Anil Singhal
About Anil Singhal
Anil Singhal, Ph.D., age 73, was appointed to Werewolf Therapeutics’ (HOWL) Board in February 2025 and is nominated as a Class I director for a term ending at the 2028 annual meeting. He is President & CEO of Trishula Therapeutics (since Jan 2021), and previously served as CEO/Director of Adicet Bio (2019–2020) and VP, Early Oncology Development at AbbVie (2013–2018); he holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry (Panjab University), an MBA (University of Washington), and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (Rutgers). The Board determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules in April 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. | Vice President, Early Oncology Development | Jan 2013 – Mar 2018 | Led early oncology development |
| Adicet Bio, Inc. | President & CEO; Director | May 2019 – Sep 2020 (advisor Sep 2020 – Feb 2021) | Led IND submission; guided merger to become public |
| TriSalus Inc. | Director | Jul 2018 – Sep 2024 | Board role; company went public in 2023 |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trishula Therapeutics, Inc. (private) | President & CEO; Director | Jan 2021 – Present | Executive leadership |
| American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) | Member | Since 2005 | Professional membership |
| American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) | Member | Since 2007 | Professional membership |
Board Governance
- Independence: Independent director (Nasdaq), as determined in April 2025 .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (appointed February 2025); Audit Committee chaired by Michael Sherman .
- Other committees: Not listed on Compensation Committee or Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Attendance: In 2024, the full Board met 5 times; each director met ≥75% board/committee attendance thresholds. Singhal joined in 2025; 2024 attendance data not applicable to him .
- Executive sessions and leadership: Independent chair; independent directors meet in executive session at least twice per year; roles of CEO and Chair are separated .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Program | 2025 Policy Update | Singhal Actual (Feb 19, 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board cash retainer | $40,000 | $40,000 (unchanged) | $40,000 (prorated for remainder of service year) |
| Audit Committee – member | $7,500 | $7,500 (unchanged) | $7,500 (prorated) |
| New Director stock option grant (shares) | 35,000 | 54,000 (effective Jan 1, 2025) | 45,000 (granted at $1.40 exercise; vest 1/3 at 1-year, then monthly to 3 years) |
| Annual director stock option grant (shares) | 17,500 | 27,000 (effective Jan 1, 2025) | Eligible per program (future grants per policy) |
- Indemnification: Entered standard indemnification agreement upon appointment .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Structure | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Director equity awards (options) | Time-based vesting; typical director grants vest 1/3 at 1-year then monthly to 3 years; Singhal’s initial grant follows this schedule | None disclosed for director awards (no PSU/TSR/EBITDA metrics for directors) |
The company’s disclosures indicate director option awards are time-based; no performance-based metrics are tied to director compensation .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TriSalus Inc. | Biotech | Former Director (2018–2024) | No related-party transactions disclosed involving Singhal |
| Adicet Bio, Inc. | Biotech | Former CEO/Director | No HOWL related-party transactions disclosed involving Singhal |
| Trishula Therapeutics (private) | Biotech | President & CEO; Director | Executive role in private biotech; no disclosed RPTs with HOWL |
- Contextual board RPT: Crossbow Therapeutics sublease (2019–2024) led to Briggs Morrison being deemed non-independent; not related to Singhal .
Expertise & Qualifications
- More than three decades in biopharma R&D; leadership roles at AbbVie, Adicet Bio; President & CEO at Trishula Therapeutics .
- Education: B.Sc. Biochemistry (Panjab University), MBA (University of Washington), Ph.D. Biochemistry (Rutgers) .
- Professional societies: AACR (since 2005), ASCO (since 2007) .
- Board experience: TriSalus Inc. director 2018–2024 .
Equity Ownership
| As of Record Date | Beneficial Shares | % Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2025 | 0 | <1% | Shares outstanding: 44,873,646 |
| Award | Grant Date | Shares | Exercise Price | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director option | Feb 19, 2025 (appointment date) | 45,000 | $1.40 | 1/3 at 1-year, then monthly to 3 years |
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging for directors and covered persons .
- Ownership guidelines: No formal equity ownership guidelines disclosed for directors; executive ownership guidelines also not in place .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and oversight: Singhal strengthens independent oversight as Audit Committee member; Audit Committee monitors financial controls and related-party transactions .
- Skin-in-the-game: As of April 2025, beneficial ownership is 0 shares; initial alignment via time-based option grant (45,000 shares) rather than RSUs/PSUs .
- Compensation structure: Cash retainer consistent with peers; director equity is time-based options (no performance metrics), which limits direct pay-for-performance signals for directors .
- Engagement/attendance: 2024 Board and committees met regularly with strong attendance; Singhal’s appointment in 2025 limits historical attendance assessment; governance framework includes independent chair and regular executive sessions .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related-party transactions disclosed involving Singhal; broader board RPT (Crossbow sublease) affected another director’s independence, not Singhal’s .
RED FLAGS/Watch items
- Initial zero beneficial ownership at record date (April 14, 2025); monitor accumulation over time to assess alignment .
- Director equity is entirely time-based options; absence of performance-linked director equity reduces explicit pay-performance linkage for governance signaling .
- Policy/grant variance: 2025 policy increased new director grant to 54,000 shares, but Singhal’s appointment grant was 45,000; monitor for subsequent annual grants to align with policy .