Erich Platzer
About Erich Platzer
Erich Platzer, age 74, has served as an independent director of Aptose Biosciences since 2014. A board‑certified physician in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology (1979–1991), he holds an M.D. and “Dr. med. habil.” (M.D., Ph.D.) from the University of Erlangen and has 25+ years in biotech as a physician, corporate executive, and director; he co‑founded HBM Healthcare Investments in 2001 and previously led oncology strategy at Roche in Basel .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| HBM Healthcare Investments (formerly HBM BioVentures) | Co‑founder; Investment Advisor | Co‑founded 2001; Advisor until 2015 | Helped build a global healthcare investing leader |
| Roche (Basel) | Business Director of Oncology; Global Strategic Marketing & Therapeutic Area Head of Oncology | Not specified | Responsible for oncology strategy and partnerships |
| Academic Medicine (MSKCC team) | Key team member purifying human G‑CSF (Neupogen® recombinant form) | 1983 activity; >12 years in academic medicine | Scientific contributions underpinning hematology/oncology |
| Clinical Practice | Board‑certified physician (internal medicine, hematology, oncology) | 1979–1991 | Clinical expertise aligning with Aptose’s AML focus |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V. | Chairman | Public | Also disclosed as Platzer’s other reporting issuer board service |
| Nitinotes Ltd. (Israel) | Director | Private | Medical device/therapeutics focus |
| coramaze technologies GmbH (Germany) | Director | Private | Cardiovascular technologies |
| LMD SA (Switzerland) | Director | Private | Life sciences venture |
| StartAngelsNetwork (Switzerland) | President (past); Board Member | Private network | Swiss business angel group leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence: Yes (Board majority independent) .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member; R&D Committee member (R&D Chair is Dr. Seizinger) .
- Attendance (2024): Board 11/11; Compensation 4/4; R&D Committee held no meetings (nil) .
- Lead Independent Director: Dr. Denis Burger; independent executive sessions: five in 2024 .
| Governance Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent |
| Committees | Compensation; R&D |
| Committee chair roles | None (R&D Chair: Seizinger) |
| 2024 attendance | Board 11/11; Compensation 4/4; R&D nil meetings |
| Executive sessions (2024) | Independents met 5 times without management |
Fixed Compensation
- Policy: Non‑employee directors receive $60,000 annual cash retainer; committee membership fee $10,000 per committee; Audit Committee members +$3,500; committee chairs +$15,000 (Audit +$20,000); Lead Director +$40,000; no per‑meeting fees; paid quarterly .
- 2024 cash received by Platzer: $80,000 (base retainer $60,000 + $10,000 Compensation Committee + $10,000 R&D Committee) .
| Component (2024) | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Annual retainer (cash) | 60,000 |
| Committee membership (Compensation) | 10,000 |
| Committee membership (R&D) | 10,000 |
| Total cash fees | 80,000 |
Performance Compensation
- Form: Annual option grants under 2021 Stock Incentive Plan; vest 50% after one year, 25% in each of years 2 and 3; 90‑day post‑resignation exercise for vested options; annual director compensation cap $500,000 (cash + equity) .
- 2024 grant: 111 options; grant‑date fair value $4,547 (ASC 718) .
- Plan safeguards: No repricing of underwater options without shareholder approval; options priced at or above fair market value; dividend equivalents not paid on unvested awards; awards subject to clawback .
| Metric | 2024 Value |
|---|---|
| Options granted (shares) | 111 |
| Grant‑date fair value ($) | 4,547 |
| Vesting | 50% at 1 year; 25% at years 2 & 3 |
| Repricing policy | Prohibited without shareholder approval |
| Exercise price policy | ≥ Fair Market Value at grant |
| Clawback applicability | Yes (Incentive compensation recovery policy) |
No director performance metrics (TSR, revenue, ESG) are disclosed for director equity; awards are time‑vested options under plan terms .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V. | Chairman | Oncology sector overlap; no related party transactions disclosed at Aptose |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Hematology/oncology physician with academic and clinical pedigree (MSKCC G‑CSF team) .
- Senior biopharma strategy and oncology marketing leadership at Roche, Basel .
- Venture investing and board governance experience via HBM Healthcare Investments and multiple boards .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 2,364 (includes options exercisable within 60 days) |
| Options exercisable within 60 days (included above) | 1,242 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | Does not exceed 1% |
| Shares outstanding (record date) | 2,552,429 (April 22, 2025) |
| Pledged shares | Prohibited under Disclosure and Insider Trading Policy (no pledges, hedging, margin) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; perfect Board attendance and full Compensation Committee participation; relevant hematology/oncology and strategic experience benefiting R&D oversight; time‑vested equity aligns director interests; clawback policy and prohibition on hedging/pledging support alignment .
- Compensation alignment: Cash retainer plus committee fees consistent with role; modest annual option grant (111 options; $4,547 fair value) within $500k cap; no meeting fees reduces pay inflation incentives .
- Conflicts/related‑party: Proxy discloses no related‑party transactions in last two fiscal years; Section 16 filings timely; no indebtedness to directors; D&O insurance in place ($15,000,000 coverage; ~$581,150 premium) .
- Watch items: Company reported a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting related to warrant accounting and is changing auditors (KPMG not standing for re‑appointment); continued oversight by Audit Committee and Board is critical though not specific to Platzer’s committees .