Board of Directors
Kári Stefánsson, MD, Dr Med
Chairman and CEO
Kári Stefánsson, M.D., Dr. Med. founded deCODE in August 1996. Dr. Stefánsson was previously a professor of Neurology, Neuropathology and Neuroscience at Harvard University and Director of Neuropathology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1983 to 1993, he held faculty positions in Neurology, Neuropathology and Neurosciences at the University of Chicago. Dr. Stefánsson received his M.D. and Dr. Med. from the University of Iceland and is board-certified in neurology and neuropathology in the United States. Dr. Stefansson is recognized as a leading figure in human genetics. He has shaped deCODE's scientific approach and been actively engaged in leading its gene discovery work, serving as senior author on most of the comany's publications in major scientific journals.
Terrance G. McGuire
Terrance G. McGuire is the co-founder and managing general partner of Polaris Venture Partners, one of the lead investors in the founding of deCODE in 1996 and now in Saga Investments. Terry also serves on the boards of several companies using life sciences to develop new medicine; as a director of the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, the National Venture Capital Association, the MIT Center for Cancer Research; and on the Advisory Boards of Harvard Business School´s Healthcare Initiative and The Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship. Mr. McGuire received his B.S. in Physics and Economics from Hobart College, his M.S. in Engineering from Dartmouth College and his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.
Robert T. Nelsen
Robert Nelsen is co-founder and Managing Director of ARCH Venture, one of the principal partners in Saga Investments. Bob led ARCH’s participation in the founding of deCODE in 1996, and has served as a director since January 2010. He has played a significant role in the early sourcing, financing and development of more than thirty companies, including nine that have reached valuations exceeding $1 billion. Bob is a director of Sapphire Energy, Ikaria, Fate Therapeutics, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Ensemble Discovery Corp., NeurogesX, and Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, and served previously on the boards of Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Surface Logix, Adolor, NetBot, Everyday Learning, Theraclone, Array BioPharma, Caliper Life Sciences, Illumina, R2 Technology, and Classmates.com. He is also a director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Mr. Nelson holds an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago and a B.S. in Economics and Biology from the University of Puget Sound.
