MLA Places Jacquelyn Sumer as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Genocea Biosciences, Inc.

Hanover, MD (February 24, 2021) — Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world’s leading legal search firm, today announced the placement of Jacquelyn Sumer as chief legal and compliance officer at Genocea Biosciences, Inc. in Cambridge, Mass. The search was led by Amy Katz, managing director in MLA’s In-House Counsel Recruiting group in Boston.

Reporting directly to Genocea’s CEO Chip Clark, Jacquelyn will serve as a strategic member of Genocea’s executive leadership team.  Jacquelyn  will lead and manage the company’s legal and compliance function, providing operational leadership across a wide array of legal, governance and compliance matters.

Genocea’s (NASDAQ: GNCA) mission is to conquer cancer by developing personalized cancer immunotherapies in multiple tumor types. Their proprietary ATLAS™ platform comprehensively profiles each patient’s T cell responses to potential targets, or antigens, on that patient’s tumor. They are advancing two ATLAS-enabled programs: GEN-009, their neoantigen vaccine for which they are conducting a Phase 1/2a clinical trial and GEN-011, their adoptive T cell therapy using neoantigen-targeted peripheral cells for which they are commencing a Phase 1/2a clinical trial.

“It was an honor to partner with Genocea and Chip Clark on this exciting search for an outstanding general counsel,” said Amy Katz. “Not only is Jackie a highly collaborative, personable and strategic legal executive, but her extensive expertise navigating pharmaceutical product development and commercialization will be a significant asset for Genocea. We look forward to following both Genocea and Jackie’s successes.”

Jacquelyn most recently served as vice president and assistant general counsel at Bristol-Myers Squibb, leading a team of 15 overseeing worldwide hematology and cell therapy, commercialization and development. Her background also includes pharmaceutical leadership roles with Celgene Corporation and Novartis. She began her career as an associate with Kaye Scholer LLP and as a clerk for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with Judge Gladys Kessler. Jacquelyn earned her J.D. and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Duke University and her B.A. from Bucknell University.