James Robinson
Eledon PharmaceuticalsAbout James Robinson
James Robinson (age 55) is an independent director of Eledon Pharmaceuticals, appointed October 2023; he serves on the Audit Committee and is Chair of the Compensation Committee. He is CEO and director of A2 Biotherapeutics (since April 2024), and holds a B.S. in Marketing from DePaul University; prior roles include CEO/director at Urovant Sciences, President/COO at Paragon Biosciences, President/COO at Alkermes, and President of the Americas at Astellas Pharma (~$4B revenue responsibility) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astellas Pharma | President, Americas | ~2006–2018 (12+ years) | Responsible for ~$4B revenue generation . |
| Alkermes plc | President & COO | Mar 2018–Apr 2019 | Led operations generating >$1B annual revenue . |
| Paragon Biosciences | President & COO | Apr 2019–Mar 2020 | Senior operating leadership . |
| Urovant Sciences | CEO & Director | Mar 2020–Jul 2023 | Guided first product launch and subsequent acquisition by Sumitomo Dainippon/Sumitovant . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Biotherapeutics (private) | CEO & Director | Current (since Apr 2024) | Clinical-stage cell therapy; joined to accelerate platform to patients . |
| UroGen Pharma (NASDAQ: URGN) | Director | Current | Public company directorship . |
| Petauri Health | Director | Current | Board membership . |
| PhRMA | Board; Chair of State Committee | Prior | Industry association leadership . |
| Neos Therapeutics; AGTC | Director | Prior | Public company board service . |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (current): Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee Chair .
- Independence: Board determined Robinson is independent under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2); meets enhanced independence for compensation committee; meets SEC/Nasdaq independence for audit committee .
- Financial expertise: Board determined Robinson qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” under SEC rules .
- Attendance: In FY2024, each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board/committee activity: Board met 5 times; Audit Committee 8; Compensation Committee 5; Science & Technology 4; Nominating & Corporate Governance 4 in FY2024 .
- Director nomination process: The committee evaluates integrity, business acumen, lack of conflicts, and time commitments across other boards before nominations .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Component | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Board member retainer (cash) | $43,680 | Annual cash retainer for non-employee directors . |
| 2024 | Audit Committee member retainer (cash) | $10,920 | Annual cash retainer for committee members . |
| 2024 | Compensation Committee chair retainer (cash) | $16,380 | Annual chair retainer . |
| 2024 | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (total) | $70,980 | Matches director compensation table . |
| 2024 | Option awards | $0 | No stock options awarded to non-employee directors in 2024 . |
Performance Compensation
| Grant/Position | Type | Grant Detail | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial director grant | Stock options | 150,437 options (policy for non-employee director initial grant) | Vest ratably over 2 years, service-based . |
| FY2023 (for Robinson) | Stock options | Grant date fair value $184,729 (reported in 10-K/A director comp) | Service-based; initial director grant schedule . |
| Outstanding as of 12/31/2024 | Stock options | 150,437 options outstanding and unexercised (Robinson) | As per initial grant vest terms . |
| Form 4 (filed Jan 13, 2025) | RSUs | Restricted stock units awarded (quantity not disclosed in extract) | 100% of RSUs vest on Jan 10, 2026 . |
No director equity grants were made in FY2024; annual option grants (20,000 options) are part of policy but not issued for 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to Eledon | Potential Interlock/Conflict Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| UroGen Pharma (URGN) | No known supplier/customer relationship | Therapeutic focus (uro-oncology/urology) differs from Eledon’s transplant immunology; low direct conflict risk; time-commitment monitored by Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee . |
| A2 Biotherapeutics | Private oncology cell therapy | Different modality and indication focus; no related party transactions disclosed involving Robinson; time-commitment considerations noted by committee . |
| Petauri Health | Healthcare company | No related party transactions disclosed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior leadership across commercial strategy and operations; extensive revenue responsibility at Astellas; CEO roles in growth-stage biopharma; recognized industry leadership (PhRMA State Committee Chair) .
- Audit committee financial expert designation supports finance oversight credibility .
- Educational foundation in marketing; breadth of operating experience across large-cap and emerging biopharma .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Robinson | 75,219 | * (<1%) | As of March 31, 2025; % denoted “*” by company; options exercisable within 60 days included per SEC rules . |
| James Robinson | 150,437 options | — | Outstanding and unexercised options as of 12/31/2024; exercisability under policy-based vesting . |
No pledging or hedging disclosures for Robinson identified; the Code of Business Conduct & Ethics is in place for all directors .
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Filing Date | Transaction Date | Security | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 03, 2023 | Oct 02, 2023 | Equity award (option grant) | Initial director equity award reflected in FY2023 compensation; Form 4 filing acknowledges changes in beneficial ownership . |
| Jan 13, 2025 | Jan 10, 2025 | RSUs | 100% of RSUs vest on Jan 10, 2026; filed by attorney-in-fact; quantity not shown in extract . |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; Audit Committee financial expert; Compensation Committee chaired by Robinson and advised by independent consultant Aon, with committee stating no consultant conflicts under SEC/Nasdaq rules; consistent attendance (≥75%) and annual meeting participation; transparent related party policy administered by Audit Committee .
- Alignment: Cash director pay modest and policy-based; option-based equity creates longer-term alignment (two-year vest); beneficial ownership is <1%, typical for small-cap biotech directors; RSU grant with fixed vest underscores retention focus .
- Risks and red flags: Multiple concurrent roles (CEO at A2 Bio; boards at URGN and Petauri) raise time-commitment considerations—mitigated by committee’s candidate evaluation of other commitments; no reported related-party transactions involving Robinson, and Audit Committee reviews/approves any such transactions per policy; no hedging/pledging disclosures identified .
- Committee effectiveness: Audit Committee met 8 times and Compensation Committee 5 times in FY2024; Robinson’s dual role (audit member, comp chair) plus financial expert designation supports oversight of pay and controls; director compensation policy transparently disclosed with clear retainer structure .
Overall signal: Governance profile appears solid with independence, financial acumen, and transparent pay policy; investor confidence supported by lack of related-party exposure and functioning committees, with monitoring warranted on multi-role time commitments .