Kimberlee Drapkin
About Kimberlee C. Drapkin
Kimberlee C. Drapkin, age 56, is an independent director of Acumen Pharmaceuticals (ABOS) serving since April 2022; she chairs the Audit Committee, sits on the Compensation Committee, and is designated by the Board as an “audit committee financial expert.” A certified public accountant, she began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, was CFO/Treasurer of Jounce Therapeutics until May 2023, and served as CEO of Graphite Bio (now LENZ Therapeutics) from August 2023 to March 2024; she holds a B.S. in accounting from Babson College .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphite Bio, Inc. (now LENZ Therapeutics, Inc.) | Chief Executive Officer | Aug 2023–Mar 2024 | Led transition/tenure as CEO in late-stage biotech |
| Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | CFO: Aug 2015–May 2023; Treasurer: Feb 2013–May 2023 | Financial leadership at public biopharma |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | Assurance | Early career | CPA foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Start Date | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imugene Limited | Director | Since Jun 2023 | Public | Biopharma (ASX) |
| Kineta, Inc. | Director | Since Jul 2023 | Public | Biotech |
| LENZ Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Since Mar 2024 | Public | Successor to Graphite Bio |
| Lucy Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Since Oct 2024 | Private | Biotech |
| Climb Bio, Inc. | Director | Since Mar 2025 | Private | Biotech |
| Prior: Graphite Bio, Inc. | Director | Jul 2023–Mar 2024 | Public | Prior board service |
| Prior: Yumanity Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Dec 2020–Dec 2022 | Public | Prior board service |
| Prior: Proteostasis Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Feb 2019–Dec 2020 | Public | Prior board service |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Ms. Drapkin is independent under Nasdaq standards .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee Chair; Compensation Committee member; not on Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Board/Committee activity: Board met 6 times in FY2024; Audit 4; Compensation 4; Nominating 3. Each director attended ≥75% of meetings of the Board and committees on which they served .
- Leadership: Board has an independent Chair (Sean Stalfort) who presides over independent director meetings and sets agendas, reinforcing management oversight .
- Audit Committee oversight: Reviews related-party transactions, internal controls, disclosure controls, cybersecurity oversight, and auditor independence; Drapkin qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” .
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Chair | 4 | Financial reporting, related-party review; Drapkin designated “financial expert” |
| Compensation | Member | 4 | Oversees executive/director pay; uses Aon as independent consultant |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | — | 3 | Not a member; committee chaired by Dr. Stoppel |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Period/Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees earned (cash) | $57,917 | FY2024 | Actual cash fees paid |
| Annual Board cash retainer | $40,000 (effective Jun 1, 2024; previously $35,000) | Policy amended Jun 2024 | Standard director cash retainer |
| Audit Chair retainer | $15,000 per year | Policy | Chair premium |
| Compensation Committee member retainer | $5,000 per year | Policy | Member premium |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | Policy | Compensation paid as retainers; no per-meeting fees disclosed |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Size | Grant Date/Timing | Vesting | Grant-Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual option grant (2024) | 25,000 options | 2024 annual meeting date | Vests upon earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting | $49,855 |
| Initial option grant (new directors) | 50,000 options | Upon joining Board | 36 equal monthly installments | Policy terms |
| 2025 policy change (annual grants) | 19,500 options + 12,800 RSUs | Mar 2025 amendment | Options per standard; RSUs per policy (annual grant) | Policy terms |
- Equity award practices: Grants not timed around MNPI; options use closing price as exercise price on grant date; director options vest on standard schedules; all outstanding director options vest upon a change in control .
- Compensation Committee uses Aon for benchmarking director pay and equity strategy; indicates formal process and market alignment .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Multiple current public boards (Imugene, Kineta, LENZ) increase sector knowledge and information flow; no ABOS-disclosed related-party transactions during 2023–proxy date, mitigating conflict risk .
- No disclosed shared directorships between Drapkin’s external boards and ABOS’s directors that would constitute an interlock in the proxy; RA Capital holds ~24.8% of ABOS and has a partner (Dr. Stoppel) on ABOS’s Board, but Drapkin is not affiliated with RA Capital per proxy biography .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CPA; Audit Committee financial expert designation by ABOS Board; extensive CFO experience at public biopharma; prior CEO experience—strong financial governance and capital markets acumen .
- Industry depth across biopharma and neurodegeneration with multiple board roles; supports risk oversight in R&D-heavy environment .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Item | Quantity | Date/Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 100,000 | As of Apr 8, 2025 | Options exercisable within 60 days count toward beneficial ownership; <1% of outstanding shares |
| Beneficial ownership (% of shares outstanding) | <1% | As of Apr 8, 2025 | Based on 60,573,425 shares outstanding |
| Outstanding director options (total) | 125,000 | As of Dec 31, 2024 | Aggregate options held; mix of vested/unvested |
- Hedging/pledging: ABOS insider trading policy prohibits short sales, options, hedging, margin accounts, or other speculative transactions in Company stock; reduces misalignment risk .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; Audit Chair with CPA and “financial expert” designation; formalized related-party review; robust compensation governance (independent consultant); independent Board Chair structure enhances oversight .
- Alignment: Director pay mix includes equity; policy shift in Mar 2025 adds RSUs to annual grants, potentially increasing ownership alignment while reducing option-only risk concentration .
- Engagement: Board met 6x in 2024; Audit and Compensation each met 4x; Drapkin attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings on which she served, indicating baseline engagement .
- Conflicts/Related Party: No related-party transactions disclosed for 2023–proxy date; Audit Committee oversees any such matters; mitigates conflict risk .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed in proxy regarding related-party transactions, pledging/hedging, or low attendance; a watch item is bandwidth due to multiple concurrent public-company directorships (Imugene, Kineta, LENZ), though attendance met ≥75% threshold in 2024 .