Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATRA) announced board of directors changes, with Carol Gallagher departing after 13 years of service and Brian Cherry joining as a new member.

Gallagher, who holds a Pharm.D., served in multiple roles during her tenure on the board. Cokey Nguyen, President and Chief Executive Officer, acknowledged her dedication to the company and shareholders over the past 13 years.

Cherry brings more than 25 years of investment experience across healthcare, industrials, business services, financial services and consumer products sectors. He previously led buyout and growth equity investments totaling over $25 billion in enterprise value as a Managing Partner at Oak Hill Capital, a private equity firm.

Cherry has served on boards of more than a dozen private and public companies, as well as the U.S. Air Force Academy Foundation and the Undergraduate Financial Aid Leadership Council at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Brian brings complementary expertise to the Board, his experience in capital allocation and strategic acquisitions supports our focus on creating long-term shareholder value," Nguyen stated.

Atara Biotherapeutics develops T-cell immunotherapies using an allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus T-cell platform for cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company is based in Thousand Oaks, California.