Laurent Fischer
Atai BeckleyAbout Laurent Fischer
Laurent Fischer, M.D. (age 61), is a non-executive, independent director of atai Life Sciences N.V., appointed in 2024 with a term expiring in 2027 . He is CEO of Adverum Biotechnologies (Nasdaq: ADVM) since June 2020, and President & CEO since June 2021, with prior C-suite and therapeutic-area leadership roles across biopharma; he holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Geneva and an M.D. from Geneva Medical School .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allergan PLC | SVP, Head of Liver Therapeutic Area | Nov 2016 – Jun 2020 | Led Liver Therapeutic R&D pipeline |
| Tobira Therapeutics | Chief Executive Officer | Dec 2013 – Nov 2016 | Took company public; first anti-fibrotic NASH study; sale to Allergan |
| Jennerex, Inc. | Chairman & Chief Executive Officer | Jun 2012 – Mar 2014 | Led company until acquisition by SillaJen |
| Ocera Therapeutics | Co-founder, President & Chief Executive Officer | Jan 2005 – Jun 2012 | Built platform and leadership in liver disease |
| Auxeris Therapeutics | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2003 – 2004 | Executive leadership |
| RXCentric; MedVantx; DuPont Pharmaceuticals; DuPont-Merck; F. Hoffmann-La Roche | Various roles of increasing responsibility | Various | Business building, pharma operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADVM) | Chief Executive Officer; President & CEO | CEO since Jun 2020; President & CEO since Jun 2021 | Public company leadership |
| Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director | Since Jun 2019 | Board oversight; rare liver disease focus |
| Lycia Therapeutics (private) | Director | Since Dec 2019 | Platform development oversight |
| Teal (private) | Chairman | Since Oct 2023 | Strategic leadership |
| CTI Biopharma (acquired by SOBI Jun 2023) | Chairman | 2017 – Jun 2023 | Pre-acquisition board leadership |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent under Nasdaq rules; only Angermayer is not independent on legacy supervisory board ; post one-tier change, all directors except Srinivas Rao and Christian Angermayer are independent . |
| Committees | Compensation Committee (member); Science & Technology Committee (member) . |
| Committee Chairs | Compensation Committee chair: Andrea Heslin Smiley; Science & Technology chair: Scott Braunstein . |
| Attendance | In 2024, each incumbent director attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings; six supervisory board meetings were held . |
| Board Structure Change | Shareholders approved transition to one-tier board (executive and non-executive directors) on May 15, 2025 ; implemented via Proposal 7a . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Description | Amounts/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Cash Fee | Base annual retainer | $40,000, increased to $45,000 effective May 17, 2024 . |
| Committee/Leadership Cash Fees | Chair/Member fees | Audit chair $20,000; audit member $10,000; Compensation chair $15,000; compensation member $7,500; Nominating chair $10,000; nominating member $5,000; Lead independent director $42,500; Board chair $30,000; Science & Tech chair $12,000 (from Sep 18, 2024); S&T member $6,000 (from Sep 18, 2024) . |
| Equity – Initial Grant | Upon initial election/appointment | Option to purchase 206,000 shares; vesting over 3 years (1/3 at 1st anniversary, then 24 monthly installments) . |
| Equity – Annual Grant | If ≥6 months service and continuing post-AGM | Option to purchase 64,000 shares; vest in single installment by next AGM or first anniversary . |
| Option Terms | Pricing, expiration, change-in-control | Exercise price at fair market value on grant date; 10-year expiration; unvested options vest fully on change-in-control . |
| Laurent Fischer – 2024 Director Compensation | Value (USD) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $33,190 |
| Option Awards (grant-date fair value) | $213,151 |
| Total | $246,341 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Type | Grant/Status | Vesting Mechanics |
|---|---|---|
| Director Initial Option | 206,000 options | 1/3 at first anniversary, remaining 2/3 in 24 monthly installments . |
| Director Annual Option | 64,000 options if eligible | Single installment by next AGM or first anniversary . |
| Change-in-Control Acceleration | All unvested options | Full vesting upon change-in-control . |
| Laurent Fischer – Options Outstanding (Dec 31, 2024) | Count |
|---|---|
| Options Outstanding | 206,000 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company roles: CEO of Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM) ; Director at Mirum Pharmaceuticals .
- Prior public company role: Chairman of CTI Biopharma (acquired Jun 2023) .
- No ATAI related-party transactions disclosed involving Fischer; related-party transactions primarily involve Apeiron/Angermayer equity financings and consultancy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive biopharma leadership including CEO roles (Tobira, Ocera; Chairman Jennerex; SVP Allergan Liver TA) with IPO, M&A execution, and clinical development achievements (anti-fibrotic NASH study) .
- Academic credentials: University of Geneva (undergraduate) and Geneva Medical School (M.D.) .
- Current CEO of Adverum and director at Mirum and Lycia, contributing R&D and commercialization perspectives .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Apr 2, 2025 | Sep 15, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | — (not individually listed; <1%) | 97,276 |
| Beneficial Ownership (%) | — | <1% (asterisk indicated for <1%) |
| Options Outstanding | 206,000 (Dec 31, 2024) | — |
| Pledged Shares | None disclosed for Fischer (Apeiron pledged shares) |
Notes:
- Insider Trading Compliance Policy prohibits hedging transactions (e.g., collars, swaps) by directors, officers, and employees .
- A company-wide clawback policy applies to incentive-based compensation of officers, per SEC/Nasdaq rules (not specific to directors) .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee roles: Fischer is independent under Nasdaq rules and serves on Compensation and Science & Technology committees, aligning with his operating CEO and R&D expertise . This supports board effectiveness in pay-setting and pipeline oversight.
- Attendance and engagement: 2024 attendance met at least 75% threshold amid six board meetings, indicating baseline engagement; committee service adds touchpoints with management .
- Compensation and alignment: Director pay mixes modest cash fees with material option grants (initial 206k; annual 64k), with 10-year terms and change-in-control acceleration; this creates equity exposure, though annual grants vest irrespective of performance metrics, typical for directors .
- Potential conflicts/time commitments: Fischer is sitting CEO of Adverum and board member at other companies; ATAI discloses no related-party transactions involving him, reducing direct conflict risk at ATAI, but multi-seat commitments warrant monitoring for bandwidth .
- Structural governance: Shareholders approved the move to a one-tier board in May 2025, clarifying executive vs non-executive roles; Fischer is a non-executive, preserving independence from management .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Fischer (no related-party transactions, no pledging, no attendance shortfalls). Company-level red flags include significant shareholder Apeiron’s pledged shares and consultancy with the chair, but these do not implicate Fischer directly .
Appendices
Committee Assignments (current)
| Committee | Role |
|---|---|
| Compensation | Member |
| Science & Technology | Member |
AGM Voting Context (May 15, 2025)
- One-tier board adoption (Proposal 7a) approved; compensation policy for unitary board (Proposal 8) approved .
Related-Party Transactions (ATAI)
- 2025 public offering; Apeiron bought 10,835,718 shares ($26.5M) .
- Convertible notes exchange and terms; Apeiron holdings and pledge details .
- Chair consultancy: 2024 agreement includes 1,658,094 options tied partly to TSR vs XBI .
All information above is sourced from ATAI’s 2025 definitive proxy statement and related SEC filings and includes per-item citations.