SVP, Head of People & Culture, Sutro Biopharma
Kari Leetch brings more than two decades of strategic human resources leadership across the biotechnology and life sciences industries, with deep expertise in organizational transformation, workforce scaling and culture development that support high-growth companies.
Before joining Sutro in December 2025, Kari served as chief people officer at CARGO Therapeutics, where she led the people and culture strategy through a period of rapid expansion and a successful $300 million IPO. She also built a scalable HR infrastructure and implemented modern systems that enhanced operational efficiency and strengthened employee engagement. Previously, Kari was senior vice president of HR at ChemoCentryx, where she helped guide the company’s evolution from a development-stage biotech to a fully integrated commercial organization and supported workforce integration following its $3.7 billion acquisition by Amgen.
Kari co-founded the Biotech CHRO Sisterhood and is an active member of the Bay Area Human Resources Executive Council (BAHREC), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Women in Bio.