Nicoletta Loggia
About Nicoletta Loggia
Independent Class III director at Candel Therapeutics (since June 2023; age 57; term expires at the 2027 annual meeting). Chief Technical Officer of Orchard Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: ORTX) since September 2021; previously held senior global technical development leadership roles at Novartis (2015–2021) and earlier scientific roles at Pfizer. Ph.D. and master’s in Pharmaceutical Technologies from the University of Pavia; accreditation from EPFL’s Startup Board Member Academy. Beneficial ownership at Candel is less than 1% of shares outstanding .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novartis AG | Global Head, Cell & Gene Therapies | Apr 2020–Aug 2021 | Led CGT technical functions |
| Novartis AG | Global Head, Technical Development Biologics & Cell Gene Therapies | Jan 2019–Apr 2020 | Global technical development leadership |
| Novartis AG | Global Head, Technical Development of Novel Biologic Entities & Early Phase Project Management | 2015–Dec 2018 | Early-phase program oversight |
| Pfizer | Formulation Senior/Principal Scientist | Earlier career | R&D/formulation roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Therapeutics plc (ORTX) | Chief Technical Officer | Sep 2021–present | Executive leadership in CGT |
| Sarcura GmbH | Advisory Board Member | May 2022–present | Advisory position |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent; Dr. Loggia is independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules .
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation Committee; member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Board leadership: Board chaired by Paul B. Manning (non-executive chair) .
- Attendance: Board met 16 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings (Comp Committee met 3 times; Nominating & Governance met 1 time) .
- Compensation consultant: Radford engaged; Compensation Committee assessed independence and found no conflict of interest .
- Clawback: Company maintains a compensation recovery (clawback) policy consistent with SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Insider trading policy: Prohibits short sales, derivatives, and hedging in company securities by directors/officers/employees .
- EGC status: As an emerging growth company, Candel is not required to conduct say‑on‑pay votes .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $41,264 | Actual cash paid in 2024 |
| Board Annual Retainer (Policy) ($) | $35,000 | Applies to all non‑employee directors |
| Compensation Committee Chair Fee (Policy) ($) | $10,000 | As committee chair |
| Nominating & Governance Committee Member Fee (Policy) ($) | $4,000 | As committee member |
Candel does not disclose meeting fees; policy fees may be prorated based on service dates .
Performance Compensation
| Component | Metric/Structure | 2024 Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Awards (Fair Value) | ASC 718 grant-date fair value ($) | $68,405 | Per grant terms (see below) |
| Annual Director Option Grant Size | Shares | 14,240 | Vests fully on the earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting, subject to service |
| Initial Director Option Grant (new directors) | Shares | 28,480 (policy) | Vests in equal monthly installments over 3 years, subject to service |
| Unexercised Options Outstanding (12/31/2024) | Shares | 14,240 | — |
Candel did not disclose performance conditions for director equity; director options vest time‑based per policy (no TSR/financial metrics) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Overlap/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Therapeutics plc (ORTX) | Chief Technical Officer | Public | Executive role; no related‑party transactions disclosed in proxy |
| Sarcura GmbH | Advisory Board Member | Private | Advisory role |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep biopharmaceutical manufacturing and technical operations experience across cell and gene therapies; senior global technical development leadership at Novartis; formulation science background at Pfizer .
- Academic credentials: Ph.D. and master’s in Pharmaceutical Technologies (University of Pavia); EPFL Startup Board Member Academy accreditation .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | 33,226 | Less than 1% of outstanding shares |
| Composition | Options exercisable within 60 days | All 33,226 are options exercisable within 60 days after 4/21/2025 |
| Shares Outstanding (Record Date) | 49,269,668 | As of April 21, 2025 |
Additional data: Unexercised options outstanding as of 12/31/2024 were 14,240 . Hedging/derivative transactions are prohibited for directors .
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent director; chairs Compensation Committee; presence on Nominating & Governance Committee—positions that influence pay structures and board composition . Use of an independent compensation consultant and adoption of clawback and anti‑hedging policies support governance quality .
- Alignment: Ownership is modest (<1% of common stock) and primarily via options; ongoing annual option grants and initial option grant structure provide some alignment but are time‑based (no disclosed performance metrics) .
- Engagement: Board met 16 times; directors met the ≥75% attendance threshold; Compensation Committee met 3 times—indicative of regular committee activity .
- Watch items: Concurrent executive responsibilities at ORTX (a public CGT company) may create potential time‑commitment or industry‑overlap considerations; the proxy discloses no related‑party transactions involving Dr. Loggia, and the company has an audit committee review policy for any such transactions . As an EGC, the lack of say‑on‑pay votes reduces direct shareholder feedback on compensation design .