Kevin D. Freeman
About Kevin D. Freeman
Kevin D. Freeman (age 64) is an independent director of Galectin Therapeutics since May 2011. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, is Chief Executive Officer of Cross Consulting and Services, LLC (d/b/a Freeman Global Investment Counsel), and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Tulsa. He is a New York Times best-selling author and host of “Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman” on BlazeTV; the Board cites his extensive financial expertise and advisory experience as core credentials .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Templeton Investment Services | Held several offices | 1991–2000 | Financial services leadership experience |
| Separate Account Solutions, Inc. | Chairman | Not disclosed | Governance and investment oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Consulting and Services, LLC (Freeman Global Investment Counsel) | Chief Executive Officer; firm founded in 2004 | Not disclosed |
| Economic War Room (BlazeTV) | Host | Not disclosed |
| Author | New York Times best-selling author | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent director under Nasdaq rules; also independent for Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Governance committees |
| Committee Memberships | Audit Committee (member); Compensation Committee (member); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member) |
| Committee Chairs | Not a chair; Audit Chair: Richard A. Zordani; Compensation Chair: Dr. Gilbert S. Omenn; Nominating & Governance Chair: Dr. Gilbert F. Amelio |
| Committee Meeting Counts (2024) | Audit: 4; Compensation: 1; Nominating & Governance: 1 |
| Board Meetings (2024) | 7 meetings; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings they were on |
| Executive Sessions | Non-management directors meet from time to time without management |
| Risk Oversight | Audit: financial risks; Compensation: compensation risk; Nominating & Governance: independence/conflicts; full Board informed via committee reports |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Restricted Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | Non-Equity Incentive ($) | All Other ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 56,000 | — | 58,000 | — | — | 114,000 |
| Cash Retainer Structure (Non-Employee Directors) | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | 35,000 |
| Committee membership – Nominating & Governance | 3,500 |
| Committee membership – Compensation | 5,000 |
| Committee membership – Audit | 7,500 |
| Committee chair – Nominating & Governance | 3,500 |
| Committee chair – Compensation | 5,000 |
| Committee chair – Audit | 7,500 |
| Investor relations/public relations committee member (approved Dec 2016) | 3,500 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Detail | Value/Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 annual director option grant (grant date) | January 24, 2024 |
| Options granted (2024) | 50,000 (time-vest; vest in full Dec 31, 2024) |
| Grant-date fair value | $58,000 (Black-Scholes) |
| Options held as of Dec 31, 2024 (Kevin D. Freeman) | 403,125 |
- No performance-based metrics were disclosed for director equity grants; the 2024 grants vest based on service (time-based), not financial or TSR targets .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Nature of Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Consulting and Services, LLC (Freeman Global Investment Counsel) | Investment advisor managed by Freeman | Manages 243,745 GALT common shares and 75,432 warrants; Freeman has voting and investment control but disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities |
- No additional public company directorships for Freeman were disclosed in the proxy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CFA charterholder; CEO of investment advisory firm; extensive financial advisory experience .
- B.S. in Business Administration from University of Tulsa .
- Author and media host on markets/economy; Board cites extensive financial expertise as qualification to serve .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned | Percent of Common Stock | Options Exercisable Within 60 Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin D. Freeman | 870,134 | 1.5% | 403,125 | Disclaims beneficial ownership of 243,745 shares and 75,432 warrants managed by Cross Consulting and Services, LLC (Freeman Global Investment Counsel) |
- Percent ownership calculated against 62,308,075 shares outstanding as of September 22, 2025, plus shares acquirable within 60 days, per SEC rules .
Governance Assessment
- Committee coverage and engagement: Freeman sits on all three key committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Governance), indicating broad governance involvement across financial reporting, pay oversight, and director nominations .
- Independence: The Board determined Freeman is independent under Nasdaq rules and for all assigned committees (Audit per Rule 10A‑3; Compensation per Rule 10C‑1) .
- Attendance: In 2024 the Board met 7 times; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings, supporting baseline engagement standards . Audit met 4x; Compensation 1x; Nominating & Governance 1x .
- Pay structure: Director pay consists of cash retainers plus time‑vested options (50,000 granted Jan 24, 2024; vest Dec 31, 2024). The absence of performance conditions for director equity suggests alignment is primarily via ownership/option exposure rather than KPIs .
- Ownership alignment: Freeman reports 1.5% beneficial ownership (includes exercisable options). He also has voting/investment control over additional shares/warrants managed by his advisory firm but disclaims beneficial ownership; this indicates exposure to the stock’s outcomes while highlighting a potential conflict channel to be monitored .
- Related‑party/conflict monitoring: The Audit Committee (of which Freeman is a member) is responsible for reviewing related‑party transactions. The proxy discloses significant financing arrangements with Chairman Richard E. Uihlein, underscoring the need for robust committee oversight; no related‑party transactions involving Freeman were disclosed beyond his advisory firm’s managed holdings and disclaimer .
- Policies: The company has not adopted a hedging policy for officers/directors—a governance red flag for alignment in many frameworks. A clawback policy exists, but it applies to executive officers; director clawbacks are not specified .
- Overall signal: Freeman’s financial expertise and multi‑committee service support board effectiveness; however, the lack of a hedging policy and his investment advisory firm’s control over GALT securities present potential perception risks that warrant continued disclosure and recusals where appropriate .