Douglas Williams
Camp4 TherapeuticsAbout Douglas Williams
Douglas Williams, PhD (age 67 as of April 30, 2025) is an independent Class I director at CAMP4 Therapeutics, appointed in March 2025; he is standing for election to a three-year term through the 2028 annual meeting. He is currently CEO of TriArm Therapeutics Ltd. (since September 2024), and has held senior R&D and CEO roles across leading biopharma companies (Biogen, ZymoGenetics, Seagen, Amgen, Immunex). Education: PhD in Physiology (SUNY Buffalo, Roswell Park), BS in Biological Sciences (UMass Lowell), AA (Greenfield Community College) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TriArm Therapeutics Ltd. | Chief Executive Officer | Sep 2024–Present | CEO leadership in cell therapy |
| Sana Biotechnology, Inc. | EVP & President, R&D | Apr 2023–Apr 2024 | Led R&D organization |
| Codiak BioSciences, Inc. | President & CEO | 2015–Apr 2023 | CEO; company later filed Chapter 11 on Mar 27, 2023 |
| Biogen Inc. | EVP, Research & Development | 2011–2015 | Led global R&D |
| ZymoGenetics, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Pre-acquisition by BMS (date not specified) | CEO through sale to BMS |
| Seagen Inc. (Seattle Genetics) | Chief Scientific Officer & EVP, R&D | Prior roles (dates not specified) | R&D leadership |
| Amgen Inc. | SVP & Washington Site Leader | Prior roles (dates not specified) | Site leadership |
| Immunex Corp. | EVP & CTO; SVP Discovery Research; VP R&D | Prior roles (dates not specified) | Senior scientific leadership |
| Indiana University School of Medicine; Roswell Park Memorial Institute | Faculty | Prior academic appointments (dates not specified) | Research/teaching |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climb Bio, Inc. | Chairman, Board of Directors | Since Nov 2024 | Biotech governance |
| AC Immune SA | Chairman, Board of Directors | Since Jun 2018 | Biotech governance |
| Panacea Acquisition Corp. II | Director | Jun 2021–Apr 2023 | SPAC board |
| Ovid Therapeutics Inc. | Director | 2016–Jun 2021 | Biotech board |
| Codiak BioSciences, Inc. | Director | 2015–Apr 2023 | Also served as CEO |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules; Williams is independent .
- Classification and term: Class I director; nominated for term ending 2028 .
- Committee memberships: Audit Committee member; committee chaired by Michael Higgins. Audit Committee members: Higgins (Chair), Boylan, Chakravarty (through his term), Williams .
- Attendance: In FY2024 the Board met 5 times; each director during their service attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings. Committee frequencies: Audit (3), Compensation (3), Nominating & Corporate Governance (0). Williams joined in March 2025; his individual attendance for 2024 is not applicable .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee directors) | $40,000 | Effective post-IPO (Oct 2024) |
| Audit Committee member retainer | $7,500 | $15,000 for Chair; Williams is a member, not Chair |
| Board Chair retainer (if applicable) | $70,000 | Not applicable to Williams |
| Other committee retainers | $5,000 (member) / $10,000 (chair) | Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance, R&D committees |
| Expense reimbursement | Reasonable travel/meeting expenses | Standard policy |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options (initial appointment grant) | 17,787 shares | Monthly over 3 years from grant | Granted upon Board appointment in Mar 2025 |
| Annual Stock Options (ongoing, starting FY2025) | 9,000 shares | Vest in full on 1st anniversary (or next annual meeting) | For non-employee directors not first elected that year |
| Performance metrics tied to director compensation | Not disclosed — | — | No TSR/financial metric linkage disclosed for directors |
No director PSUs/RSUs with disclosed performance conditions; equity is option-based with time-based vesting .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Potential Interlock Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC Immune SA | Biotech (neurodegenerative) | Chairman | External leadership in biotech; no CAMP4-related transaction disclosed |
| Climb Bio, Inc. | Biotech | Chairman | External leadership; no CAMP4-related transaction disclosed |
| TriArm Therapeutics Ltd. | Cell therapy | CEO | Operating role; independence maintained per Board assessment |
- Investor-affiliated directors exist on CAMP’s Board (Enavate, 5AM, Polaris, Northpond), but Williams is not listed among investor representatives; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Williams .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep R&D and drug development leadership (EVP R&D Biogen; CSO/EVP R&D Seagen; senior roles at Amgen/Immunex) .
- CEO experience (ZymoGenetics, Codiak; currently TriArm Therapeutics) .
- Academic background and scientific credentials (PhD Physiology; prior faculty appointments) .
- Board leadership experience (Chairman at AC Immune SA and Climb Bio) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 3,489 shares; <1% of outstanding | As of Mar 31, 2025; outstanding shares: 20,161,073 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 988 shares | As of Mar 31, 2025 |
| Unvested options (appointment grant) | 17,787 shares (time-based) | Monthly vesting over 3 years |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by policy (limited exceptions for pledging) | Applies to directors and family members |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with significant biopharma R&D and CEO experience; adds operational and scientific oversight depth .
- Audit Committee membership supports financial reporting and cybersecurity risk oversight; committee active (3 meetings in 2024) .
- Director compensation structure modest, with equity in options vesting over time, aligning incentives with shareholders; cash retainer/committee fees are standard for Nasdaq EGC peers .
- Insider trading/hedging/pledging restrictions enhance alignment; clawback policy adopted for executives (stronger control environment) .
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Watch items / RED FLAGS
- Codiak BioSciences filed Chapter 11 on Mar 27, 2023 during Williams’ tenure as CEO, which may prompt investor scrutiny of risk management and capital stewardship track record .
- Multiple concurrent external leadership roles (TriArm CEO; Chairman at AC Immune and Climb Bio) imply potential bandwidth considerations; Board deems him independent, and no related-party transactions disclosed with these entities .
- CAMP is an emerging growth company (no say-on-pay requirement yet), limiting shareholder feedback mechanisms on executive pay in near term .
-
Committees and independence signals
- Audit Committee includes Williams (not Chair); chair is Higgins, designated financial expert—appropriate separation of roles .
- Board confirms independence of all non-employee directors and absence of family relationships—positive governance baseline .
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Director compensation mix and alignment
- Expected cash retainer $40,000 plus $7,500 Audit Committee member fee; equity via options (17,787 initial grant; 9,000 annual thereafter)—balanced cash/equity mix with time-based vesting; no performance metrics disclosed for director equity .
-
Attendance/engagement
- Board held 5 meetings in 2024 with ≥75% attendance among then-serving directors; Williams joined March 2025 (no 2024 attendance data). Audit and Compensation committees met 3 times; Nominating & Governance did not meet in 2024 .
Overall, Williams brings credible scientific and operational expertise and serves on the Audit Committee, bolstering oversight; the Codiak bankruptcy is a notable historical event requiring continued monitoring, but no current conflicts or related-party transactions involving Williams are disclosed .