Mark Iwicki
About Mark T. Iwicki
Independent Chair of the Board at Akero Therapeutics; age 58 as of April 10, 2025; director since November 2018 and Chair since April 2019. Currently CEO of Inhibikase Therapeutics (since February 2025); prior CEO roles at Kala Pharmaceuticals, Civitas Therapeutics, and Blend/Tarveda; senior executive positions at Sunovion/Sepracor and Novartis. Education: B.A. in Business Administration (Ball State University) and MBA (Loyola University). Independence confirmed by the Board (all directors except the CEO are independent).
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akero Therapeutics | Chair of the Board; Director | Chair since Apr 2019; Director since Nov 2018 | Leads Board as independent Chair; chairs Compensation Committee |
| Kala Pharmaceuticals | Chief Executive Officer | Apr 2015 – Feb 2025 | Executive leadership in biopharma operations |
| Civitas Therapeutics | President & CEO | Feb 2014 – Nov 2014 | Executive leadership; company later acquired |
| Blend/Tarveda Therapeutics | President, CEO & Director | Dec 2012 – Jan 2014 | Executive leadership in biotech |
| Sunovion/Sepracor | Multiple roles incl. CCO, President & COO, Director & CEO | 2007 – Jun 2012 | Commercial and operational leadership |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals | VP & Business Unit Head | 1998 – 2007 | Commercial leadership in pharma |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inhibikase Therapeutics (Nasdaq: IKT) | Chief Executive Officer; Director | Current; employed since Feb 2025 |
| Merus N.V. (Nasdaq: MRUS) | Director | Current |
| KALA BIO (Nasdaq: KALA) | Director | Current |
| Q32 Bio (Nasdaq: QTTB) | Director | Resignation effective Dec 31, 2025 |
| Aerovate Therapeutics (Nasdaq: AVTE) | Director | Will no longer serve following merger on Apr 29, 2025 |
| Third Harmonic Bio (Nasdaq: THRD) | Director | Will no longer serve following planned dissolution in Q3 2025 |
| Aimmune Therapeutics (Nasdaq: AIMT) | Director | 2015 – 2020 (prior) |
| Pulmatrix (Nasdaq: PULM) | Director | 2015 – 2021 (prior) |
Board Governance
- Board leadership: Independent Chair; CEO role separated from Chair, enabling independent oversight of management.
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent; includes Mr. Iwicki.
- Committees: Compensation Committee Chair; members are independent non‑employee directors. Five meetings in FY2024.
- Audit Committee and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees: composition and meetings disclosed; Mr. Iwicki not listed as member of either. Audit met 4 times; Nominating met 2 times in FY2024.
- Attendance: Each director attended ≥75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings in 2024; Board met 4 times.
- Say‑on‑pay support: 95% approval at 2024 Annual Meeting, indicating strong shareholder support for pay programs.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | FY/Date |
|---|---|---|
| Board Chair Cash Retainer | $70,000 annual | Policy |
| Compensation Committee Chair Retainer | $15,000 annual | Policy |
| Total Cash Fees Paid (2024) | $85,000 | 2024 |
| Annual Director Option Grant (policy) | 26,000 options; vest in full by next annual meeting or 1-year anniversary | Policy |
| Initial Director Option Grant (policy) | 52,000 options; vest monthly over 3 years | Policy |
| 2024 Non‑Employee Director Compensation | Fees Paid in Cash ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark T. Iwicki | 85,000 | 434,632 | 519,632 |
| All values above per Akero’s 2024 Director Compensation table. |
Performance Compensation
- Directors receive equity via stock options; grants are time‑based per policy (no performance metrics tied to director equity). Annual options vest in full by next annual meeting or on first anniversary; initial grants vest monthly over three years.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| External Board | Potential Interlock/Overlap with AKRO | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MRUS, KALA, IKT, QTTB, AVTE, THRD | None disclosed with AKRO’s customers/suppliers; Board monitors excessive time commitments under governance guidelines | Governance guidelines address director time commitments; Board regularly evaluates other public commitments. |
- Compensation Committee Interlocks: None; committee members have not served as Akero officers, and Akero executives did not serve on other companies’ boards/comp committees in FY2024.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive management and operational experience across biopharma, including commercialization and company leadership.
- Financial and strategic oversight as independent Chair; extensive board service across public biopharma companies.
- Formal business training (MBA); industry tenure spanning large-cap and emerging biotech/pharma.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (#) | % of Shares Outstanding | Ownership Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark T. Iwicki | 240,307 | * | Consists solely of options exercisable within 60 days of April 10, 2025 |
| Footnote: “*” denotes less than 1%. |
| Director Option Holdings (as of Dec 31, 2024) | Exercisable (#) | Unvested/Unexercisable (#) | Total Options (#) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark T. Iwicki | 214,307 | 26,000 | 240,307 |
| Per 2024 Director Compensation note. |
- Hedging/Pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging transactions, margin use, and pledging of Company securities by directors and designated insiders.
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent Board Chair with clear separation from CEO; structure supports robust oversight.
- Compensation Committee chaired by an independent director; use of independent consultant (Pearl Meyer); no consultant conflicts disclosed.
- Strong shareholder support for pay programs (95% say‑on‑pay in 2024).
- Attendance and engagement at or above governance thresholds (≥75%).
- Prohibitions on hedging/pledging; related party transaction policy overseen by Audit Committee.
-
Potential Risks/Considerations:
- RED FLAG: Significant external commitments including current CEO role at Inhibikase and multiple public boards may pose time‑commitment risk; Board states it monitors directors’ external commitments for adequacy.
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership in AKRO is primarily via options with no disclosed common shares, indicating alignment partially dependent on future option exercises.
- No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Mr. Iwicki in 2024–2025; continued monitoring warranted given broad industry network.
-
Overall: Governance structure and committee independence are solid; monitoring of time commitments is important given extensive external roles.