Eric Winzer
About C. Eric Winzer
Eric Winzer (age 68) has served as an independent director of Nuo Therapeutics (AURX) since January 30, 2009, and is designated the Board’s audit committee financial expert. He brings 30+ years of senior finance leadership across life sciences, including CFO roles at Immunomic Therapeutics (2015–Apr 2025) and OpGen (2009–2015), and executive positions at Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Life Technologies/Invitrogen, and Genex. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration (McDaniel College) and an MBA (Mount Saint Mary’s) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | May 2015 – Apr 2025 | Private biotech CFO; retired Apr 2025 |
| OpGen Inc. (OPGN) | Principal Accounting Officer, SVP Finance, CFO | Jun 2009 – Apr 2015 | Took company public in May 2015 |
| Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVRX) | CFO & EVP; PAO; Secretary | Prior to 2009 (dates not specified) | Senior finance leadership in drug discovery |
| Life Technologies/Invitrogen/Life Technologies, Inc. | Senior Finance Positions | ~20 years (dates not specified) | Multi-year finance leadership in genomics tools |
| Genex Corporation | Various financial positions | 1980 – 1986 | Early finance roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury Communities (not-for-profit senior living system) | Director; Audit Committee Chair | Since 2020 | Leads audit oversight |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board applies Nasdaq standards; all directors except the CEO/CFO (David Jorden) are independent. Winzer is independent .
- Board leadership: No Chairman and no Lead Independent Director; Board cites small size as rationale .
- Committees:
- Audit Committee: Members – Winzer (Chair), Mintz, Pittman; met 4x (2022), 4x (2023), 5x (2024). Winzer designated audit committee financial expert .
- Compensation, Nominating & Governance (CNG) Committee: Members – Pittman (Chair), Mintz, Winzer; met 1x (2022), 1x (2023), 3x (2024) .
- Attendance: Board met 8x (2022), 4x (2023), 7x (2024); each director attended at least 75% of Board meetings in those years .
- Audit oversight: Committee pre-approves audit/non-audit services; issued FY2024 audit report recommending inclusion in 10-K .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer/Fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15,000 (one-time cash fee for remainder of 2025) | Cash compensation resumed Aug 2025 |
| 2024 | $0 | Director compensation (cash and non-cash) had been ceased since May 1, 2019 until equity resumed Jul 2024 |
| 2023 | $0 | |
| 2022 | $0 |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Award Type | Quantity | Exercise Price | Vesting | Grant-Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 2024 | Stock options | 40,000 | $0.33 | Fully vested on the 1-year anniversary (Jul 17, 2025) | $8,669 (ASC 718) |
- Program structure: Non-cash compensation resumed Jul 2024 with an award of 25,000 shares to each non-executive director and an additional 15,000 shares to each committee Chair; footnote clarifies the Jul 17, 2024 grant as options (Winzer, as Audit Chair, received 40,000 options) .
- Performance metrics: No performance-based metrics disclosed for director equity; vesting is time-based .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury Communities | Not-for-profit | Director; Audit Chair | No AURX-related transactions disclosed . |
- Transactions: A Jul 30, 2025 private placement investors included Director Scott Pittman and principal stockholder Charles Sheedy (Winzer not identified among investors in the disclosure) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expert designation; deep experience in capital raising, financial reporting, investor relations, M&A, FP&A, accounting operations .
- Life sciences industry exposure across tools, diagnostics, and therapeutics .
- Formal audit oversight experience (Audit Chair at Asbury Communities) .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Beneficial Owner | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notable Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2025 | C. Eric Winzer | 378,070 | <1% | Includes 260,416 shares issuable upon exercise of options; Company had 48,077,745 shares outstanding |
- Pledging/Hedging: Company states there are no arrangements known, including pledges, that may result in a change of control; Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging/monetization transactions (e.g., collars, swaps) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent director with audit committee financial expert designation; chairs Audit Committee and participates on CNG Committee—enhances oversight of financial reporting and pay governance .
- Demonstrated engagement: committee activity and at least 75% Board attendance across 2022–2024 .
- Alignment: Director equity grants resumed in 2024 at low strike ($0.33), time-based vesting, which can increase ownership alignment without cash outlays in 2024 .
- Watch items / RED FLAGS
- Board structure: No Chairman or Lead Independent Director; CEO also serves as CFO—concentration of executive power with limited independent leadership may constrain oversight .
- Compensation governance history: Board pay was halted from 2019 for ~5 years; sudden resumption (equity in 2024, cash in 2025) warrants monitoring for pay-for-service calibration and potential catch-up effects .
- Related transactions: A 2025 private placement involved a sitting director (Pittman) and a principal stockholder; while disclosed, insider participation in financing requires continued audit committee scrutiny for fairness and terms .
- Net view: Winzer’s finance and audit expertise, combined with active committee leadership, supports board effectiveness. Structural governance limitations (no independent leadership; CEO/CFO dual role) elevate the importance of his audit oversight and the CNG Committee’s rigor.
Appendix: Director Compensation (Detail for 2024)
| Name | Year | Fees Earned (Cash) | Option Awards (Grant-Date FV) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Eric Winzer | 2024 | $0 | $8,669 | $8,669 |
- Footnote: On Jul 17, 2024, CNG Committee granted 25,000 options to Dr. Mintz and 40,000 options to Pittman and Winzer; options fully vested one year after grant; exercise price $0.33 .
References
- 2025 DEF 14A (Oct 30, 2025): Director biographies, independence, board/committee composition and activity, director compensation, equity ownership, insider trading/hedging policy .
- 8-K Item 5.07 (Dec 5, 2022): Stockholder vote outcomes (historical governance context) .