Leadership
Rick E Winningham
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Rick E Winningham has served as Chairman of the board of directors since July 2013. He has served as our Chief Executive Officer since our spin-off from Theravance, Inc. (now INVA) in June 2014. From October 2001 to August 2014, Mr. Winningham served as Chief Executive Officer of Theravance, Inc., where he also served as Chairman of the board of directors from April 2010 to October 2014.
From 1997 to 2001 he served as President, Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology/Immunology/Oncology Therapeutics Network (OTN) and also as President of Global Marketing from 2000 to 2001. In addition to operating responsibility for U.S. Oncology/Immunology/OTN at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Mr. Winningham also had full responsibility for Global Marketing in the Cardiovascular, Infectious Disease, Immunology, Oncology/Metabolics and GU/GI/Neuroscience therapeutic areas. Over a fifteen year period beginning in 1986 with BMS and its predecessor, Bristol Myers, Mr. Winningham held various U.S. and global management positions.
Mr. Winningham is a member of Biotechnology Industry Organization’s board of directors and serves on the Health Section Governing Board Standing Committee on Reimbursement. Mr. Winningham served as a Director on the board of directors of the California Healthcare Institute (“CHI”) from November 2011 to March 2015. He served as Chairman of CHI from January 2014 until March 2015 when CHI merged with Baybio to become the California Life Sciences Association (“CLSA”). Mr. Winningham served on the board of CLSA from March 2015 to July 2023, and served as its chairman from March 2015 to November 2015. He is a member of the board of directors of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc., a public biopharmaceutical company, and served as a member of the board of directors of Retrotope Inc, a private biopharmaceutical company, from February 2021 until January 2022, and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from June 2015 until April 2019.
Mr. Winningham holds an M.B.A. from Texas Christian University and a B.S. degree from Southern Illinois University.
Rhonda F. Farnum
Senior Vice President, Commercial and Medical Affairs and Chief Business Officer
Rhonda F. Farnum was appointed Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President, Commercial and Medical Affairs in December 2021. Ms. Farnum joined Theravance Biopharma in July 2018 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing. She is responsible for commercial execution of Theravance Biopharma’s branded products, including sales, marketing, and managed markets.
Prior to joining Theravance Biopharma, Ms. Farnum led marketing efforts for multiple products in the Amgen, Inc. oncology business unit from June 2015 to July 2018. Prior to Amgen, she served as the head of the Hematology Business Unit at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, from December 2014 to June 2015. Prior to Onyx Pharmaceuticals, she served in increasing marketing and sales leadership roles within the commercial divisions of Pharmacyclics and Genentech.
Ms. Farnum earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia in Physics and Pre-Med, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and in addition has completed programs and boarded registration in Nuclear Medicine Technology and Nursing.
Brett Grimaud
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Brett A. Grimaud has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since June 2022. Previously, Mr. Grimaud was our Vice President and General Counsel from October 2021 to June 2022. Since joining Theravance Biopharma in June 2014, Mr. Grimaud has served in various roles of increasing responsibility across the legal organization.
Prior our spin-off from Innoviva, Mr. Grimaud was the Senior Director and Senior Corporate Counsel at Innoviva from January 2012 to June 2014. From January 2003 to December 2011, Mr. Grimaud was a corporate and securities attorney at the law firm, Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP.
Mr. Grimaud holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Rick E Winningham has served as Chairman of the board of directors since July 2013. He has served as our Chief Executive Officer since our spin-off from Theravance, Inc. (now INVA) in June 2014. From October 2001 to August 2014, Mr. Winningham served as Chief Executive Officer of Theravance, Inc., where he also served as Chairman of the board of directors from April 2010 to October 2014.
From 1997 to 2001 he served as President, Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology/Immunology/Oncology Therapeutics Network (OTN) and also as President of Global Marketing from 2000 to 2001. In addition to operating responsibility for U.S. Oncology/Immunology/OTN at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Mr. Winningham also had full responsibility for Global Marketing in the Cardiovascular, Infectious Disease, Immunology, Oncology/Metabolics and GU/GI/Neuroscience therapeutic areas. Over a fifteen year period beginning in 1986 with BMS and its predecessor, Bristol Myers, Mr. Winningham held various U.S. and global management positions.
