Jill Buck
About Jill Buck
Jill Buck is Chief Development Officer at enGene Holdings Inc. (ENGN), effective July 8, 2025, reporting to the CEO . Her background includes leadership in clinical development operations with a focus on rare diseases at Ipsen, and prior roles at Albireo Pharma, Ziopharm Oncology, and Synageva Biopharma . ENGN is pre-revenue and pursuing pivotal development of detalimogene voraplasmid (LEGEND trial), having reached target enrollment and secured RMAT designation, with a planned BLA submission in 2H 2026 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipsen | Head, Clinical Development Operations, Rare Disease | Not disclosed | Led rare disease clinical ops; relevant to ENGN’s late-stage development |
| Albireo Pharma | Clinical development leadership (exact title not disclosed) | Not disclosed | Experience in global clinical dev supporting ENGN’s pivotal program |
| Ziopharm Oncology | Clinical/biopharma roles (exact title not disclosed) | Not disclosed | Oncology development expertise aligned to NMIBC program |
| Synageva Biopharma | Clinical/biopharma roles (exact title not disclosed) | Not disclosed | Biotech development background |
External Roles
No public company board roles or external committee positions disclosed for Jill Buck. If any exist, they are not disclosed in ENGN filings reviewed.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Value | Effective Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary (Annual) | $445,050 | July 8, 2025 | Reviewed annually; can be increased but not decreased |
| Benefits | Standard health, life, disability, retirement plans | 2025 | Eligible per company plans |
| Vacation | Flexible policy for US executives | 2025 | Company policy applies |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Target/Potential | Performance Basis | Payout Timing | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Bonus | 40% of base salary target | Attainment of individual and corporate goals set by Compensation Committee | Paid after fiscal year-end; no later than 2.5 months post fiscal year | Cash; no vesting |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Instrument | Grant/Amount | Exercise Price | Expiration | Vesting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options (inducement award) | 68,000 shares | $6.60 | 09/30/2034 | Not disclosed in Form 3 | SEC Form 3 |
| Stock Options (inducement award) | 51,000 shares | $7.39 | 01/29/2035 | Not disclosed in Form 3 | SEC Form 3 |
| Equity Grant Eligibility (as CDO) | Option to acquire 100,000 shares | FMV at grant | 10-year term (plan default) | Vests monthly over 48 months | Employment Agreement |
Additional alignment and trading constraints:
- Lock-up agreement: 90-day lock-up from prospectus date for the Nov 2025 offering; “Sell or Offer to Sell,” pledging, swaps, and short sales restricted; Jill Buck is listed among officers signing the lock-up .
- Insider Trading Policy: Prohibits speculative trading, hedging, and strongly discourages using company securities as collateral; quarterly blackout windows applied; Rule 10b5-1 plans permitted .
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP): Adopted June 10, 2025; 2,000,000 shares reserved; purchase at 85% of lower of start or purchase date; eligible employees may participate (individual participation not disclosed) .
Employment Terms
| Provision | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Status | At-will | Effective July 8, 2025 |
| Reporting Line | CEO (may change to direct report of CEO outside CIC period) | Allows reorganizations outside CIC period |
| Principal Place of Employment | Boston HQ (USA); travel required; not required to work in Canada | Cross-border tax equalization addressed |
| Severance (without Cause / Good Reason) | 12 months base salary; COBRA continuation; prorated target bonus if ≥6 months into period; partial acceleration of time-based equity (12 months’ worth); performance-based equity per award terms | Subject to executing release; non-compete compliance required |
| Change-in-Control (Double-Trigger CIC Termination) | 12 months base salary; target bonus; COBRA; full acceleration of time-based equity; performance-based equity per terms | Requires CIC Termination and release |
| Non-Compete | During employment and 12 months post-termination (Severance/CIC Severance Term) in US/Canada | Competitive Business defined broadly across active programs/pipeline |
| Non-Solicitation | Employees and customers during Restriction Period | General solicitation exception for employees |
| Arbitration | Binding AAA employment arbitration near Boston; injunctive relief for restrictive covenants in MA courts | Class action waiver noted |
| 280G Cutback | Best-net approach; reductions only if greater net after-tax benefit (4999 excise tax) | Independent accounting firm determination |
| Tax Equalization | Company reimburses cross-border tax filings and gross-ups to ensure no higher tax than US-only service; PFIC-related indemnity | Addresses Canadian corporate structure impacts |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and upside leverage: Options-heavy structure (≥119,000 options disclosed plus eligibility for 100,000 new options) ties compensation to equity value creation; monthly vesting over 48 months supports retention and long-term focus .
- Near-term selling risk mitigated: A 90-day lock-up post-offering and strict insider trading policy (hedging prohibited; pledging discouraged) reduce immediate insider selling pressure and misalignment risk .
- Retention safeguards vs mobility: 12-month non-compete/non-solicit and severance protections suggest balanced retention risk; CIC full acceleration of time-based equity could be perceived as transaction-aligned but warrants monitoring for potential liquidity events and post-deal turnover .
- Cross-border tax certainty: Robust tax equalization and indemnities minimize personal tax friction, aiding executive focus and retention; no tax gross-up on parachutes (cutback mechanism) reduces shareholder-unfriendly optics .
- Company execution context: ENGN achieved pivotal cohort enrollment and secured RMAT designation with BLA planned in 2H 2026; Buck’s rare disease and oncology operations background is strategically relevant to clinical execution and regulatory path in NMIBC .
Note: No personal age, direct share ownership, say-on-pay votes, or pledging by Jill Buck are disclosed in reviewed documents. Quantitative performance metrics (TSR, revenue, EBITDA) specific to her tenure are not disclosed; ENGN is pre-revenue as of 2025 .