Markwin Velders is an independent entrepreneur with 25 years of experience, working in the fields of research, development, operations and management. He was awarded a PhD in Molecular Immunology from Leiden University in the Netherlands. After transferring from the US academical to the Dutch biopharmaceutical sector Dr Markwin Velders served, among several other management positions, as Chief Scientific Officer at Dutch biotech company AM-Pharma, with responsibility for R&D and pre-clinical development.In 2013 he consulted to the Dutch biotech T-Cell Factory (TCF) where he played a key role in the acquisition of the company to form Kite Pharma EU B.V. Markwin joined Kite, now a Gilead company, in 2015 where he managed the research and development of novel receptors against tumors alongside managing the realization of Kite’s new manufacturing facility for cell therapy in the Netherlands. Markwin is chairman of the board of HollandBio, the branch association for Biotech in the Netherlands. He serves as supervisory board member at ISA Pharmaceuticals and Amarna Therapeutics, advisory board member at Thuja Capital and Necstgen BV and Entrepreneur in Residence at Oncode.