Daniel Mendelson
About Daniel Mendelson
Daniel N. Mendelson (age 61) is an independent director of Champions Oncology, Inc. and has served on the Board since March 2013 . He is CEO of Morgan Health at JPMorgan Chase & Co., previously founded and led Avalere Health, served as an Operating Partner at Welsh Carson, and was Associate Director for Health at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget; he holds a BA from Oberlin and an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School . He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and sits on the boards of Vera Whole Health and the Alliance for Health Policy .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Office of Management and Budget (Clinton White House) | Associate Director for Health | Not disclosed | Senior health policy leadership |
| Avalere Health | Founder & CEO | Not disclosed | Built healthcare advisory firm (Washington, DC) |
| Welsh Carson | Operating Partner | Not disclosed | Private equity operating leadership |
| Coventry Healthcare; HMS Holdings; Pharmerica; Partners in Primary Care; Centrexion; Audacious Inquiry | Director (prior boards) | Not disclosed | Prior public/private board experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Health (JPMorgan Chase & Co.) | Chief Executive Officer | Current |
| Vera Whole Health | Director | Current |
| Alliance for Health Policy | Director | Current |
| Georgetown University McDonough School of Business | Adjunct Professor | Current |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board has determined Mendelson is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Board service: Director since March 2013; currently one of five independent directors on a seven‑member board .
- Attendance: In FY2025, no incumbent director attended fewer than 75% of board and applicable committee meetings; the Board met 2 times . In FY2024, no incumbent director attended fewer than 75%; the Board met 3 times .
- Committee assignments (FY2025):
- Audit Committee: Member; committee met 4 times; Chair is Scott Tobin; Tobin designated audit committee financial expert .
- Compensation Committee: Member; committee met 1 time .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Member; committee met 1 time; membership noted as Mendelson and Robert Brainin, with Brainin to be replaced by another independent director as he transitions to CEO (loss of independence) .
- Governance structure change: Effective Aug 25, 2025, Robert Brainin becomes CEO; Ronnie Morris transitions to Chairman; Joel Ackerman transitions to Director .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (retainer/committee) | $0 | $17,500 |
Notes: Director cash fees reflect amounts actually paid/earned in period; CSBR discloses director compensation by individual rather than a schedule of retainers/committee fees .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Instrument | FY 2024 (Grant-date fair value) | FY 2025 (Grant-date fair value) |
|---|---|---|
| Stock options | $85,521 | $73,439 |
| RSUs/Stock awards | $0 | $0 |
- Valuation: Option award values reflect grant-date fair value under FASB ASC Topic 718 (footnoted by the company) .
- Performance metrics: The proxy discloses option awards for directors; no performance-linked director metrics or PSU awards are disclosed for Mendelson (director equity appears service-based) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Role | Public/Private | Relevance/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vera Whole Health | Director | Not disclosed | Healthcare services board role |
| Alliance for Health Policy | Director | Non-profit | Health policy board role |
| Coventry Healthcare | Former Director | Public (historical) | Prior public company board |
| HMS Holdings | Former Director | Public (historical) | Prior public company board |
| Pharmerica | Former Director | Public (historical) | Prior public company board |
| Partners in Primary Care; Centrexion; Audacious Inquiry | Former Director | Not disclosed | Prior board roles |
No related-party transactions involving Mendelson are disclosed by CSBR for FY2025/FY2024; disclosed related-party items involved another director (Dr. Sidransky) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Healthcare leadership across payer/provider ecosystems as CEO of Morgan Health; founder of Avalere Health (healthcare advisory) .
- Government budgeting and policy expertise from Associate Director for Health at OMB (Clinton White House) .
- Capital allocation/PE perspective via Welsh Carson Operating Partner experience .
- Academic engagement as adjunct professor (Georgetown McDonough) .
- Education: BA (Oberlin); MPP (Harvard Kennedy School) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 277,889 | 289,479 |
| Ownership (% of outstanding) | 2.0% | 2.1% |
| Included options (vested/within 60 days) | 79,264 | 90,854 |
| Indirect holdings detail | 103,958 shares held by a revocable living trust (lifetime beneficiary and co‑trustee) | 103,958 shares held by a revocable living trust (lifetime beneficiary and co‑trustee) |
Notes: Percentages are as reported by CSBR as of each record date (13,593,766 shares outstanding as of Aug 26, 2024; 13,788,421 as of Aug 22, 2025) .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independence affirmed; active service on key committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating) enhances board oversight breadth .
- Attendance: Company reports no incumbent director under 75% for Board/committee meetings in FY2025 and FY2024, indicating engagement; Audit met 4x; Comp and Nominating each met 1x .
- Ownership alignment: Meaningful beneficial ownership (2.1% as of 2025) with options included suggests equity alignment over time .
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Mendelson; Section 16 compliance issues noted in 2025 pertained to another director (Brainin), not Mendelson .
-
Watch items / potential red flags:
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee transition: As Robert Brainin becomes CEO (non‑independent), the committee will replace his seat with another independent; during transition, committee effectiveness/independence refresh is an area to monitor .
- Director compensation mix skews toward options with minimal cash retainers (e.g., $17.5k cash in FY2025; $0 in FY2024), which aligns equity incentives but may emphasize option risk preferences; no RSU/PSU usage disclosed for directors .
- Broader governance context: Board size seven with five independents; leadership changes in 2025 (new CEO, chairman transition) elevate importance of committee stability and continued independent oversight .
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Net assessment: Mendelson brings deep healthcare policy/operations expertise with strong independence and attendance, plus notable share ownership. The temporary Nominating Committee composition change due to CEO transition merits tracking to ensure swift reconstitution with an independent as disclosed .