Atara Hires Former Amgen Exec as CFO

Atara Biotherapeutic Inc. has appointed Utpal Koppikar as chief financial officer. The pharmaceutical company, which is headquartered in South San Francisco but has major operations in Westlake Village, announced the appointment Thursday. As a part of the hiring agreement, Atara’s board granted Koppikar the option to purchase 75,000 shares of common stock and 45,000 vesting shares of restricted stock units. Previously, Koppikar held senior financial positions at biotech firms Gilead Sciences Inc. and Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks. “Utpal brings deep expertise in financial management and has an accomplished track record in global biotechnology financial operations,” said Atara Chief Executive Isaac Ciechanover in a statement. Shares of Atara (ATRA) rose $2.70, or 6 percent, on Friday to close at $45 on the Nasdaq.