Eric Crombez
ABEONA THERAPEUTICSAbout Eric Crombez
Eric Crombez, M.D., age 52, is an independent director of Abeona Therapeutics (ABEO) who joined the Board on August 8, 2024; he is a Class 2 director with a term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting . He is currently Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President at Ultragenyx, and is a board‑certified clinical geneticist with prior academic and industry roles spanning UCLA, Shire’s Human Genetics Therapy unit, and Dimension Therapeutics . The Board has determined Dr. Crombez is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Dates | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Therapeutics | Chief Medical Officer | — | Led clinical development for gene therapy programs in hemophilia B/A, OTC deficiency, and GSDIa |
| Shire (Human Genetics Therapy unit) | Executive in HGT business unit | — | Industry leadership experience in rare disease/genetics |
| UCLA School of Medicine | Assistant Professor, Pediatrics (Medical Genetics) | — | Clinical/biochemical genetics training; academic credentials |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Scope/Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultragenyx | Chief Medical Officer & EVP | Current | Leads clinical development and translational research; oversees Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, BioMetrics, Endpoint Development & Strategy, Regulatory Affairs, and Drug Safety/Pharmacovigilance |
| Epicrispir Biotechnologies | Independent Board Member | Current | Independent director role at another biotechnology company |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. Crombez is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments: Not listed as a member of Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees in the 2025 proxy (committees composed of Alvino/Alland/Wuchterl; Alvino/Alland/Charles; and Charles/Alland/Wuchterl, respectively) .
- Attendance: Board held 14 meetings in 2024; each director attended 85% or more of Board and applicable committee meetings during their period of service .
- Board leadership context: Chairman is Michael Amoroso; CEO is Vishwas Seshadri; no Lead Independent Director .
- Tenure/classification: Class 2 director; term runs until the 2027 annual meeting .
- Trading/hedging policy: Directors may not engage in short sales, options/derivatives, hold stock on margin, or pledge Company stock as collateral .
- Related-party transactions oversight: Audit Committee reviews/approves such transactions; none in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees paid (pro‑rated for service starting Aug 2024) | $19,231 | Director cash compensation in 2024 for Dr. Crombez |
| Standard annual Board cash retainer (policy) | $50,000 | Paid in cash quarterly (non‑employee directors) |
| Committee membership fee per committee (policy) | $7,500 | Paid in cash quarterly (per committee served) |
| Additional cash for Board Chairman (policy) | $30,000 | Only for Chairman of the Board; no other committee chair fees |
Performance Compensation
| Award | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant‑Date Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted stock (pro‑rated newcomer grant) | Aug 13, 2024 | 11,044 | $54,999 | Pro‑rated director equity; (Company policy: annual director equity awards vest one year after grant) |
| Annual director equity award policy | 2024 (incumbents) | 23,611 (7/8) and 11,797 (8/26) | $181,048 total | Annual director restricted stock vests one year after grant |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epicrispir Biotechnologies | Independent Board Member | — | Disclosed as an external directorship |
- Related-party/Interlock risk: No related-party transactions disclosed for 2024; Audit Committee reviews any such transactions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board‑certified clinical geneticist; residencies in pediatrics and medical genetics; fellowship in clinical biochemical genetics at UCLA .
- Education: B.S. in Biology (University of Michigan) and M.D. (Wayne State University School of Medicine) .
- Therapeutic area leadership: Extensive clinical development leadership in rare disease and gene therapy (Ultragenyx; Dimension Therapeutics; Shire HGT) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Date/As Of |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (common shares) | 47,145 | Record date March 24, 2025; under 1% of outstanding |
| Stock awards outstanding (unvested) | 11,044 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited by policy | Company policy prohibits pledging/hedging by directors |
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independence affirmed; strong domain expertise in genetics and clinical development; equity alignment through restricted stock and personal ownership; Board‑level attendance thresholds met; use of an independent compensation consultant (Radford) with no conflicts reported enhances governance rigor .
- Watch items: As a new director, no committee assignments yet—limits immediate committee‑level oversight influence . Abeona has no Lead Independent Director and maintains a staggered Board, governance features some investors view as reducing responsiveness . Time/attention risk: demanding full‑time CMO role at Ultragenyx plus external board service, though no related‑party transactions were reported for 2024 and independence is confirmed .