William Grossman
About William Grossman
William Grossman, M.D., Ph.D., age 55, has served as an independent, non‑employee director of Day One Biopharmaceuticals since January 2024 and is a Class II director whose term runs to the 2026 annual meeting . He is a career oncology physician‑executive with prior senior leadership at Gilead (Senior Vice President and Oncology Therapeutic Area Head of Clinical Development, 2021–2024), and earlier Chief Medical Officer roles at Arcus Biosciences (2019–2021) and Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (2018–2019); he earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in Immunology from Washington University School of Medicine and completed training in Pediatrics and Medicine at Washington University . He is independent under Nasdaq rules (as determined by the board) and is a member of the Compensation Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilead Sciences | Senior Vice President; Oncology Therapeutic Area Head of Clinical Development | Aug 2021 – Aug 2024 | Led oncology clinical development |
| Arcus Biosciences | Chief Medical Officer | Apr 2019 – Aug 2021 | Oncology clinical leadership |
| Bellicum Pharmaceuticals | Chief Medical Officer | Feb 2018 – Apr 2019 | Oncology clinical leadership |
| Merck; Baxter; Biothera; AbbVie; Genentech/Roche | Leadership roles | 2008 – 2018 | Various R&D/medical leadership |
| Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin / Medical College of Wisconsin | Founder & Medical Director, Clinical Immunodiagnostic & Research Laboratory; Professor of Microbiology & Genetics; Director, Bone Marrow Transplant Division (Immunodeficiency Transplant Program) | 2004 – 2008 | Academic and clinical program leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oncko, Inc. | Co‑Founder and Head of Research & Development | Since Nov 2024 | Private pharmaceutical R&D |
| Grossman Biotech & Pharma Consulting, LLC | Founder | Since Feb 2019 | Fractional CMO services |
| Pionyr Immunotherapeutics | Director | As of Jan 17, 2024 | Per Company press release |
| Tizona Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | As of Jan 17, 2024 | Per Company press release |
| Bryologyx | Oncology Advisory Board | As of Jan 17, 2024 | Per Company press release |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member; current committee is composed solely of independent directors (chair: Natalie Holles) .
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Attendance: In fiscal 2024 the board met 10 times; Compensation Committee met 5 times; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate board and committee meetings while serving .
- Leadership structure: Independent non‑executive chair (Garry Nicholson) and separate CEO; independent directors hold regular executive sessions, presided over by the chair .
- Related‑party standards: Board maintains related‑party transaction standards; Audit Committee reviews and approves related‑person transactions .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Effective Date/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non‑employee director) | $43,500 | Board approved May 2024, effective July 2024 |
| Board non‑executive chair retainer | $32,500 | Effective July 2024 |
| Audit Committee chair | $20,000 | Effective July 2024 |
| Audit Committee member | $10,000 | Effective July 2024 |
| Compensation Committee chair | $15,000 | Effective July 2024 |
| Compensation Committee member | $7,500 | Effective July 2024 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance chair | $10,000 | Effective July 2024 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance member | $5,000 | Effective July 2024 |
Director‑level cash compensation actually paid to Dr. Grossman (FY 2024):
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Grossman | $45,597 | $866,300 | $911,897 |
Performance Compensation
Director equity is entirely option‑based with time‑based vesting; no director PSUs were disclosed.
Policy framework:
| Grant Type | Value (ASC 718) | Vesting | Acceleration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial appointment option grant | Up to $624,000 | 1/36 monthly | Full acceleration upon “corporate transaction” under 2021 EIP |
| Annual option grant | Up to $312,000 | 1/12 monthly | Full acceleration upon “corporate transaction” under 2021 EIP |
Historical policy changes:
| Policy Year | Initial Grant Value | Annual Grant Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $588,000 | $294,000 |
| 2024/2025 | $624,000 | $312,000 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Compensation Committee Interlocks: For FY 2024, members included Dr. Grossman, Mr. Nicholson, Ms. Holles, and Dr. Becker; the Company disclosed no relationships requiring Item 404 related‑party disclosure among Compensation Committee members, and no reciprocal interlocks with other issuers’ boards/committees .
- External public board roles and advisory positions are listed above; appointment 8‑K disclosed no Item 404(a) related‑party transactions for Dr. Grossman at the time of his appointment .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Medical and scientific credentials: M.D. and Ph.D. (Immunology), Washington University School of Medicine; clinical training in Pediatrics and Medicine; extensive oncology clinical development leadership .
- Governance qualifications: Senior therapeutic area leadership at a large-cap biopharma (Gilead), prior CMO roles in oncology, and academic program leadership underpin Compensation Committee service .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (#) | Percent (%) | Composition Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Grossman | 59,261 | <1% | Consists of 59,261 stock options exercisable within 60 days of March 20, 2025 |
Director equity holdings (as of Dec 31, 2024):
| Instrument | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Options outstanding (all grants) | 98,996 |
| Stock awards/RSUs | None disclosed for Dr. Grossman |
Alignment safeguards:
- Hedging/pledging prohibited by Insider Trading Policy (applies to directors, officers, employees, consultants, contractors) .
- Equity grants are time‑vested; no director performance‑conditioned awards disclosed .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
| Year | Proposal | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non‑Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Advisory vote on NEO compensation | 82,385,592 | 879,957 | 66,780 | 6,470,934 |
| 2024 | Advisory vote on NEO compensation | 73,212,768 | 612,128 | 190,559 | 4,390,159 |
| 2024 | Advisory vote on frequency | 1‑Year: 65,150,693 | 2‑Years: 22,030 | 3‑Years: 903,079 | Abstain: 7,939,653 |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee service: Independent director; member of Compensation Committee with no related‑party relationships disclosed under Item 404; supports pay governance rigor .
- Attendance and engagement: Board and committees met frequently in 2024; each director met at least the 75% attendance threshold; executive sessions of non‑employee directors occur regularly .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mixes modest cash retainers and standardized option grants with time‑based vesting; change‑in‑control acceleration is common in biotech, but investors should note full acceleration upon “corporate transaction” for director options .
- Conflicts and related‑party risk: Appointment 8‑K explicitly disclosed no Item 404(a) transactions for Dr. Grossman; board maintains formal related‑party transaction standards and Audit Committee oversight .
- External commitments: Concurrent roles (Oncko R&D lead; consulting practice; external boards/advisory work) increase time‑commitment load; however, board independence determination stands and no related‑party transactions with Day One have been disclosed .
RED FLAGS:
- None disclosed for Item 404 related‑party transactions or pledging/hedging; attendance met minimum threshold; Compensation Committee independence affirmed .