Our Advisory Board
Cate Spears,
CEO & Founder, CGT Global
Cate Spears is passionate about business, company culture, and fueling regenerative medicine and translational research. Her work is aimed at positively impacting the lives of millions by accelerating the cure and prevention of significant medical conditions at life-changing speed. Armed with only $9,000 and a vision, Ms. Spears founded CGT Global in 2010. Since then, the company has expanded nationally and internationally opening multiple facilities, cutting-edge laboratories and stem cell collection centers, with a proven record of supporting clinical trials and accelerating R&D.
CGT Global isolates primary cells and stem cells from human blood-derived products using highly developed protocols. CGT Global has increased cellular recovery in the collection of bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cord blood products for researchers. These innovations support Ms. Spears’s goal of directly impacting and improving patient care. Ms. Spears is the recipient of many notable awards including the Distinguished Service Award from California State University, Sacramento, two awards from the Sacramento Business Journal including Women Who Mean Business and 40 Under 40, and, her company was recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. from Inc. 500.
Ms. Spears serves on the Board for Valley Vision, and University of California, Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is also an active member of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine and Vistage, a worldwide peer-to-peer membership for CEOs.
Cate Spears
CEO & Founder
Sharon Jacobson Franz
Sharon Jacobson Franz is a seasoned marketing executive and strategic growth leader with a distinguished career in building and leading cross-functional teams at multi-billion-dollar and high-growth organizations. With a proven track record in start-to-finish execution, she excels at guiding novel initiatives from market assessment and strategic planning to successful commercialization and implementation. Her expertise lies in developing robust, omni-channel go-to-market strategies that capture new business opportunities and drive significant ROI.
Throughout her career, Sharon has held senior executive roles, including SVP of Marketing of VSP Vision Care, where she directed comprehensive B2B and B2C branding efforts across global markets. She has demonstrated exceptional skill in preparing organizations for large-scale endeavors, managing M&A marketing integrations, and spearheading a successful corporate rebranding that led to the company’s acquisition. This unique blend of financial acumen, operational experience, and brand strategy is underscored by her leadership of a critical $5B corporate realignment project and management of annual budgets exceeding $20 million.
As a board advisor for CGT Global, Ms. Franz will leverage her extensive experience to provide critical guidance on commercialization strategy, global brand development, and market access. Her knowledge of Managed Care business models will be of particular value to CGT Global at this pivotal time in our industry. Her effort will help ensure the company is powerfully positioned for scalable growth and leadership in the cell and gene therapy landscape.
Sharon Jacobson Franz, MBA
Marketing Director
Dr. Gregory Graves
Medical Director
Dr. Gregory M Graves has been on the staff of Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento for nearly four decades in the Department of Surgery specializing in surgical oncology, and has been the Medical Director of the Sutter Valley Oncology Service Line since 2010.
Dr. Graves has served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery and has been a member of the resident teaching staff at University California, Davis for over 25 years where he is also a clinical professor of surgery.
Dr. Graves is the Medical Director at CGT Global overseeing medical operations, donor care protocols and he performs bone marrow aspirations.
He received his medical degree and graduated with honors from Rush Medical College of Rush University in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and also at the Royal Marsden Cancer Center in London, England. He has lectured in China, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the U.S.
Dr. Graves has previously served on the boards of the Sacramento Symphony and the Sacramento Theater and is currently working with the University Development Foundation to bring a new university to the greater Sacramento area.
Dr. Graves is married to Jeannine K Graves, RN, MPH, MBS who is a past president of the State of California Board of registered nurses. He enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, and most importantly spending time with his family.
Dr. Gregory Graves, MD, PhD
Medical Director
Dr. Pamela Marrone
In 2006 Dr. Pamela Marrone founded Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI) to discover and develop effective and environmentally-responsible, biologically-based products for pest management and plant health. In August 2013 under her leadership, MBI was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange raising net proceeds of $56.4 million. As Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pamela has received many awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions in biopesticides by BioAg World, the “Sustie” award by the Ecological Farming Association for her leadership in sustainable agriculture, and the Agrow’s “Best Manager with Strategic Vision” for her career-long leadership in biopesticides. She is an alumni-elected Trustee of Cornell University, Treasurer of the Association for Women in Science, Board member of the Foundation for Food and Ag Research and is past-Treasurer of the Organic Farming Research Foundation. She is on the UC Davis Ag and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council and served for many years on the Cornell University College of Ag and Life Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council.
For many years she was on the Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Health’s Sac-Sierra region boards. Prior to starting up MBI, she started and ran AgraQuest and Entotech, a Novo Nordisk subsidiary, both dedicated to bio-based solutions for agriculture. She has a BS from Cornell University and a PhD from North Carolina State University, both in Entomology.
Dr. Pamela Marrone, PhD
Board Advisor
Dr. Andrew Robert Branagan, MD, PhD
Board Advisor | Medical Director | Hematologic Oncologist | Immunotherapy Researcher
Dr. Andrew Branagan is a physician-scientist and recognized expert in hematologic malignancies, immunology, and the development of novel cellular therapies. He currently serves as a Clinical Investigator and Medical Director at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and holds an academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology Oncology) at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Branagan brings deep clinical and translational expertise to his dual role as Medical Director and Board Advisor at CGT Global, where he has contributed since 2018. His work focuses on the treatment of plasma cell disorders such as multiple myeloma and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, and he is an active member of the Cellular Therapy Steering Committee at MGH.
A board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, and Hematology, Dr. Branagan also holds a PhD in Investigative Medicine from Yale University, where his research centered on novel immunization strategies for patients with blood cancers. His ongoing work includes leading clinical trials, investigating mechanisms of resistance to CAR-T cell therapy, and advising top pharmaceutical companies on immune-based cancer therapeutics.
In addition to his academic and clinical roles, Dr. Branagan is a contributor to global hematology initiatives through his involvement with the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, International Myeloma Working Group, and the Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Clinical Trial Network. He also supports global consensus-building and patient advocacy through the Deylight Foundation.
With a passion for medical education, global health, and next-generation therapy development, Dr. Branagan continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in oncology and cell-based medicine.
Dr. Andrew Robert Branagan, MD, PhD
Medical Director
Dr. Andrew Robert Branagan, MD, PhD
Board Advisor | Medical Director
Dr. Jerome Ritz is a globally recognized leader in hematology, oncology, and cellular therapies. He received his MD from Chicago Medical School in 1972 and went on to complete his residency in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, followed by clinical and research fellowships at Beth Israel Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI).
Dr. Ritz joined the staff at DFCI in 1980 and has served as Professor of Medicine at DFCI, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School since 1996. His pioneering work in cellular therapies is highlighted by his founding of the Connell and O’Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility (CMCF) in 1996. Under his leadership, the CMCF has grown into a premier academic GMP cell manufacturing facility, supporting hundreds of early-phase cell and gene therapy clinical trials across the United States.
With a career dedicated to advancing the application of cell and gene therapies in hematologic malignancies, Dr. Ritz brings unmatched expertise in cell manufacturing and clinical hematology/oncology. His advisory role with CGT Global strengthens the company’s mission to accelerate access to life-changing therapies and expand patient access worldwide.
