Leonard Post
About Leonard Post
Leonard Post, Ph.D., age 72, has served on CG Oncology’s Board since 2018 and is the Board’s Lead Independent Director. He brings 30+ years of biopharma R&D leadership, including CSO roles at Vivace Therapeutics, Virtuoso Therapeutics, BioMarin, and LEAD Therapeutics; senior R&D roles at Onyx Pharmaceuticals and Parke-Davis; and a virology background focused on oncolytic viruses. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry (University of Michigan) and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (University of Wisconsin) . As Lead Independent Director since 2018, he presides over executive sessions and is empowered to review agendas, facilitate communications, and reinforce Board independence .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivace Therapeutics | Chief Scientific Officer | Jul 2016 – Jan 2024 | Oncology small molecules targeting Hippo pathway |
| Virtuoso Therapeutics | Chief Scientific Officer | Oct 2018 – Jan 2024 | Bispecific antibodies in oncology |
| BioMarin Pharmaceutical | Various roles incl. Chief Scientific Officer | Feb 2010 – Jun 2016 | Initiated BioMarin’s first hemophilia A gene therapy project |
| LEAD Therapeutics | Chief Scientific Officer | Prior to 2010 | R&D leadership |
| Onyx Pharmaceuticals | SVP, Research & Development | Prior to 2010 | Drug discovery leadership |
| Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals | VP, Discovery Research | Prior to 2010 | Discovery research leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| uniQure N.V. (public) | Director; Chair of R&D Committee | Since Jun 2020 | Oversees R&D governance |
| Fulgent Genetics, Inc. (public) | Director | Aug 2022 – Oct 2022 | Board service |
| Canaan Partners | Advisor | Current | Strategic advisory |
| Orphagen Pharmaceuticals, Fedora Pharma, ImmvirX, ML Biosolutions, Grace Science LLC, Acelink Therapeutics (private) | Director | Various | Board roles in biotech |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Dr. Post qualifies as an independent director under Nasdaq rules .
- Roles: Lead Independent Director (since 2018); member—Compensation Committee; member—Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Attendance: In 2024, Board met 9 times; committees met Audit (4), Compensation (4), Nominating (1). No director fell below 75% attendance except James Mulé; implies Post met ≥75% .
- Executive Sessions: Held regularly; Lead Independent Director presides (Post) .
- Committee mandates: Compensation oversees executive pay policies and engages Pay Governance LLC; committee found no consultant conflicts . Nominating oversees board composition, governance, ESG oversight .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (directors) | $45,000 (as amended Dec 2024) | |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $30,000 (in lieu of regular retainer) | |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit $20,000; Compensation $15,000; Nominating $10,000 | |
| Committee member retainers | Audit $10,000; Compensation $7,500; Nominating $5,000 | |
| Dr. Post—2024 cash fees earned | $78,108 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Terms | Value/Quantity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director option grant | Black-Scholes value $400,000; vests monthly over 12 months (accelerates at next annual meeting if earlier) | Value-based grant (shares rounded down) | |
| Initial director option grant (post-IPO) | Black-Scholes value $800,000; vests monthly over 3 years | Value-based grant | |
| Dr. Post—2024 option award (grant-date fair value) | Director option award | $397,460 | |
| Change-in-control/death/disability | Director awards vest upon change-in-control or death/disability | As specified | |
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | None disclosed; director equity is time-based vesting | Not applicable |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: uniQure N.V. (R&D Committee Chair) .
- Prior public board: Fulgent Genetics, Inc. (Aug–Oct 2022) .
- Interlocks/conflicts: Compensation Committee disclosed no interlocks with CG Oncology executive officers; no related party transactions disclosed involving Dr. Post .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain expertise: Oncolytic viruses and gene therapy; led BioMarin’s first hemophilia A gene therapy initiative .
- Education: B.S. Chemistry (University of Michigan), Ph.D. Biochemistry (University of Wisconsin); virology postdoctoral work on engineered HSV .
- Advisory experience: Advisor to Canaan Partners; extensive biotech board experience .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 150,531 shares (options exercisable within 60 days) | Beneficial ownership table | |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | <1% | 76,221,857 shares outstanding on Apr 8, 2025 | |
| Outstanding director options (Post) | 164,408 options as of Dec 31, 2024 | Aggregate outstanding options | |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and options on Company stock; pledging requires prior Board approval and pre-clearance | Policy statement |
Insider Trades (2024–2025)
| Date | Type | Shares | Price | Notes/Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-13 | Sale | 1,000 | $29.66 | Form 4; sale under Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted 09/06/2024 |
| 2025-03-17 | Sale | 1,000 | $28.00 | Form 4 summary |
| 2025-04-28 | Sale | 1,000 | $30.76 | Form 4 summary |
| 2025-05-21 | Sale | 1,000 | $28.00 | Form 4 summary |
| 2025-07-17 | Sale | 2,000 | $28.00 | Form 4; Rule 10b5-1 plan noted |
| 2025-11-17 | Sale | 1,000 | $41.43 | News report (Form 4 link not shown) |
Note: CG Oncology’s insider trading policy prohibits hedging and unapproved pledging; Form 4 explanations indicate trades were executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; Lead Independent Director role with authority to set agendas and preside over executive sessions enhances board oversight; ≥75% attendance in 2024; service on Compensation and Nominating committees supports governance depth .
- Alignment: Director pay mix is option-heavy with annual grants sized by Black-Scholes value; Post’s 2024 compensation was primarily equity ($397,460 options vs. $78,108 cash), fostering long-term alignment .
- Controls: Use of independent compensation consultant (Pay Governance LLC) with no conflicts identified; adoption of Dodd-Frank-compliant clawback policy enhances investor protections .
- Watch items: Multiple external board/advisory commitments (uniQure and several private companies) imply time demands; periodic Form 4 sales under a Rule 10b5-1 plan may be routine diversification but warrant monitoring for signal context .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed involving related-party transactions for Dr. Post; no hedging or pledging activity disclosed, and company policy restricts such practices .
- Continue to monitor insider selling cadence relative to milestones, though trades are disclosed under a 10b5-1 plan .