Helen Collins
About Helen Collins
Helen Collins, M.D., is an independent director of IO Biotech (IOBT) since November 2023. She is currently Chief Medical Officer of Enliven Therapeutics Inc. (since September 2021) and serves on the board of Kura Oncology, Inc. Her credentials include an A.B. in Chemistry (Bryn Mawr), M.D. (Johns Hopkins), residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, fellowship in medical oncology at Stanford, and board certification in oncology. Age: 63 (as of the 2025 proxy), with core expertise in oncology/hematology, oncology drug discovery, and clinical trial design and conduct .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Timing | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President | Prior to acquisition by Amgen in April 2021 (dates not further specified) | Senior clinical leadership in oncology |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | Program and Clinical Lead for BTK and BET inhibitor programs | Prior to Enliven (dates not specified) | Program leadership in oncology |
| Amgen, Inc. | Global Lead, Oncology Biosimilars | Prior to Gilead (dates not specified) | Commercial and biosimilars leadership |
| Redwood Regional Medical Group | Medical Oncologist and Hematologist; President (3 years) | Practiced 12 years; President for 3 years | Group leadership and clinical practice |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enliven Therapeutics Inc. (public) | Chief Medical Officer | Sep 2021 | Public biopharma; oncology focus |
| Kura Oncology, Inc. (public) | Director | Not disclosed | Clinical-stage biotech; precision oncology |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined that all directors other than the CEO are independent; Dr. Collins is independent under SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments (2024): None; she did not serve on Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance committees during 2024 .
- Attendance: The board held six meetings in 2024; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the aggregate board and committee meetings during periods served .
- Leadership structure: Independent Chairman (Peter Hirth); CEO and Chairman roles separated .
- Policies: Prohibitions on hedging and pledging; insider trading policy; related person transaction review by Audit Committee .
| 2024 Committee Composition | Audit | Compensation | Nominating & Corporate Governance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helen Collins, M.D. | — | — | — |
| Meetings in 2024 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Fixed Compensation
- Director compensation structure (cash retainers): Board member $40,000; Chair of Board $34,000 (additional); Committee Chairs – Audit $15,000, Compensation $10,000, Nominating & Governance $8,000; Committee members – Audit $7,500, Compensation $5,000, Nominating & Governance $4,000 .
- 2024 actual compensation (Collins): Fees earned $40,000; Option awards (grant date fair value) $42,068; Total $82,068 .
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $5,761 | $40,000 |
| Option Awards ($) | $46,720 | $42,068 |
| Total ($) | $52,481 | $82,068 |
Performance Compensation
- Equity program (directors): Time-vested stock options; no performance-conditioned (PSU/TSR) director awards disclosed. Initial appointment option grant vesting monthly over 3 years; annual option grant vests on one-year anniversary; full vesting upon change of control for non-employee directors who remain in service through the event .
- Share count revisions: January 2024 program set appointment options at 70,593 shares and annual options at 45,642 shares; February 2025 revisions reduced appointment options to 54,357 shares and annual options to 35,144 shares .
| Director Equity Program | Before Jan 2024 | Jan 2024 Revision | Feb 2025 Revision | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial appointment grant | Grant valued at $116,000 (Collins received at appointment in Nov 2023) | 70,593 options | 54,357 options | Initial: monthly over 3 years |
| Annual grant (at each AGM) | Grant valued at $75,000 | 45,642 options | 35,144 options | Annual: 1-year cliff vest |
| Change-of-control | — | Full vesting at CoC if in continuous service | Full vesting maintained | CoC acceleration |
No performance metrics were disclosed for director equity; awards are service-based options rather than performance share units .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public board: Kura Oncology, Inc. (Director) .
- Informational interlock: Both Dr. Collins (former CMO & EVP) and fellow IOBT director David V. Smith (former EVP & CFO) previously held senior roles at Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. (prior to its acquisition by Amgen in April 2021) .
- Related-party transactions: None disclosed above $120,000 since January 1, 2023; Audit Committee oversees related person transactions .
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kura Oncology, Inc. | Director | No IOBT-related transactions disclosed |
| Enliven Therapeutics Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | Concurrent executive role; board policy requires directors have sufficient time for board duties |
| Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. (prior employer) | Former CMO & EVP | Informational network link with IOBT director David V. Smith (former EVP & CFO at Five Prime) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Oncology/hematology specialization; extensive experience in oncology drug discovery and clinical trial design/execution .
- Leadership experience across major biopharma (Amgen, Gilead) and clinical practice leadership (President of Redwood Regional Medical Group) .
- Academic credentials: A.B. Chemistry (Bryn Mawr), M.D. (Johns Hopkins), residency (Johns Hopkins), fellowship (Stanford), board-certified in oncology .
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership (as of April 11, 2025): 77,761 shares beneficially owned (exercisable within 60 days); less than 1% of outstanding shares .
- Options/Securities held:
- As of December 31, 2024: 109,880 stock options outstanding (no other equity awards) .
- Exercisable within 60 days: 10,706 (as of April 8, 2024); 77,761 (as of April 11, 2025) .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock; no pledges disclosed .
- Ownership guidelines: No director stock ownership guideline disclosed in proxy .
| Date | Exercisable within 60 Days (Shares) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 2024 | 10,706 | Initial months following Nov 2023 appointment |
| Apr 11, 2025 | 77,761 | Increased as vesting progressed |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 109,880 options outstanding (total) | Total options held; not all exercisable |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with deep oncology and clinical development expertise relevant to IOBT’s mission .
- Attendance: Met or exceeded 75% participation threshold in 2024; board met six times .
- Strong governance policies: hedging/pledging prohibited; related-party transactions reviewed; none disclosed involving Dr. Collins; Dodd-Frank clawback policy for executives in place .
- Director equity calibrations reduced in 2025, signaling dilution awareness and alignment with market practices .
- Considerations:
- No committee assignments yet; limited committee influence to date .
- Concurrent CMO role at a public biotech (Enliven) and service on another public board (Kura) increase time commitments; the board’s nomination criteria emphasize sufficient time availability .
- RED FLAGS:
- None identified in filings: no related-party transactions, no pledging/hedging, no Section 16(a) delinquencies cited for Dr. Collins .