Longeveron Appoints Marie Washburn as Chief Financial Officer Ahead of Key Clinical Trial Results

Clinical-stage biotechnology company Longeveron Inc. has announced the appointment of Marie Washburn as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective July 13, 2026. In addition to serving as CFO, she will also take on the responsibilities of principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Washburn succeeds Lisa Locklear, who is stepping down from the role after previously announcing her decision to pursue board opportunities and other professional and personal interests.

The appointment comes at a significant time for Longeveron as the company continues advancing its stem cell therapy programs for rare pediatric diseases and chronic aging-related conditions. The company is currently preparing for a major milestone with top-line results expected in the third quarter of 2026 from its Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating laromestrocel as a potential treatment for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare and life-threatening congenital heart defect.

Announcing the leadership change, Chief Executive Officer Steven H. Willard said Washburn has made a strong contribution to the company since joining in 2025 and expressed confidence in her ability to lead the company's financial strategy during an important phase of growth. He noted that the anticipated clinical trial results could mark a significant turning point for Longeveron's business and development programs as it continues to advance innovative stem cell therapies for vulnerable patient populations.

Speaking about her new role, Washburn described the current period as an exciting stage for the company and its lead investigational stem cell therapy, laromestrocel. She said Longeveron has established a strong foundation through its patient-focused approach, solid scientific research, and encouraging clinical data generated to date. She added that she looks forward to supporting the continued development of the therapy while overseeing the company's financial, operational, and accounting functions.

Washburn joined Longeveron in November 2025 as Vice President and Corporate Controller before being promoted to Chief Financial Officer. She brings more than two decades of experience in finance and accounting leadership across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Before joining Longeveron, she served as Vice President of Finance at Fore Biotherapeutics, a precision oncology company developing targeted cancer therapies, from January to June 2025. Earlier, she held several senior finance positions at Axcella Health between December 2019 and June 2024, including Executive Director of Accounting and Corporate Controller, Vice President of Finance, Acting Chief Accounting Officer, and consultant.

Prior to Axcella Health, Washburn worked as Senior Director of Finance and Corporate Controller at Generation Bio from July 2018 to October 2019. She also spent nearly 13 years at Momenta Pharmaceuticals, where she held multiple finance leadership positions between 2005 and 2018, including serving as Corporate Controller from 2012 to 2018.

Washburn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bryant University in 1997. With the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer and a key clinical trial readout expected later this year, Longeveron is entering an important phase in its development. The company aims to strengthen its leadership team while continuing to advance laromestrocel and expand its pipeline of cell therapies for patients with serious and underserved medical conditions.