OUR LEADERSHIP

Matthew J. D’Onofrio

Matthew J. D’Onofrio is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Evoke Pharma. He brings over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, spanning corporate leadership, business development, commercial strategy, and drug development. Since founding Evoke, he has led key functions including finance, operations, regulatory strategy, and commercialization. Under his leadership, the company successfully advanced and launched GIMOTI, the first and only non-oral treatment for diabetic gastroparesis and established the commercial infrastructure to support market execution.

Before Evoke, Mr. D’Onofrio held senior roles at Victory Pharma, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lilly & Company. His work at Vertex contributed to the early funding and development of the company’s cystic fibrosis program, now the foundation for approved treatments like KALYDECO, ORKAMBI, and TRIKAFTA. At Eli Lilly, he negotiated multiple strategic partnerships and licensing deals across therapeutic areas and began his career in both primary care and specialty product sales. His broad industry background continues to shape Evoke’s strategic direction and commercial execution.

Mr. D’Onofrio holds an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business and a BS in Chemistry from San Diego State University.

Mark Kowieski, CPA

Mark Kowieski is Chief Financial Officer of Evoke Pharma, bringing nearly 25 years of experience in corporate finance, accounting, and public company operations, including more than 15 years of experience in the life science industry. He joined Evoke in 2022, initially serving as Vice President of Finance before being appointed CFO in 2024. He has been instrumental in strengthening financial controls, scaling operations, and supporting commercial strategy as the company advances GIMOTI in the market.

He has a diverse range of experience, having worked in various industries in both public and private companies. Prior to Evoke, Mr. Kowieski held leadership positions of increasing responsibilities at Evofem Biosciences and Vital Therapies, overseeing key areas including SEC reporting, budgeting, and accounting operations. In addition to his experience in industry, he was an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego where he taught Accounting courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. He began his career with Arthur Andersen, and is a Certified Public Accountant (California active), and holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Marilyn R. Carlson, D.M.D., M.D.

Marilyn R. Carlson, D.M.D., M.D. has been the key clinical and regulatory expert for Evoke through the entire development of Gimoti™ (metoclopramide) nasal spray, including all clinical trials conducted in support of the drug. Dr. Carlson joined Evoke at its founding in 2007 as an outside consultant. She joined the company full time in December 2013 as our Chief Medical Officer. Prior to joining Evoke, in 2012 Dr. Carlson helped found Agility Clinical, Inc., a contract research organization focused on supporting virtual companies, start-ups, and companies with orphan drugs. From 2004 to 2012, she served as Vice President, Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Synteract, Inc., a clinical research organization, where she was responsible for safety surveillance, medical monitoring, and regulatory submissions, among other duties. Prior to this, Dr. Carlson served in various leadership roles across a range of pharmaceutical companies as well as holding academic and clinical positions throughout her career. She received a B.A. from Hunter College of the City University of New York, a D.M.D. from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Carlson completed an internal medicine residency at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and holds a certification in regulatory affairs.

Chris Quesenberry

Chris Quesenberry is Chief Commercial Officer for GIMOTI and a Commercial Lead – Integrated Solutions with our commercialization partner EVERSANA. Mr. Quesenberry brings over 30 years of experience in building and executing commercial strategies for pharmaceutical companies and has held roles across the breadth of sales, marketing, and operations. He previously spent 27 years with Merck & Co. and Novo Nordisk, culminating in senior sales and commercial strategy positions, respectively. Recently, Mr. Quesenberry served as the Vice President of Global Commercial Effectiveness at Orexigen Therapeutics and Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals, providing leadership for sales, market access, and sales operations in addition to commercial functions.