Co-Founder of NextCODE Health
Hannes Thor Smárason is a prolific entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. Mr. Smárason co-founded NextCODE Health along with Dr. Jeff Gulcher. He has been a longtime advisor to deCODE and its venture investors Polaris Venture Partners and ARCH Venture Partners, and contributed to the strategy that culminated in the $415 million sale of deCODE to Amgen. Mr. Smárason previously served as chief financial officer and executive vice president of business and finance at the company (1997-2004) during which time deCODE achieved worldwide recognition as the global leader in analyzing and understanding the human genome. During his tenure Mr. Smárason led the first IPO by an Icelandic company in the U.S., structured and negotiated alliances with pharmaceutical companies, and led the strategic acquisition of a drug discovery company. Prior to joining deCODE he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company serving Fortune 100 clients in the finance, healthcare, and hospitality sectors. He also served as the chairman and CEO of Icelandair and its parent company FL Group in the mid- to late- 2000’s. Mr. Smárason has served on boards across a variety of sectors related to investment and advisory activity, and is active across a range of charitable organizations. He received his master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
