Mary Thistle

A biotechnology leader with 25+ year track record of creating shareholder value through strategy, business development, commercial and financial leadership, Mary Thistle joined Ziopharm’s Board in November 2020. Ms. Thistle is Special Advisor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, where she previously held the role of Chief of Staff. Prior to joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Ms. Thistle was Chief Operating Officer of Dimension Therapeutics, where she directed multiple financing rounds (including the company’s IPO), expanded the pipeline through strategic business development transactions, and led the sale of the company for a significant premium. Previously, Ms. Thistle was Senior Vice President, Business Development at Cubist Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for multiple acquisitions and assisted in the sale of the company. She has also held leadership positions at ViaCell and PerkinElmer. Ms. Thistle began her career in finance as a Certified Public Accountant, after graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from the University of Massachusetts. Ms. Thistle serves on the Boards of Directors of Homology Medicines and Enterome SA.