Nicolas Gikakis
AETHLON MEDICALAbout Nicolas Gikakis
Independent director of Aethlon Medical (AEMD) since July 3, 2023; age 58 as of August 15, 2024. Background includes commercial leadership roles in medical devices with focus on blood filtration/purification, and prior bench/clinical research experience. Education: B.S. in Bioengineering (University of Pennsylvania) and MBA (George Mason University) . The Board has determined he is an independent director under Nasdaq and federal securities law standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oventus Medical Limited (private) | Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development | 2017–2019 | Assisted commercial expansion of sleep apnea device |
| Various healthcare companies | Independent strategic advisor; leadership roles in sales, marketing, product development, corporate development/transactions | 2012–2021 | Experience includes companies working with blood filtration and purification |
| University of Pennsylvania | Bench and clinical research; clinical experience | Not specified | Early career technical and clinical exposure |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WearOptimo Pty Ltd (private, Australia) | Head of Commercial | 2021–May 2023 | Medical device and digital health company |
| (No public company boards disclosed) | — | — | No current public company directorships noted in AEMD proxies |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships (FY2024): Audit Committee member (appointed Sept 15, 2023) and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member (appointed July 3, 2023) .
- Committee chairs: Audit—Edward G. Broenniman; Compensation—Chetan S. Shah, M.D.; Nominating & Corporate Governance—Angela Rossetti .
- Board independence: Four of five directors (including Gikakis) determined independent; no lead independent director designated .
- Meetings and attendance (FY2024): Board held 8 meetings; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings. Committee meetings: Audit 4; Compensation 6; Nominating 3 .
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company prohibits hedging and pledging/margining of Company stock by directors .
- Family relationships: None among directors/executives .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (non-employee directors) | $40,000 | In lieu of per-meeting fees |
| Chairperson of the Board additional retainer | $30,000 | Paid to Board Chair (not applicable to Gikakis) |
| Audit Committee chair | $15,000 | Annual |
| Compensation Committee chair | $15,000 | Annual |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee chair | $8,000 | Annual |
| Audit Committee member (non-chair) | $7,500 | Annual |
| Compensation Committee member (non-chair) | $7,500 | Annual |
| Nominating Committee member (non-chair) | $5,000 | Annual |
| FY2024 Director Compensation (Gikakis) | Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 | 37,500 | 75,000 | 112,500 |
| Notes | — | Initial RSU grant per policy upon appointment | Member of Audit and Nominating committees; compensation reflects mid-year appointments |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Type | Grant Value | Shares/Units | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU grant (upon appointment) | $75,000 | 4,885 RSUs outstanding as of 3/31/2024 | Typically vests in equal quarterly installments over one year per policy | No performance-based metrics disclosed; policy describes time-based RSUs/options |
| Annual continuing director grant (policy) | $50,000 | Not specified | Typically vests in equal quarterly installments over one year per policy | Not performance-based per policy |
- Options: No option awards disclosed for Gikakis in FY2024 director compensation table .
- Equity plan governance: The Amended 2020 Plan permits repricing/cancel-and-regrant of options/SARs with participant consent—a governance sensitivity to monitor .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed (public companies) | — | — | No public company boards listed for Gikakis in AEMD proxies |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Commercial leadership in medical devices, including blood filtration/purification; experience in sales, marketing, product development, corporate development and transactions .
- Technical foundation in bioengineering (UPenn) and MBA (George Mason); early bench/clinical research and clinical experience at UPenn .
- Board rationale: Qualified due to commercial experience with devices involving blood filtration/purification .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | As of Date | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Gikakis | 31,462 | April 3, 2025 | <1% (footnote “Less than 1%”) | Common stock; table based on 16,085,767 shares outstanding |
| RSUs outstanding (Gikakis) | 4,885 | March 31, 2024 | — | Outstanding RSUs as of FY2024 year-end |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited | Policy | — | Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy applies to all directors |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independence and dual-committee membership (Audit; Nominating & Corporate Governance) support board effectiveness and oversight breadth .
- Attendance: At least 75% threshold met for all directors in FY2024, indicating engagement; Audit and Nominating committees met regularly (4 and 3 times respectively) .
- Compensation mix includes equity via RSUs; anti-hedging/pledging policy enhances alignment and reduces risk of misaligned incentives .
-
Watch items / Red flags
- No lead independent director designated—possible governance gap for a small-cap with constrained resources .
- Equity plan permits option/SAR repricing and cancel/re-grant, which can be shareholder-unfriendly if applied without clear performance rationale; monitor usage and disclosures .
- Related party transactions: None disclosed involving Gikakis; Company disclosed separation agreement with former CEO (not directly relevant to Gikakis) . Family relationships: none among directors/executives .
-
Compensation structure signals
- FY2024 compensation reflects mid-year appointment with prorated cash and initial $75,000 RSU grant per policy; no performance metrics tied to director equity, suggesting standard time-based governance pay rather than pay-for-performance constructs .
Net takeaway: Gikakis brings relevant medical device commercialization expertise and participates in key oversight committees. Policies on anti-hedging/pledging and routine attendance support investor confidence, while the absence of a lead independent director and the plan-level repricing authority are governance areas to monitor .