AtaiBeckley names Michael Faerm as finance chief

AtaiBeckley names Michael Faerm as finance chief Proactive uses images sourced from Shutterstock

AtaiBeckley NV (NASDAQ:ATAI, XETRA:9VC) announced that it has appointed Michael Faerm as chief financial officer, effective March 9, 2026, as the clinical-stage biotechnology company continues to advance its mental health treatment pipeline.

According to the company, Faerm brings more than 25 years of experience spanning life sciences firms, equity research and investment banking. In the role, he will oversee the company’s financial strategy, capital markets activities and overall financial operations.

Faerm most recently served as CFO at Viracta Therapeutics. He previously held roles including interim CFO at Harpoon Therapeutics, which was acquired by Merck, and CFO of Artiva Biotherapeutics. Earlier in his career, he served as chief business officer at Innoviva and held business development and strategic finance roles at Forest Laboratories and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

His Wall Street experience includes senior equity research roles at Credit Suisse and Wells Fargo Securities, covering the pharmaceutical sector, and investment banking at Merrill Lynch focused on healthcare mergers, acquisitions and financings.

AtaiBeckley’s current CFO Anne Johnson will transition to chief accounting officer upon Faerm’s appointment. The company said Johnson will continue to lead accounting and financial operations and work closely with Faerm to support continuity.

“We are delighted to welcome Mike Faerm to AtaiBeckley as our Chief Financial Officer,” AtaiBeckley CEO and co-founder Srinivas Rao. Rao added that Faerm’s strategic finance background and life sciences expertise will be important as lead candidate BPL-003 advances toward Phase 3 alongside the company’s broader clinical programs.

Rao also highlighted Johnson’s ongoing role, saying her operational expertise and familiarity with the company’s financial systems provide continuity and that the two executives form a “strong and complementary finance leadership structure.”

Faerm said he is joining the company at a pivotal time. “With BPL-003 advancing toward Phase 3 and a strong clinical-stage pipeline supporting the broader strategy, this is a compelling time to help shape the Company’s financial and capital markets approach,” he said.

He added that he looks forward to partnering with Johnson and the leadership team to support execution as the company moves into late-stage development.

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