Simeon George
CRISPR TherapeuticsAbout Simeon J. George
Simeon J. George, M.D., age 48, has served on CRISPR Therapeutics’ Board since April 2015. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of SR One Capital Management, LP (since September 2020), and previously served as CEO and President of S.R. One, Limited (GSK Equity Investments) where he had been employed since 2007; prior roles include consultant at Bain & Company (2006–2007). He holds an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, and a B.A. in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.R. One, Limited (GSK Equity Investments, Limited) | CEO & President | 2007–2020 | Led corporate venture arm; board experience across portfolio companies |
| Bain & Company | Consultant | Oct 2006–Aug 2007 | Strategy and operations consulting |
| Principia Biopharma Inc. | Director | Feb 2011–Sep 2020 | Company acquired by Sanofi; long-tenure board oversight |
| Progyny, Inc. (PGNY) | Director | May 2012–Oct 2019 | Board service during scale-up phase |
| Turning Point Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | May 2017–Aug 2022 | Company acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in Aug 2022 |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR One Capital Management, LP | CEO & Managing Partner | Sep 2020–Present | Transatlantic biotech venture capital firm |
| Nkarta, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKTX) | Director | Feb 2020–Present; prior board service Jul 2015–Sep 2017 | Board member at cell therapy company |
| Design Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DSGN) | Director | Feb 2020–Present | Board member at biopharma company |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Current member of the Compensation Committee (coded “1a” in proxy). He serves as Chair of the Compensation Committee; the committee held five formal meetings in 2024 .
- Chair transition: If Dr. Morrison is elected at the 2025 AGM, he will succeed Dr. George as Compensation Committee Chair .
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. George is independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules, alongside other non‑employee directors .
- Attendance: The Board held five formal meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate board and applicable committee meetings, and all directors attended the 2024 annual general meeting .
- Lead Independent Director: Douglas A. Treco, Ph.D., serves as Lead Independent Director .
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount ($) | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 62,926 | FY 2024 | |
| Option Awards (grant‑date fair value) | 409,680 | FY 2024 | |
| All Other Compensation | — | FY 2024 | |
| Total | 472,606 | FY 2024 |
Non‑Employee Director Cash Fee Policy (structure):
| Role/Assignment | Annual Cash Fee ($) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Director retainer | 50,000 | |
| Chair of Board | 65,000 | |
| Audit Committee member | 10,000 | |
| Audit Committee chair | 20,000 | |
| Compensation Committee member | 7,500 | |
| Compensation Committee chair | 15,000 | |
| Nominating Committee member | 5,000 | |
| Nominating Committee chair | 10,000 | |
| Lead Independent Director | 15,000 |
Performance Compensation
Director Equity Grant Policy (structure):
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Initial option grant to new directors | 26,000 common shares | |
| Annual option grant to returning directors | 13,000 common shares | |
| Exercise price | FMV on grant date | |
| Option term | 10 years | |
| Vesting – initial grant | Monthly over 3 years | |
| Vesting – annual grant | 12 equal monthly installments; full vest upon 1st anniversary or next AGM | |
| Accelerated vesting | Upon death, disability, or sale event |
Simeon George – equity position and 2024 grant valuation:
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Options held (as of 12/31/2024) | 133,667 | Point‑in‑time | |
| 2024 option award fair value | 409,680 | FY 2024 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR One‑affiliated purchase in CRSP offering | Related person transaction | In Feb 2024 registered direct offering at $71.50 per share, SR One Capital Management‑affiliated entities purchased 1,048,951 shares for $74,999,996; Audit Committee oversees related party transactions per policy . | |
| ARK Investment Management | 5% holder in offering | Purchased 279,720 shares for $19,999,980 in same offering | |
| Capital Research and Management Company | 5% holder in offering | Purchased 979,020 shares for $69,999,930 in same offering |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Biopharma investing/operator experience as CEO & Managing Partner at SR One Capital Management; prior CEO/President of S.R. One Limited (GSK) .
- Medical and business training (M.D. – University of Pennsylvania; M.B.A. – Wharton; B.A. Neuroscience – Johns Hopkins) .
- Extensive public company board experience (current: Nkarta; Design Therapeutics; prior: Principia Biopharma, Progyny, Turning Point Therapeutics) .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Component | Shares | Percent of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 1,186,951 | 1.4% (based on 86,188,107 shares outstanding) | As of March 15, 2025 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 138,000 | n/a | Included in beneficial ownership calculation |
| SR One Capital Fund II Aggregator, LP | 63,177 | n/a | Affiliated; see footnote for structure |
| SR One Capital Opportunities Fund I, LP | 216,578 | n/a | Affiliated; footnote structure |
| AMZL, LP | 769,196 | n/a | Affiliated; footnote structure |
Footnote: Dr. George is the sole managing member of SR One Capital Management entities referenced; he disclaims beneficial ownership of portions of securities held by these funds in which he has no pecuniary interest .
Policy guardrails:
- Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors and executives; short sales and derivative transactions are prohibited .
- Clawback policy adopted to recover erroneously awarded incentive compensation upon restatements; filed with FY2024 Form 10‑K .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; chaired Compensation Committee with five meetings in 2024, evidencing active oversight. Company policies prohibit hedging/pledging and provide clawback recovery, enhancing alignment and risk control .
- Alignment: Material equity exposure through options; total beneficial ownership of ~1.4% supported by direct and affiliated holdings, indicating skin‑in‑the‑game though portions are held via funds where he disclaims pecuniary interest .
- Engagement: Met at least the 75% attendance threshold; all directors attended the 2024 AGM .
- Compensation structure signals: Director pay is cash plus options; options vest monthly and have a 10‑year term; no meeting fees or RSUs disclosed for directors, implying at‑risk equity‑heavy mix for board compensation .
RED FLAGS / Watch items
- Related‑party exposure: SR One‑affiliated entities participated in CRSP’s Feb 2024 registered direct offering (1,048,951 shares; $74,999,996). While disclosed and priced at the offering price, this creates a potential conflict requiring robust Audit Committee oversight under the related person transaction policy .
- External commitments: Concurrent service on multiple public boards (Nkarta, Design Therapeutics) plus leadership of SR One may constrain time; monitor attendance and committee workload continuity post chair transition to Dr. Morrison .
Appendix: Committee Responsibilities (Context)
- Audit Committee responsibilities include related party transaction approvals, internal controls, risk management (including cybersecurity), and legal matters oversight .
- Compensation governance practices include retaining an independent compensation advisor, annual peer group review, double‑trigger CIC protections, and prohibitions on option re‑pricing without shareholder approval .