Board of Directors
Smital Shah
Board Member
Ms. Shah has a 17-year track record of leadership and management in the biopharmaceutical industry, as well as in investment banking, with particular experience in financial strategy, capital markets and business development. Ms Shah is currently an independent Chief Financial Officer/Chief Business Officer consultant working with multiple biotech and life sciences companies on finance and business development strategy and operations. She previously held the role of chief business and financial officer at rare disease company ProQR, joining as chief financial officer in 2014. Previously, Ms. Shah managed the multi-billion-dollar debt, cash and investment portfolios of Gilead Sciences. Prior to Gilead, she was an investment banker at Leerink Partners and JP Morgan where she helped raise over $1 billion in equity capital and over $7 billion in debt capital for emerging and established biotech companies and advised on M&A.
Previously, Ms. Shah held various R&D roles at Johnson & Johnson. She earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.
Our Team
Pliant is led by a team of world-renowned fibrosis researchers and highly experienced drug developers focused on translating science into novel therapies for patients in need.