Giovanni Mariggi
About Giovanni Mariggi
Independent director since 2019; age 40 as of March 31, 2025. Partner and co‑founder at Medicxi (since 2018) with prior investing roles at Index Ventures and earlier scientific research at Cancer Research UK (vascular biology/angiogenesis). Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from University College London; B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Imperial College London. Aura class I director up for re‑election in 2025; Board determined he is independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicxi | Partner; co‑founding team | Partner since Oct 2018; Principal Feb 2016–Sep 2018 | Led/oversees portfolio boards (Fore Bio, Vaderis, Curevo, Vicebio) |
| Index Ventures | Principal and prior roles | ~2011–Jan 2016 (principal Jan 2015–Jan 2016) | Early-stage life sciences investing |
| Cancer Research UK (London Research Institute) | Researcher (vascular biology, angiogenesis) | Prior to investing roles | Scientific diligence; independent competitive intelligence consulting for biopharma |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fore Biotherapeutics US Inc. | Director | Not specified in proxy | Portfolio board via Medicxi |
| Vaderis Therapeutics AG | Director | Not specified in proxy | Portfolio board via Medicxi |
| Curevo Inc. | Director | Not specified in proxy | Portfolio board via Medicxi |
| Vicebio Ltd | Director | Not specified in proxy | Portfolio board via Medicxi |
Board Governance
- Board independence: all directors except CEO deemed independent in early 2025; Mariggi classified independent .
- Committees: Audit Committee member (with Srivastava—chair, and Mattessich); Compensation Committee chair (members: Mariggi—chair, Bitetti, Takhar); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee not listed for Mariggi .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in 2024; all directors met ≥75% attendance except Dr. Parekh (Mariggi met threshold) .
- Audit Committee met 7 times in 2024; Compensation Committee met 7 times; Nominating Committee met 3 times .
- Re‑election: Class I director nominee in 2025 (term to 2028 if elected) .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | — | — | Mariggi waived all cash and equity compensation |
| 2023 | — | — | — | Mariggi waived director compensation |
Policy benchmarks for non‑employee directors (context):
| Component | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Board annual retainer (member) | 40,000 |
| Non‑executive chair retainer | 30,000 |
| Audit chair/member | 15,000 / 7,500 |
| Compensation chair/member | 10,000 / 5,000 |
| Nominating chair/member | 8,000 / 4,000 |
| Initial equity (RSU/Options shares) | 21,000 RSUs; 29,000 options (3‑yr vest) |
| Annual equity (RSU/Options shares) | 10,500 RSUs; 14,500 options (1‑yr vest) |
Performance Compensation
Directors receive time‑based RSUs/options; no performance metrics (e.g., revenue/TSR) tied to director grants. Mariggi waived equity, so no outstanding awards or vesting schedules apply .
| Metric | Applicable to Mariggi? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Performance‑based equity (PSUs) | N/A – director program is time‑based | |
| Annual performance bonus | N/A – non‑employee directors not eligible |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Affiliation: Entities affiliated with Medicxi beneficially own 3,039,892 AURA shares (6.1%); Mariggi is a member of Medicxi, creating an investor‑affiliated interlock .
- Related‑party oversight: Audit Committee reviews/approves related‑party transactions under policy; no related transactions >$120,000 disclosed for 2023–2024 aside from offerings with Matrix (not Medicxi) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Biopharma investor/operator with scientific grounding in vascular biology/angiogenesis; extensive portfolio board experience .
- Financial and auditing literacy (Audit Committee member) with board‑level compensation governance (Compensation Committee chair) .
Equity Ownership
| Holding Category | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (AURA common) | — | No holdings reported for Mariggi in principal stockholders table (less than 1% or none) |
| Unvested RSUs | — | None; waived |
| Stock options | — | None; waived |
| Pledging/hedging | Policy addresses pledging risk and prohibits derivative transactions; no pledging by directors disclosed |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independence and multi‑company board experience; scientific and investing background enhances Audit and Compensation oversight .
- Waiver of all cash/equity director compensation in 2023–2024 limits potential self‑interest and cost to shareholders; strong signal of investor alignment in role execution .
- Audit Committee responsibilities include related‑party review and cybersecurity oversight; robust meeting cadence in 2024 .
-
Potential red flags
- Investor affiliation: Medicxi owns ~6.1% of AURA while Mariggi chairs Compensation and serves on Audit—may create perceived conflicts; mitigants include independence determination under Nasdaq rules and formal related‑party policies .
- Limited “skin‑in‑the‑game”: No reported personal share ownership or director equity awards due to waivers; alignment may rely on Medicxi’s stake rather than individual holdings .
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Additional context
- Aura is an Emerging Growth Company and not required to hold say‑on‑pay votes; no say‑on‑pay history to benchmark governance sentiment .
- Clawback policy adopted (SEC/Nasdaq compliant) applies to executive incentive‑based compensation; not typically relevant to non‑employee directors .
Overall: Mariggi brings deep sector expertise and governance engagement (Compensation chair; Audit member) with high attendance norms. The primary monitoring focus for investors is potential influence from Medicxi’s significant ownership on compensation and audit decisions; Aura’s independence determinations and related‑party policies partially mitigate this risk .