Robert Johnson in

Robert Johnson

Visionary · DISC type Ds
Chief Executive Officer at Kesmalea Therapeutics
📍 London, England, United Kingdom

Robert Johnson is the CEO of Kesmalea Therapeutics, focusing on developing small molecule protein degraders. He is a seasoned biotech executive with a track record of founding and leading companies, including Adrestia Therapeutics, which he sold to Insmed. Colleagues describe him as professional, creative, tenacious, and an astute negotiator.

Outside of work, Robert is a dedicated runner and fundraiser. He recently completed the London Marathon to raise money and awareness for the Ataxia Telangiectasia Society, a charity supporting children and families affected by a rare and complex genetic condition that causes severe disability.

He ran his first marathon to raise funds for research into Ataxia Telangiectasia, a rare disease his former company was working to treat.

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Experience
6 Years
Current Role
Chief Executive Officer
Job Level
Leadership
Location
London, England, United Kingdom
Personality Overview

How Robert shows up

Risk Tolerant
Goal-Oriented
Big Vision Person

They are very professional in their approach and can weigh multiple perspectives together. They might take some time to make their mind up but once they do, they don't change it easily. Reading between the lines and seeing beyond your words comes naturally to them.

Priorities

Topics Robert cares about

Targeted Protein Degradation
As CEO of Kesmalea Therapeutics, he is leading the development of a new class of oral, CNS penetrant targeted protein degraders to solve their inherent "size problem".
Biotech Commercialization
He has a strong background in business development, co-founding Affinia Therapeutics and successfully negotiating the sale of his previous company, Adrestia, to Insmed in 2023.
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Career

Work history

11-2024
Chief Executive Officer
Kesmalea Therapeutics
2-2021
Chairman Of The Board
Foothold America
7-2023 - 11-2024
SVP, Site Head - Cambridge
Insmed Incorporated
11-2021 - 7-2023
Chief Executive Officer
Adrestia Therapeutics
10-2020 - 12-2021
Co-Founder & Head, Business Development and Licensing
Affinia Therapeutics
In the press

Media appearances

Kesmalea Therapeutics Welcomes Robert Johnson as New CEO. Featured in Investors Hangout
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Kesmalea Therapeutics Appoints Robert Johnson as CEO To Lead Development of New Class of Orally Dosed CNS‑Penetrant Protein Degraders. Featured in Kesmalea Therapeutics (official website)
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Education
2002 - 2003
Corporate Finance Evening Programme
London Business School
1996 - 1999
BSc Hons
University of Nottingham
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

D

Dominance (D)

Dominance (D) reflects how goal and task oriented a person is, and their ability to accomplish results irrespective of how demanding the circumstances might be. Those scoring high tend to be motivated by winning, competition, and success.

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