Mr. Winningham is a member of Biotechnology Industry Organization’s board of directors and serves on the Health Section Governing Board Standing Committee on Reimbursement. Mr. Winningham served as a Director on the board of directors of the California Healthcare Institute (“CHI”) from November 2011 to March 2015. He served as Chairman of CHI from January 2014 until March 2015 when CHI merged with Baybio to become the California Life Sciences Association (“CLSA”). Mr. Winningham served on the board of CLSA from March 2015 to July 2023, and served as its chairman from March 2015 to November 2015. He is a member of the board of directors of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc., a public biopharmaceutical company, and served as a member of the board of directors of Retrotope Inc, a private biopharmaceutical company, from February 2021 until January 2022, and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from June 2015 until April 2019.
Mr. Winningham holds an M.B.A. from Texas Christian University and a B.S. degree from Southern Illinois University.
Rhonda F. Farnum was appointed Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President, Commercial and Medical Affairs in December 2021. Ms. Farnum joined Theravance Biopharma in July 2018 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing. She is responsible for commercial execution of Theravance Biopharma’s branded products, including sales, marketing, and managed markets.
Prior to joining Theravance Biopharma, Ms. Farnum led marketing efforts for multiple products in the Amgen, Inc. oncology business unit from June 2015 to July 2018. Prior to Amgen, she served as the head of the Hematology Business Unit at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, from December 2014 to June 2015. Prior to Onyx Pharmaceuticals, she served in increasing marketing and sales leadership roles within the commercial divisions of Pharmacyclics and Genentech.
Ms. Farnum earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia in Physics and Pre-Med, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and in addition has completed programs and boarded registration in Nuclear Medicine Technology and Nursing.
Brett A. Grimaud has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since June 2022. Previously, Mr. Grimaud was our Vice President and General Counsel from October 2021 to June 2022. Since joining Theravance Biopharma in June 2014, Mr. Grimaud has served in various roles of increasing responsibility across the legal organization.
Prior our spin-off from Innoviva, Mr. Grimaud was the Senior Director and Senior Corporate Counsel at Innoviva from January 2012 to June 2014. From January 2003 to December 2011, Mr. Grimaud was a corporate and securities attorney at the law firm, Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP.
Mr. Grimaud holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stuart Knight
Senior Vice President, IT&I and Chief Information Officer
Stuart Knight joined Theravance Biopharma in November 2014 as Vice President, Information Technology and Informatics (IT&I). He was promoted to Vice President IT&I and Chief Information Officer in July 2020, and appointed Senior Vice President IT&I and Chief Information Officer in May 2024. In addition to his IT duties, Mr. Knight takes leadership responsibility for our Facilities operations.
Prior to joining Theravance Biopharma, Mr. Knight held various IT leadership positions in the biopharmaceutical industry, most recently with Galderma Pharma S.A., from May 2013 to October 2014, where he served in dual roles as Head of Global Markets IT, and Head, Infrastructure, Operations and Services. Prior to Galderma, Mr. Knight served at Ipsen Biopharma; from 2008 to 2013 as Vice President, Information Technology within the US business, and from 2000 to 2013 in various IT management and leadership roles within Ipsen’s European operations.
Mr. Knight earned a BSc (Hons – First Class) from South Bank University in London.
Aine Miller
Senior Vice President, Development and Head of Ireland Office
Dr. Aine Miller, Ph.D., was appointed Senior Vice President of Development in November 2023, where she is responsible for leading the progression of late-stage clinical assets through regulatory filing and approval. Dr. Miller is head of our Theravance Biopharma Ireland office. Since joining Theravance Biopharma in February 2020, Dr. Miller has served as the Vice President of Regulatory from February 2020 to September 2020, as the Vice President of Regulatory and Medical Writing from September 2020 to March 2022, and more recently, as Vice President of Regulatory, Quality, Clinical Safety and PV from March 2022 to November 2023.
Prior to joining Theravance Biopharma, Dr. Miller spent five years at Alkermes where she was the Global Senior Director of Regulatory and held responsibility for regulatory strategy across multiple development programs. In this role she also served as the Development Team Leader for a late-stage program through to NDA approval. Prior to Alkermes, Dr. Miller led global regulatory strategic activities for commercial and development programs at Elan. Before that she worked at Allergan Medical, where she held various regulatory roles of increasing responsibility.
