Julie O’Neill
Director at DBVT
Board
About Julie O’Neill
Independent director of DBV Technologies S.A. since June 2017, age 59 as of April 15, 2025; former EVP, Global Operations at Alexion (2015–2018) and senior operations leader at Gilead (1997–2014); BSc in Pharmacy (Trinity College Dublin) and MBA (UCD Smurfit) . In 2019, while serving on DBV’s board, she was separately engaged by the company (Jan–Oct 2019) as a consultant supporting CMC and the Viaskin Peanut BLA resubmission .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexion Pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca) | EVP, Global Operations; previously SVP Global Manufacturing Ops and GM of Alexion Pharma International Trading | 2014–2018 | Led global operations and manufacturing; senior operating responsibility |
| Gilead Sciences | Various leadership roles, incl. VP Operations and GM Ireland | 1997–2014 | Ran Ireland operations and broader ops leadership |
| DBV Technologies (consulting engagement) | Consultant on CMC and BLA resubmission for Viaskin Peanut | Jan–Oct 2019 | Supported regulatory resubmission work while a sitting director (see Related Party) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICON plc (public) | Director | Current | Board service at global CRO (governance/oversight) |
| Hookipa Pharma Inc. (public) | Director | Current | Board service at clinical-stage biotech |
| Advancion Sciences (formerly Angus Chemical Company, private) | Director | Current | Board service at specialty chemicals firm |
| National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training (NIBRT) | Board member | Current | Oversight in bioprocessing training institute |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules; under French law, only the CEO (Daniel Tassé), Michael J. Goller (Baker Bros.) and Maïlys Ferrère (Bpifrance) are non‑independent; O’Neill is independent .
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compensation Committee; not a member of Audit or Nominating & Governance .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held 22 meetings; each director attended at least 94% of Board meetings and 100% of their committee meetings; all directors attended the May 16, 2024 AGM .
- Executive/independent sessions: Executive sessions of independent directors are regularly scheduled, typically at each regular Board meeting .
- Board leadership: Independent, non‑executive Chair (Michel de Rosen); positions of Chair and CEO are separated .
| Governance Metric | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Board meetings (count) | 22 |
| Audit Committee meetings | 7 |
| Compensation Committee meetings | 7 |
| Nominating & Governance Committee meetings | 1 |
| O’Neill committee roles | Compensation Committee Chair |
| Independence status | Independent (Nasdaq; not among French‑law non‑independents) |
Fixed Compensation
- DBV seeks shareholder approval to increase the aggregate annual remuneration budget for directors from €800,000 to €900,000 to accommodate a potential new director; increase only used if such appointment occurs .
- Directors’ compensation details are provided in Annex B/C of the proxy (policy and ex‑post payments); the Compensation Committee proposes director compensation to shareholders consistent with French law .
| Item | Prior | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate annual director remuneration budget (EUR) | 800,000 | 900,000 |
Performance Compensation
- DBV’s 2024 performance against corporate objectives was assessed at 58% (applies to employee/NEO incentive plans, not to non‑employee director pay) .
- Non‑employee director compensation at DBV is structured and approved under French say‑on‑pay (policy ex‑ante; implementation ex‑post), with no disclosure of director performance‑linked metrics in the main proxy text; details are in Annex B/C .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Ticker/Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICON plc | Public (Ireland) | Director | ICON is a CRO; DBV documents do not disclose any related‑party transactions with ICON . |
| Hookipa Pharma Inc. | HOOK (public) | Director | No DBV‑disclosed related‑party transactions . |
| Advancion Sciences (Angus Chemical) | Private | Director | No DBV‑disclosed related‑party transactions . |
| NIBRT | Non‑profit | Board member | No DBV‑disclosed related‑party transactions . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep biopharma operations and manufacturing leadership across Alexion and Gilead; experienced in CMC, supply chain, and global operations .
- Academic credentials in pharmacy and business (Trinity College Dublin; UCD Smurfit) .
- Board leadership experience across public and private life sciences organizations .
- Direct experience with DBV’s Viaskin Peanut regulatory pathway via 2019 consulting support (CMC/BLA resubmission) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Security | Amount | Percent of OS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julie O’Neill | Warrants (exercisable ≤60 days) | 16,000 | <1% | Beneficial ownership consists entirely of warrants; subject to French law; no pledge disclosure in footnotes . |
- Hedging/pledging: The Securities Trading Policy prohibits insiders from hedging Company securities .
- Ownership guidelines for directors: Not disclosed in main proxy; no guideline data provided in the cited sections (Directors compensation sections in Annex B/C).
Governance Assessment
Key findings
- Committee leadership and engagement: O’Neill chairs the Compensation Committee, which met 7 times in 2024; committee is fully independent and oversees pay policy, director compensation proposals, and equity plans .
- Independence and attendance: Classified as independent; Board‑level attendance ≥94% and committee attendance 100% across directors in 2024, supporting strong engagement .
- Related‑party history: 2019 consulting engagement while a sitting director created a related‑party nexus; no ongoing related‑party transactions involving O’Neill are disclosed; the Board nevertheless classifies her as independent under Nasdaq and not among French‑law non‑independents .
- Ownership alignment: De minimis beneficial ownership via 16,000 warrants (<1%) indicates limited “skin‑in‑the‑game”; hedging is prohibited by policy, and no pledging is disclosed in ownership footnotes .
- Director pay framework: Aggregate budget increase requested (from €800k to €900k) to accommodate a new director only; no per‑director retainer detail is disclosed in main proxy text (referenced to Annexes), limiting transparency on cash vs. equity mix for directors .
Potential risks and red flags
- Prior related‑party consulting (2019): While time‑bound and disclosed, such dual roles can raise independence/perception concerns; ongoing monitoring of Comp Committee objectivity is warranted .
- Low direct equity exposure: Minimal beneficial ownership reduces alignment; consider voluntary equity holding commitments if not covered by formal guidelines (not disclosed in the main proxy text) .
Mitigants and confidence signals
- Strong process and independence architecture (separate Chair/CEO; independent Chair; executive sessions; committee independence) .
- Robust committee cadence and Board activity (22 Board meetings; 7 Comp Committee meetings in 2024) .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None reported; no executives serving reciprocally on external comp committees, reducing conflict risk .
Director‑specific summary
- O’Neill brings valuable manufacturing/regulatory operations expertise and chairs the Compensation Committee effectively; independence and high engagement support governance quality. Watchpoints: historical consulting tie (2019) and modest equity ownership .