Peter Haqvin Erland Svennilson

Background

Peter Haqvin Erland Svennilson was born on November 12, 1961, in Lund, Skåne, Sweden, to Erland S. Lundstrom and Marianne Lundstrom, née Malmros. Lund is a historic university city in southern Sweden and the seat of Skåne County. He moved to England in 1986, beginning the international phase of a career that later extended to the United States.

Svennilson served as a second lieutenant in the Royal Marines from 1981 to 1982. The Royal Marines are the United Kingdom's amphibious commando force, combining military service with specialized training for operations from the sea and in difficult environments.

Education

Svennilson received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics. Founded in 1909, the school is Sweden's principal institution for business and economics education and has long combined academic study with preparation for commercial and financial careers.

He undertook postgraduate business studies at INSEAD in Fontainebleau in 1986 and further study through the MBA program at London Business School. INSEAD is an internationally oriented graduate business school founded in France in 1957, while London Business School, established in 1964, is a leading British institution specializing in business, finance, and management education.

Career

Svennilson began his professional career in European finance and corporate development. He served as a second lieutenant in the Royal Marines from 1981 to 1982, then completed business education in Sweden and France before moving to England in 1986.

From 1986 to 1987, he was vice president of Globe Scan. He joined Nomura Securities in London in 1987 and became assistant managing director responsible for European investment-banking origination, remaining with the firm until 1993. Nomura Securities was part of the Japanese financial group that expanded its international investment-banking operations during the globalization of financial markets in the late twentieth century.

Svennilson was managing director of Irongate and Stoneporch Limited in London from 1993 and founded Three Crowns Capital, a biotechnology finance firm. Three Crowns helped start, develop, or finance companies including Sunesis, SomaLogic, Chemocentryx, Tercica, Tularik, Rosetta, PTC Therapeutics, Rinat, Infinity, and FivePrime.

He later founded The Column Group in 2007 and became its managing partner. The San Francisco-based firm focuses on science-driven healthcare and biotechnology investments. Svennilson chaired Aragon Pharmaceuticals from its startup until its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson in 2013 and chaired Seragon Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by Genentech/Roche in 2014.

His biotechnology governance work included directorships at NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Revolution Medicines, RAPT Therapeutics, ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Immune Design, Rosetta, PTC Therapeutics, ChemoCentryx, Tercica, and SomaLogic, as well as board-observer service at Arcus Biosciences. He also served briefly as president and chief executive officer of ORIC Pharmaceuticals in 2015.

Achievements

• Svennilson founded Three Crowns Capital and helped start, develop, or finance a group of biotechnology companies, including Sunesis, SomaLogic, Chemocentryx, Tercica, Tularik, Rosetta, PTC Therapeutics, Rinat, Infinity, and FivePrime.

• He founded The Column Group in 2007, establishing a science-driven healthcare investment firm that became associated with the financing and governance of multiple biotechnology companies.

• As chairman of Aragon Pharmaceuticals and Seragon Pharmaceuticals, he led companies that were later acquired by Johnson & Johnson and Genentech/Roche, respectively.

Membership

Svennilson is a member of the Swedish Economics Society, a professional organization concerned with economic research and discussion in Sweden. He is also a trustee of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry whose schools encompass historical studies, mathematics, natural sciences, and social science.

• Member

  Swedish Economics Society , Sweden

• Trustee

  Institute for Advanced Study , United States

  2004 - present

Connections

Svennilson's parents were Erland S. Lundstrom and Marianne Lundstrom, née Malmros. His professional connections include the founders, scientists, executives, and boards associated with the biotechnology companies financed through Three Crowns Capital and The Column Group.

Father:

Erland S. Lundstrom

Svennilson's father.

Mother:

Marianne Lundstrom

Svennilson's mother; her maiden name was Malmros.

References

• The Column Group team profile: Peter Svennilson Documents Svennilson's founding and leadership of The Column Group, his biotechnology investment career, and his board service.
• Institute for Advanced Study Board of Trustees Documents Svennilson's role as founder and managing partner of The Column Group and as a trustee of the Institute for Advanced Study.
• Institute for Advanced Study trustee appointment announcement Describes Svennilson as founder of Three Crowns Capital, his biotechnology-finance activities, earlier roles at Irongate and Stoneporch and Nomura Securities, and his MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics.
  2004
• SEC filing describing Peter Svennilson and The Column Group Documents Svennilson's positions as managing partner of The Column Group entities, his founding of The Column Group and Three Crowns Capital, board experience, trusteeship at the Institute for Advanced Study, and education at Stockholm School of Economics, INSEAD, and London Business School.
  2024