About Us

Joseph B. Saluri, J.D.

Joseph B. Saluri is co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman of the board at BlueAllele. Joseph has responsibility for corporate strategy, business development and corporate management.

Joseph has more than 25 years’ experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries as an executive, director and entrepreneur. He previously served as EVP of commercial development and general counsel at Calyxt Inc. (CLXT), a growth-stage gene editing company, where he helped guide the company through its successful IPO in 2017. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for KemPharm Inc. (KMPH), a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of proprietary prodrugs. He also previously sat on the Board of Directors for NewLink Genetics Corporation (NLNK), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel immuno-oncology product candidates.

For almost 20 years, Joseph served as vice president of business development and chief legal officer for Stine Seed Company, a biotechnology and genetics company. At Stine he was responsible for all legal matters, acquisitions, licensing and collaborations. Responsibilities also included managing joint ventures with global biotechnology and seed companies for global regulatory entities, market planning and launching new biotech trait technologies.

Joseph holds a B.S.B.A. in investment finance from Drake University and a J.D. from Drake University Law School.

Nicholas Baltes, Ph.D.

Nicholas J. Baltes is the chief scientific officer of BlueAllele and oversees all platform research and development activities. Before co-founding BlueAllele, he served as an IP portfolio manager and research scientist at Calyxt where he assisted in the development of gene edited plant products and the protection of the corresponding intellectual property.

Nicholas' background comprises more than 15 years’ experience in molecular biology and gene editing, and more than 10 years’ experience in patent law and IP protection. Nicholas is also a registered patent agent.

Nicholas brings an extensive background in research and development to BlueAllele. He has expertise in a wide range of systems, including yeast, fungi, plants, animals and bacteria. He also has diverse experience in gene editing tools, including zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), TALE nucleases, and CRISPR nucleases. Nicholas was one of the first scientists to apply ZFNs and CRISPR in plants and has extensive experience applying repair templates in eukaryotic cells. His research has resulted in more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers and over 100 patents and patent applications.

Nicholas received his B.S. in human physiology and biology, and his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Minnesota.

Bryan W. J. Corkal

Bryan W. J. Corkal serves as a strategic and financial advisor for BlueAllele. Bryan is currently the chief financial officer of a privately held animal genetics company and has served as the CFO of several public and private companies in the agriculture, biotech, gene editing and fertilizer sectors.

Bryan brings extensive finance and commercial experience with more than 25 years in the agricultural sector. Bryan has led several private equity fundraising rounds and successfully completed the IPO and secondary offering for a gene editing firm. Bryan spent more than 18 years at a Fortune 500 ag biotech firm where he led the North America supply chain finance organization, a business with a total annual product cost of over $2 billion. Other roles included director of investor relations and director of finance (regional CFO) for the Latin America North division, a region covering 30 countries throughout the Americas, where he managed the controllership, credit and collections, tax, payroll, treasury, pension plan and financial planning and analysis functions.

Early in his career, Bryan worked as consultant on projects throughout Canada and Latin America.

Bryan received his M.B.A. from York University in Toronto, Canada, and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Manitoba. Bryan is a CFA charter holder and is a CPA in the state of Missouri.

Mark C. Oman

Mark C. Oman has been a strategic advisor to BlueAllele since 2021. Mark is the president of Oman Ventures LLC and the managing partner of Oman Capital LC. Both are engaged in a variety of investment and business activities. Mark serves as president and CEO of two portfolio companies engaged in research and development activities; Performance Nanocarbon Inc, and eXion Labs Inc. Mark also serves as a director of First American Financial (NYSE: FAF) and director of Accelerated Ag Technologies LLC.

Mark retired from Wells Fargo & Company in 2011, after serving it or its predecessors since 1979. At Wells Fargo, he held numerous positions, including senior executive vice president (home and consumer finance) from 2005 until his retirement and group executive vice president (home and consumer finance) from 2002 to 2005. Mark also served as a director and chief executive officer of Wachovia Preferred Funding Corp. from 2009-2011. In these roles, he was responsible for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, as well as various nationwide consumer lending businesses, including credit card, home equity, auto, student and Wells Fargo Financial.

Mark joined Wells Fargo Home Mortgage as CFO in 1985 and became President in 1988. Under his leadership, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage grew into the largest mortgage bank in the nation. Prior to joining Wells Fargo & Co., Mark worked for Deloitte.

Mark was inducted into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame in 2007.

Mark received his B.A. in accounting with highest honors from the University of Northern Iowa.

Brian Wiley

Brian Wiley has served as a strategic advisor to BlueAllele since March 2019. Brian is the principal and founder of Boston BioConsulting LLC, a biopharmaceutical strategic advisory consulting firm established in September 2010. His current roles for clients include interim head of business development, chief business officer and strategic advisor.

Brian has nearly 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry that includes licensing, collaborations, acquisitions, financings and multiple product launches in numerous leadership roles. Brian served as chief commercial officer and head of business development at NewLink Genetics from January 2013 to July 2018. Additionally, he served in various leadership and management roles at Celgene, Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, Millennium and Aventis.

Brian has a marketing degree from the Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Mario R. Mautino

Mario R. Mautino is a senior R&D executive and scientist with diverse experience in drug discovery and development, including strategic planning, program management and intellectual property management. Mario brings more than 25 years of experience in the fields of gene therapy, immuno-oncology, immunology, R&D and drug and pharmaceutical development.

Mario has led multiple research projects related to design of vaccines, small molecule drug discovery and research of combinations of therapeutic modalities in different cancer models including chemotherapy, vaccination, inhibition of metabolic and other immune checkpoints. Mario spent most of his professional career at NewLink Genetics Corporation as senior vice president of R&D. At present, Mario is a founding member and Chief Scientific Officer at Syncromune, a biopharmaceutical company developing intra-tumoral immuno-oncology therapeutic treatments.

Mario obtained his Ph.D at the University of Córdoba in Argentina, followed by a post-doctoral training at the Clinical Gene Therapy Branch at the National Institutes of Health.