In 2003, Prof. Dr. Andrea Pfeifer co-founded AC Immune, where she holds the position of CEO. Prior to AC Immune, she was head of Nestlé's Global Research and managed a group of more than 600 people. She was recognized in 2009 as Technology Pioneer by the WEF and Swiss Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst&Young. Prof. Pfeifer holds a PhD in toxicology, cancer research from the University of Würzburg, Germany and continued with post-doctoral work in molecular carcinogenesis at the National Institutes of Health, Human Carcinogenesis Branch, in Bethesda, Maryland.