Harold H. Shlevin
About Harold H. Shlevin, Ph.D.
Independent director of Galectin Therapeutics (GALT) since 2019; age 76 (75 in 2024). Former President & CEO (2018–2020), COO & Corporate Secretary (from 2012) at GALT, with prior senior leadership roles in pharmaceuticals and commercialization; currently serves on Moonlight Therapeutics’ board. Independence affirmed by the Board; attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings in 2023 and 2024.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galectin Therapeutics Inc. | President & CEO | Jun 14, 2018 – Sept 2, 2020; consulting agreement through Dec 31, 2021 | Led company during CEO tenure; continued as consultant post-retirement |
| Galectin Therapeutics Inc. | COO & Corporate Secretary | From Oct 1, 2012 | Operational leadership across functions |
| Georgia Tech ATDC | Principal & Manager, bioscience commercialization | Nov 2009 – 2012 | Catalyzed formation/mentored startups |
| Altea Therapeutics | Head of Operations & Commercial Development | Oct 2008 – Nov 2009 | Oversaw R&D, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, QA, IT, finance |
| Tikvah Therapeutics | President & CEO | Jul 2006 – Sept 2008 | Led neuroscience therapeutics development |
| Solvay Pharmaceuticals (US); Solvay Pharmaceuticals, SA | US President & CEO; later Global SVP & Board member | May 2000 – Jan 2006; promoted Jan 2006 | Senior global executive and board-level responsibilities |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiome Pharma Corp. (later Correvio Pharma Corp.) | Director | 2004 – Jun 2016 | Chair, Compensation; Member, Corporate Governance and Audit Committees |
| Moonlight Therapeutics | Director | Current | Board service (private company) |
Board Governance
- Committee memberships: Not listed as a member of the Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees in 2024–2025; no chair roles disclosed.
- Independence: Board determined Shlevin to be independent (only CEO Joel Lewis and Dr. Carson not independent).
- Attendance: All directors attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings in 2023 (8 meetings) and 2024 (7 meetings).
- Years of service: Director since 2019.
- Executive sessions: Non-management directors meet periodically without management; sessions chaired by the Chairman.
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $40,000 | $40,000 |
Notes:
- Standard director cash program: annual $35,000 retainer; additional retainers for committee membership/chair (Audit $7,500/$7,500; Compensation $5,000/$5,000; Nominating & Governance $3,500/$3,500); IR/PR committee $3,500. Shlevin is not shown on these committees in 2023–2024.
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Instrument | Number of Options | Vesting | Grant Date Fair Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2023 | Stock Options | 40,000 | Vest in full Dec 31, 2023 | $31,735 |
| Jan 24, 2024 | Stock Options | 50,000 | Vest in full Dec 31, 2024 | $58,000 |
Notes:
- No restricted stock or RSU grants disclosed for Shlevin in 2023–2024.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiome Pharma Corp. / Correvio Pharma Corp. | Public (NASDAQ: CRME/CORV) | Director (2004–2016) | Chair of Compensation; Member of Governance & Audit—relevant pay/governance expertise |
| Moonlight Therapeutics | Private | Director | Current role |
- Compensation Committee interlocks: Company discloses none involving GALT’s Board or Compensation Committee.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior operating and CEO experience across pharma (Solvay, Tikvah) and commercialization (ATDC), plus drug development operations (Altea); prior GALT CEO/COO tenure provides company-specific oversight context.
- Prior public board experience with chair-level compensation oversight enhances governance and pay-for-performance credibility.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Oct 1, 2024 | Sept 22, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned | 483,706 | 610,206 |
| Percent of Common Stock | <1% | <1% |
| Options Exercisable Within 60 Days | 475,000 | 595,000 |
Additional:
- Director option holdings: 583,000 options as of Dec 31, 2023; 595,000 as of Dec 31, 2024.
- Section 16 compliance: All required insider ownership reports were timely filed for FY2023–FY2024.
- Hedging policy: Company has not adopted a prohibitive hedging policy for directors/officers.
Governance Assessment
- Independence and attendance: Positive signals—independence affirmed and at least 75% meeting attendance in both 2023 and 2024 suggest baseline engagement.
- Committee influence: Not serving on Audit/Compensation/Nominating committees limits direct involvement in pay and oversight decisions; governance impact is more full-board than committee-level.
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership is <1% with substantial vested options; alignment is present but modest in outright share terms relative to total shares outstanding.
- Pay structure: Director compensation is primarily cash retainer plus annual option grants with single-year vesting (no disclosed performance metrics for director equity), which is simple but not explicitly performance-conditioned.
- Related-party risk context (Board-level): Significant related-party financing with Chairman Richard E. Uihlein (convertible notes, lines of credit, warrants) introduces potential governance sensitivity; Audit Committee oversees related-party transactions, and Shlevin is not on that committee.
- Say-on-Pay history: Prior advisory votes showed strong support (~90% in 2022), indicating shareholder tolerance of compensation practices; next vote held in 2025 per proxy.
Red flags and watch items:
- Absence of hedging policy for insiders (could allow hedging/offsetting alignment).
- Board’s reliance on financing from the Chairman (convertible notes/LOCs/warrants) requires continued robust Audit Committee oversight to mitigate conflicts; no Shlevin-specific related-party transactions disclosed.
- Director equity awards vesting on calendar schedules (rather than performance outcomes) reduce direct pay-for-performance linkage at the director level.
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback:
- 2022 say-on-pay approval ~90%; Board recommends triennial say-on-pay frequency; 2025 advisory vote conducted.
Executive Sessions & Leadership:
- Non-management director sessions occur; Chairman chairs sessions, supporting independent deliberation.