Andrew Allen
Adaptimmune TherapeuticsAbout Andrew Allen
Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D., age 58, has served as a Non‑Executive (independent) Director of Adaptimmune since June 2023 following its merger with TCR² Therapeutics. He sits on the Remuneration Committee and the R&D Committee. Dr. Allen holds a medical degree from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in immunology from Imperial College London. The Board cites his scientific background and extensive biopharma leadership experience as core credentials for service on Adaptimmune’s board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gritstone bio, Inc. | Co‑founder, President & CEO; Director | Aug 2015–Dec 2024 | Led immuno‑oncology platform; public company leadership |
| Clovis Oncology, Inc. | Co‑founder; Chief Medical Officer | Apr 2009–Jul 2015 | CMO through pivotal development period |
| Pharmion Corporation | Chief Medical Officer | 2006–2008 | CMO; Pharmion acquired by Celgene |
| Chiron Corporation | Clinical development leadership | Not disclosed | R&D leadership roles |
| Abbott Laboratories | Clinical development leadership | Not disclosed | R&D leadership roles |
| McKinsey & Company | Consultant | Not disclosed | Strategy/operations experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peptone, Inc. | Executive Chairman | Private | Protein design/AI; chair role |
| Revitope Oncology, Inc. | Executive Chairman | Private | Oncology; chair role |
| Verge Genomics, Inc. | Director | Private | AI‑enabled drug discovery |
| Health Innovation Manchester (UK) | Board member | Public sector/health innovation | Regional health innovation board |
| Sierra Oncology | Former Director | Public (acquired by GSK in 2022) | Prior public company board |
| Epizyme | Former Director | Public (acquired by Ipsen in 2022) | Prior public company board |
| Cell Design Labs | Former Director | Private (acquired by Gilead in 2017) | Prior board role |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; Dr. Allen is an independent director .
- Committees: Member, Remuneration Committee; Member, R&D Committee. Not a chair .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 18 times; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings for which they were eligible .
- Governance practices: Independent directors hold regular executive sessions; committee charters are published; Audit Committee oversees related person transactions .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Board Retainer ($) | Committee Retainers ($) | Fees Earned (Cash) ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 40,000 | Remuneration member: 7,500; R&D member: 7,500 | 55,000 | Mix consistent with policy; Dr. Allen elected to take fees in cash in 2024 |
- Non‑Executive Directors may elect cash or equity for fees; fees targeted to 50th percentile of peer data (Pearl Meyer benchmarking) .
- Appointment letters include three‑month notice and pro‑rata fee upon termination; no pension; no performance‑related incentive plans .
Performance Compensation
- Structure: Annual equity awards (options) to Non‑Executive Directors; initial awards upon joining. Annual options become exercisable on first anniversary; initial awards vest 25% at year one and 75% monthly over two years. Director equity awards are not subject to performance conditions .
- 2024 Grant: Dr. Allen received options covering 660,000 ordinary shares on July 1, 2024; aggregate grant‑date fair value $85,123 .
| Option Grant Detail | Grant Date | Shares (Ordinary) | Exercise Price (GBP) | First Exercisable Date | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Replacement options | 03/07/2023 | 500,000 | £0.12 | 03/07/2024 | 03/07/2033 |
| Replacement options | 05/07/2023 | 73,212 | £0.70 | 05/07/2023 | 12/12/2028 |
| Replacement options | 05/07/2023 | 56,868 | £1.40 | 05/07/2023 | 10/04/2029 |
| Replacement options | 05/07/2023 | 45,348 | £1.40 | 05/07/2023 | 18/12/2029 |
| Replacement options | 05/07/2023 | 109,746 | £2.76 | 05/07/2023 | 09/12/2030 |
| Replacement options | 05/07/2023 | 109,746 | £0.46 | 05/07/2023 | 08/12/2031 |
| Replacement options (vested 12/15/2023) | 05/07/2023 | 152,376 | £0.09 | 15/12/2023 | 14/12/2032 |
| Annual director grant | 01/07/2024 | 660,000 | £0.13 | 01/07/2025 | 01/07/2034 |
| Total options outstanding | — | 1,707,296 | — | — | — |
| Performance conditions | — | — | — | None | — |
Notes: July 5, 2023 awards were “replacement options” granted in exchange for cancelled TCR² options/RSUs; all vested at grant except 152,376 that vested on December 15, 2023 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to ADAP | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gritstone bio (prior CEO/Director) | Immuno‑oncology company | Prior affiliation ended Dec 2024; no current ADAP related‑party disclosure . |
| Peptone; Revitope; Verge Genomics; Health Innovation Manchester | Private/sector organizations | No ADAP related‑party transactions disclosed for 2024; Audit Committee oversees such matters . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Medical training at Oxford; Ph.D. in immunology from Imperial College London .
- Deep oncology R&D and clinical development leadership; extensive biopharma executive experience (CEO/CMO roles) .
- Board skills: Member of Remuneration and R&D committees; brings scientific and operating expertise; Board cites qualifications explicitly .
Equity Ownership
| Date (As of) | Ordinary Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Total Options Held | Vested Options | Options Exercised (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2024 | — | — | 1,707,296 | 984,382 | — |
| 04/11/2025 | 1,013,900 | * (under 5%) | — | — | — |
The beneficial ownership table uses 1,569,132,726 ordinary shares outstanding for percentage calculation; Andrew Allen is not a 5% holder .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and independence: Positive. Dr. Allen is independent, engaged on Remuneration and R&D, and the Board maintains robust governance (separate Chair/CEO, executive sessions, active committees). All directors met minimum attendance thresholds in 2024 .
- Alignment and incentives: Mixed‑positive. Fees align with committee service ($40k Board; $7.5k per committee), and equity grants provide long‑term alignment. Director equity is time‑vested without performance metrics, typical for Non‑Executive directors; 2024 total compensation for Dr. Allen was $140,123 (cash $55,000; options $85,123) .
- Ownership: Increased alignment into 2025 with 1,013,900 ordinary shares beneficially owned as of April 11, 2025; substantial option holdings (1.71M) with significant vesting already achieved .
- Compensation governance: Use of independent consultant (Pearl Meyer) and explicit peer benchmarking; clear appointment terms and absence of pensions or performance‑linked pay for directors .
RED FLAGS
- No specific red flags disclosed for Dr. Allen. Director equity awards are not performance‑conditioned (standard for Non‑Execs), and there were no related‑party transactions or loss‑of‑office payments to directors in 2024 . Audit Committee maintains oversight of related person transactions .
Monitoring items
- Given prior leadership at Gritstone and current roles in oncology/biotech, continue monitoring for any potential competitive overlaps or transactions involving entities where Dr. Allen has fiduciary roles; none disclosed to date .
- Remuneration Committee performance oversight and meeting cadence (5 meetings in 2024) indicate active engagement; continue tracking committee decisions impacting executive pay and director equity awards .