Gregory D. Kunst is an award-winning biotech executive and CEO with over two decades of leadership experience across ophthalmology, biotechnology, and life sciences. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Valitor, a Berkeley-based biotechnology company developing next-generation long-acting ophthalmic therapies for vision-threatening diseases.

He began his career in ophthalmology at Ocular Sciences (later CooperVision), building foundational expertise that shaped his path in life sciences. He went on to hold senior leadership roles at Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (Acelity) as Global Head of Market Access, and at Alcon, a Novartis company, as Global Franchise Director leading glaucoma surgery and retina pharmaceutical businesses. He later spent six years at Glaukos Corporation, where he led global marketing, market access, business development, and government affairs, contributing to growth from zero to $300 million across more than 20 countries.

In 2021, Gregory became CEO and Board Member of Aurion Biotech, where he led significant expansion, regulatory milestones, and fundraising exceeding $200 million, while advancing clinical programs in the United States and Japan. Under his leadership, the company earned global recognition including the Prix Galien Startup Award and Fast Company Most Innovative Company. His leadership has also been recognised with honours such as EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2024) and Healthcare CEO of the Year (2023). He holds a B.S. in Economics from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.