Simon Kelner

Simon Kelner is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Ovid Therapeutics. He is responsible for leading Ovid’s talent and organizational strategy and overseeing the company’s Human Resources function. Mr. Kelner joined Ovid in 2022, bringing more than 25 years of global HR and talent management experience across both small biotech and large pharmaceutical companies.

Mr. Kelner has a passion for building businesses with purpose. He was most recently CHRO of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RYTM), where he developed and implemented the company’s HR strategy to secure the talent, culture, and organizational capabilities needed to grow from the clinic to regulatory approval and through commercialization. Mr. Kelner has held a wide range of HR leadership roles around the world for Merck, Teva, and General Motors, living and working in the UK, Israel, Switzerland and the USA. He also established a successful talent advisory practice, helping early-stage life sciences companies scale effectively and build strong, sustainable cultures.

Mr. Kelner has an International Executive MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, a bachelors honors degree in Management Sciences from the University of Manchester (UK), and is a graduate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (UK).