Edward Benz Jr.
About Edward J. Benz, Jr.
Edward J. Benz, Jr., M.D., age 78 as of April 29, 2025, has served on Candel Therapeutics’ board since September 2017 and is a Class II director with a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting . A hematologist and internal medicine specialist, he is President and CEO Emeritus of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a Harvard Medical School professor, and Executive Director of the NIH Cure Sickle Cell Initiative, with 300+ publications and multiple professional society presidencies, underscoring deep domain expertise in blood disorders and translational medicine .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | President & CEO; later President & CEO Emeritus | Oct 2000 – Oct 2016 (President & CEO); Emeritus thereafter | Led one of the leading oncology centers, broad executive leadership in research and clinical operations |
| Harvard Medical School | Richard & Susan Smith Distinguished Professor of Medicine; Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics | Ongoing | Academic leadership; research and teaching in hematology/genetics |
| Johns Hopkins University & Hospital | Chair, Dept. of Medicine; Sir William Osler Professor; Physician-in-Chief | Prior to Dana-Farber tenure | Oversaw medical department operations and clinical excellence |
| Professional Societies (ASH, AACI, ASCI, ACCS, Friends of NINR) | President | Various | National leadership across hematology and clinical research communities |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoRegen, Inc. | Director | Current | Private company board service |
| Autoimmunity Biological Solutions | Scientific Advisory Board | Current | Private SAB |
| MYKA Labs, Inc. | Scientific Advisory Board | Current | Private SAB |
| Kernal Biologics, Inc. | Scientific Advisory Board | Current | Private SAB |
| Deciphera Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: DCPH) | Director | Prior | Public company; oncology focus |
| F-Star Therapeutics (formerly Nasdaq: FSTX) | Director | Prior | Public biotech; antibody engineering |
| Renovacor (formerly NYSE: RCOR) | Director | Prior | Public biotech; cardiovascular gene therapy |
| Xenetic Bioscience (Nasdaq: XBIO) | Director | Prior | Public biotech |
No related-person transactions involving Dr. Benz are mentioned in the provided proxy excerpts; the audit committee reviews and must approve any related party transactions >$120,000 under written policy .
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Committee Assignments | Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Chair); members include Benz, Loggia, Martell, Nabel |
| Independence | Board determined all members of Nominating & Governance are independent under Nasdaq rules |
| Committee Activity (2024) | Nominating & Governance met 1 time in 2024 |
| Board Meetings (2024) | Full board met 16 times |
| Attendance | Each director attended ≥75% of aggregate board and committee meetings during periods served in 2024 |
| Lead Independent Director | Not disclosed in proxy excerpt |
| Executive Sessions | Not disclosed in proxy excerpt |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $43,000 | Matches board retainer ($35,000) plus Nominating & Governance chair fee ($8,000) per policy |
| Annual Board Retainer (Policy) | $35,000 | For all non-employee directors |
| Nominating & Governance Chair Fee (Policy) | $8,000 | Applies to Benz as chair |
| Meeting Fees | None disclosed | Policy does not include per-meeting fees |
Performance Compensation
| Component | 2024 Detail | Vesting / Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Option Awards (Grant-date fair value) | $68,405 | Annual non-qualified stock option grant per policy; fair value under FASB ASC 718 |
| Annual Option Share Count (Policy) | 14,240 shares | Vests fully upon earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting, subject to service |
| Initial Option Grant (Policy) | 28,480 shares | Vests in equal monthly installments over 3 years from grant, subject to service |
| Unexercised Options Outstanding (12/31/2024) | 97,644 shares | Aggregate outstanding options held as of year-end 2024 |
| Exercise Price / Expiration | Not disclosed in proxy table | Policy indicates grants at then fair market value; specific strike/expiry not provided |
Policy does not disclose performance metrics (e.g., TSR/EBITDA) for director equity; director equity is options with time/service-based vesting .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Market | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoRegen, Inc. | Private | Director | No CADL-related transactions disclosed in proxy excerpts |
| Deciphera (DCPH), F-Star (FSTX), Renovacor (RCOR), Xenetic (XBIO) | Public | Prior Director | Biotech network relevance; no CADL-related transactions disclosed in proxy excerpts |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board-certified in hematology and internal medicine; recognized expert in blood disorders .
- Senior academic leadership at Harvard Medical School; extensive publication record (300+ articles, books, reviews, abstracts) .
- Former President & CEO of Dana-Farber; former department chair and physician-in-chief at Johns Hopkins—adds large-institution governance and clinical operations experience .
- NIH leadership (Executive Director, Cure Sickle Cell Initiative) underscores government/research interface expertise .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (as of 4/21/2025) | 111,884 shares | Less than 1% of outstanding shares (49,269,668) |
| Composition of Beneficial Ownership | 111,884 shares issuable upon exercise of options exercisable within 60 days | Indicates beneficial holding primarily via vested options |
| Unexercised Options (12/31/2024) | 97,644 shares | Outstanding options at year-end 2024 |
| Hedging/Pledging Policy | Company policy prohibits short sales and derivative/hedging transactions by directors; warns of risks from margin/pledged shares |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Benz chairs the Nominating & Governance Committee and is deemed independent under Nasdaq rules; however, that committee met only once in 2024—consider monitoring cadence vs. governance workload as the company evolves .
- Independence and engagement: He met the ≥75% attendance threshold amid 16 board meetings in 2024, indicating baseline engagement; age and deep domain background add value on science/clinical oversight .
- Compensation mix and alignment: Director pay skews toward equity via options (2024 fair value $68,405 vs. $43,000 cash), consistent with alignment practices, but beneficial ownership appears limited to options (no disclosed direct share holdings)—moderate “skin-in-the-game” signal reliant on option value .
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: No related-person transactions involving Benz are mentioned in the provided proxy excerpts; the audit committee must pre-approve any such transactions >$120,000 under the written policy, mitigating conflict risk .
- RED FLAGS: Limited disclosed director equity beyond options (beneficial ownership comprised of exercisable options) may be viewed as weaker direct ownership alignment; Nominating & Governance’s single meeting in 2024 could be scrutinized relative to governance best practices in active biotech contexts .