Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing treatments for severe neurological diseases, today announced the appointment of Michelle Quinn Smith as Chief Human Resources Officer. Ms. Smith brings over 30 years of experience in human resources to Voyager, including leadership roles at Flagship Pioneering, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Genzyme, and Sanofi.

“We are excited to welcome Michelle to Voyager in this important role. She brings a strong track record of purpose-driven, inclusive leadership, and will be a great addition to our team,” said Andre Turenne, President and CEO of Voyager. “We believe Michelle’s experience in driving organizational strategy in R&D organizations and growth companies will be instrumental in supporting our continued evolution as a gene therapy leader.”

Prior to joining Voyager, Ms. Smith was Senior Director of Human Resources at Flagship Pioneering and served as part of Flagship’s Human Resources Leadership team and advised portfolio companies. Prior to Flagship, she was Global Director of Human Resources-R&D for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for the creation and execution of human resources strategy for therapeutic development in R&D. Prior to Takeda, Ms. Smith held positions of increasing responsibility in human resources for Genzyme (later Sanofi), leaving Sanofi as the Global Head of Human Resources for Development-R&D. Ms. Smith received a B.A. in History from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Horse Hugs for Heroes, a therapeutic animal non-profit organization based in Maryland.