Over her 20-year career, Dr. Miller has worked on all stages of drug development providing global regulatory strategic leadership and has led negotiation with EMA, FDA and International Regulatory Agencies across a range of therapeutic areas.
Dr. Miller holds a BSc and PhD in Biotechnology from Dublin City University.
Stacy Pryce
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Stuart Knight joined Theravance Biopharma in November 2014 as Vice President, Information Technology and Informatics (IT&I). He was promoted to Vice President IT&I and Chief Information Officer in July 2020, and appointed Senior Vice President IT&I and Chief Information Officer in May 2024. In addition to his IT duties, Mr. Knight takes leadership responsibility for our Facilities operations.
Prior to joining Theravance Biopharma, Mr. Knight held various IT leadership positions in the biopharmaceutical industry, most recently with Galderma Pharma S.A., from May 2013 to October 2014, where he served in dual roles as Head of Global Markets IT, and Head, Infrastructure, Operations and Services. Prior to Galderma, Mr. Knight served at Ipsen Biopharma; from 2008 to 2013 as Vice President, Information Technology within the US business, and from 2000 to 2013 in various IT management and leadership roles within Ipsen’s European operations.
Mr. Knight earned a BSc (Hons – First Class) from South Bank University in London.
Dr. Aine Miller, Ph.D., was appointed Senior Vice President of Development in November 2023, where she is responsible for leading the progression of late-stage clinical assets through regulatory filing and approval. Dr. Miller is head of our Theravance Biopharma Ireland office. Since joining Theravance Biopharma in February 2020, Dr. Miller has served as the Vice President of Regulatory from February 2020 to September 2020, as the Vice President of Regulatory and Medical Writing from September 2020 to March 2022, and more recently, as Vice President of Regulatory, Quality, Clinical Safety and PV from March 2022 to November 2023.
Prior to joining Theravance Biopharma, Dr. Miller spent five years at Alkermes where she was the Global Senior Director of Regulatory and held responsibility for regulatory strategy across multiple development programs. In this role she also served as the Development Team Leader for a late-stage program through to NDA approval. Prior to Alkermes, Dr. Miller led global regulatory strategic activities for commercial and development programs at Elan. Before that she worked at Allergan Medical, where she held various regulatory roles of increasing responsibility.
Over her 20-year career, Dr. Miller has worked on all stages of drug development providing global regulatory strategic leadership and has led negotiation with EMA, FDA and International Regulatory Agencies across a range of therapeutic areas.
Dr. Miller holds a BSc and PhD in Biotechnology from Dublin City University.
Aziz Sawaf
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Aziz Sawaf, CFA, has served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since January 2023. Previously, Mr. Sawaf was our Vice President of Finance and a member of the Senior Leadership Team from October 2021 to December 2022, having joined us in June 2014 and serving in various roles of increasing responsibility across the finance organization.
Prior to Theravance Biopharma, Mr. Sawaf spent four years at Gilead Sciences, working in several Finance roles supporting the Commercial and R&D organizations. Prior to Gilead Sciences, Mr. Sawaf worked at Amgen, in Consulting and in internet start-up Finance.
Mr. Sawaf holds a B.A. in Business Administration, Finance, from the University of Arizona, an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, and a Master of Biotechnology Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (M.B.E.E.) from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Sawaf has been a CFA charterholder since 2013 and is a Board Member of the California Life Sciences Association (CLS).
Aziz Sawaf, CFA, has served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since January 2023. Previously, Mr. Sawaf was our Vice President of Finance and a member of the Senior Leadership Team from October 2021 to December 2022, having joined us in June 2014 and serving in various roles of increasing responsibility across the finance organization.
Prior to Theravance Biopharma, Mr. Sawaf spent four years at Gilead Sciences, working in several Finance roles supporting the Commercial and R&D organizations. Prior to Gilead Sciences, Mr. Sawaf worked at Amgen, in Consulting and in internet start-up Finance.
Mr. Sawaf holds a B.A. in Business Administration, Finance, from the University of Arizona, an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, and a Master of Biotechnology Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (M.B.E.E.) from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Sawaf has been a CFA charterholder since 2013 and is a Board Member of the California Life Sciences Association (CLS).