life sciences executive, attorney, and strategic advisor with extensive experience across legal, HR, and operational functions. With more than two decades in both public and private companies, he has led transformative initiatives during periods of rapid growth, commercialization, and strategic change in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Mr. Hand held senior leadership roles at Celgene and Phathom Pharmaceuticals. At Celgene, he built and led the company’s litigation function before being appointed Chief of Staff to the CEO, where he served on the Executive Committee and worked across all areas of the business. He was later promoted to EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer and Global Head of Corporate Services, where he oversaw HR, IT, Big Data, Procurement, and Facilities. He played a pivotal role in the $74 billion acquisition of Celgene by Bristol Myers Squibb, leading strategic negotiations, employee integration, and the $13.4 billion divestiture of Otezla to Amgen. He also played a key role in Celgene’s acquisitions of Juno Therapeutics and Receptos.

As Chief Administrative Officer at Phathom, Mr. Hand helped scale the company from 15 to over 400 employees, built corporate infrastructure, and supported capital raises, including a $90 million follow-on offering.

Mr. Hand began his career as a securities litigation attorney at the international law firm of Jones Day. He holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and a JD from NYU School of Law.