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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - NEA, one of the world's biggest venture-capital firms, said it hired drug-development veteran Carol Gallagher as a partner, putting one more woman on track to join the heavily male top ranks of venture executives.
The move comes as Silicon Valley takes fire for what many perceive as an unfriendly atmosphere for women. Venture capital in particular remains a male bastion, with just 4 percent female senior investing partners, according to Pitchbook.
With the new hire, NEA will employ six women at the level of partner or managing director, but none in the senior position of general partner. One of the women is a partner overseeing marketing and investor relations, but not investing itself.
NEA, known for backing companies such as Workday Inc (N:WDAY), Salesforce.com Inc (N:CRM) and Gilt Groupe, is one of the world's top venture firms, with its latest fund totalling $2.6 billion (1.60 billion pounds).
Health science is one area where women venture capitalists appear to be making serious gains, with some of the most accomplished health investors, including Beth Seidenberg of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Ann Lamont of Oak Investment Partners.
Gallagher, a former venture partner at Frazier Healthcare, is chairman of Atara Biotherapeutics, which develops treatments for kidney disease and ovarian cancer, and AnaptysBio, which develops therapeutic antibodies. She was president and chief executive of oncology-drug developer Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Gilead Sciences Inc (O:GILD) in 2011 for $375 million.
She will be based in NEA's Menlo Park, California, offices.
NEA's biopharma portfolio includes cancer-therapy companies Adaptimmune, Epizyme and Tesaro.
(Reporting by Sarah McBride.; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Andre Grenon)