Meeta Chatterjee
About Meeta Chatterjee
Meeta Chatterjee, Ph.D. (age 70) has served on Werewolf Therapeutics’ board since October 2021. She is currently Chief Strategy Officer at Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (since August 2023) and previously led global business development at Legend Biotech and senior BD&L strategy roles at Merck Research Laboratories; she also served on Editas Medicine’s board from December 2020 to December 2024. She holds a B.A. (Hons Physics) from Rutgers University, a Ph.D. in Physiology from Rutgers, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia School of Medicine .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck Research Laboratories (Merck & Co., Inc.) | Head of Strategy, Transactions, and Operations within BD&L (roles of increasing seniority) | Nov 2007–May 2018 | Led BD&L strategy and transaction operations |
| Legend Biotech Corporation | SVP, Global Business Development | Mar 2019–Nov 2022 | Global BD leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Since/Through | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. | Chief Strategy Officer | Since Aug 2023 | Current executive role |
| Editas Medicine (public) | Independent Director | Dec 2020–Dec 2024 | Prior public board service |
Board Governance
- Class II Director; on board since Oct 2021; independent under Nasdaq rules (April 2025 board review) .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee (member); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member). Not a committee chair .
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of board and assigned committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Independent leadership: Board chair is independent; no Lead Independent Director; independent directors meet in executive session at least twice per year .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount ($) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Board cash retainer | 40,000 | Standard non‑employee director retainer |
| Committee fees | 9,000 | Compensation Committee member $5,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance member $4,000 |
| Total cash fees | 49,000 | Sum of retainer + committee fees |
Program schedule (2024):
- Board chair $70,000; non‑chair director $40,000; Audit chair/member $15,000/$7,500; Compensation chair/member $10,000/$5,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance chair/member $8,000/$4,000 .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Grant Size | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director option grant (2024) | 17,500 shares | Vests in full by earlier of first anniversary or next annual meeting | Granted to each non‑employee director at annual meeting; 10‑year term; strike = FMV at grant |
| New director option grant (program) | 35,000 shares (2024 policy) | 1/3 on first anniversary; remainder monthly to 3 years | For directors upon appointment; 10‑year term; strike = FMV at grant |
| Policy update (effective 1/1/2025) | New director grant increased to 54,000; annual grant increased to 27,000 | As per program terms | Approved by board upon compensation committee recommendation |
No director RSUs/PSUs program disclosed; equity is options with time‑based vesting only (no performance metrics tied to director awards) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Period | Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editas Medicine | Director | Dec 2020–Dec 2024 | Prior public board; no related‑party transactions disclosed with HOWL – |
| Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. | Executive (CSO) | Since Aug 2023 | External executive role; not a HOWL related‑party transaction – |
Expertise & Qualifications
| Area | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Strategic BD/M&A and licensing | Led BD&L strategy and transactions at Merck; SVP Global BD at Legend; CSO at Sun Pharma |
| Scientific background | Ph.D. in Physiology; postdoc at UVA; earlier physics training |
| Public board experience | Director at Editas Medicine (2020–2024) |
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (shares) | Type | Ownership % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeta Chatterjee, Ph.D. | 61,633 | Options exercisable within 60 days of Apr 14, 2025 | <1% (proxy denotes “*”) |
Reference:
- Shares outstanding: 44,873,646 as of Apr 14, 2025 .
- Anti‑hedging/pledging policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep BD and licensing expertise; active committee roles (Compensation; Nominating & Corporate Governance); solid attendance (≥75%); independent board chair and regular executive sessions; robust anti‑hedging/pledging policy .
- Alignment: Receives standard cash retainer plus equity via options; 2024 compensation totaled $113,479 ($49,000 cash fees; $64,479 option grant fair value) . Beneficial ownership consists of options; no common shares disclosed; ownership remains <1% .
- Potential conflicts: External executive role at Sun Pharma could create perceived industry overlap; however, no related‑party transactions disclosed involving Dr. Chatterjee (HOWL’s related‑party disclosures pertain to Crossbow/MPM arrangements unrelated to her) –. Board affirmed independence in April 2025 .
- Signals: Director equity program increased for 2025 (larger option grants), modestly shifting mix toward equity and potentially enhancing alignment; no performance‑conditioned equity for directors; no director ownership guidelines disclosed .
RED FLAGS to monitor
- Low personal share ownership (<1%) may be viewed as limited “skin‑in‑the‑game” versus options-only exposure .
- Time commitment risk given full‑time CSO role externally; no attendance shortfall in 2024 but should continue to monitor engagement .
- No disclosed director stock ownership guidelines; absence may be a governance gap for alignment compared to peers .