Nadim Ahmed
About Nadim Ahmed
Nadim Ahmed is a seasoned biopharma executive appointed to Disc Medicine’s (IRON) Board of Directors as a Class I director effective July 14, 2025; his term runs until the 2027 Annual Meeting and thereafter until a successor is elected and qualified . He has more than 25 years of hematology/oncology leadership experience, including senior roles at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Celgene, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and currently serves as President and CEO (and director) of Cullinan Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CGEM). He holds an M.S. from Loughborough University and a B.S. from University College London . At IRON, he is a non‑employee director (per policy) with no arrangements or related‑party transactions disclosed upon appointment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Myers Squibb | President, Hematology | Nov 2019 – Jan 2021 | Led hematology portfolio integration and commercialization |
| Celgene | Roles of increasing responsibility; most recently President, Global Hematology & Oncology | Mar 2010 – Nov 2019 | Oversaw major hematology/oncology franchises |
| GlaxoSmithKline | Roles of increasing responsibility; most recently Senior Marketing Director, Hematologic Oncology | Jun 1998 – Mar 2010 | Built hematologic oncology commercial capabilities |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cullinan Therapeutics (CGEM) | President & CEO; Director (Class III) | Oct 2021 – Present | Strategic leadership in immunology/oncology; public company board service |
| CGEM pipeline/strategy commentary | CEO remarks (company transcript) | 2025 | Portfolio strategy, runway, autoimmune/oncology balance |
Board Governance
- Appointment: Elected to IRON Board effective July 14, 2025; Class I term to 2027 Annual Meeting .
- Committee assignments: Not disclosed at time of appointment; existing compositions (2024/2025) do not list Ahmed among Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Governance members .
- Independence and conflicts: No arrangements or understandings for selection; no transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) were identified at appointment .
- Board attendance norms: IRON’s Board met four times in 2024; all then‑serving directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; independent directors held four executive sessions in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Board) | $40,000 per year (paid $10,000 quarterly) | Applied to non‑employee directors, including Ahmed upon appointment |
| Committee member retainers | Audit $10,000; Compensation $7,500; Nominating & Governance $5,000 | Additional cash if assigned; not yet applicable to Ahmed |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit $20,000; Compensation $15,000; Nominating & Governance $10,000 | For chair roles if applicable |
| Expense reimbursement | Reasonable out‑of‑pocket expenses for Board/committee meetings | Standard policy |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares / Terms | Strike / Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Option Grant | Jul 14, 2025 | 20,000 stock options (non‑statutory) | Exercise price = closing price on 7/14/2025; vest 1/3 on first anniversary, remainder in equal monthly installments over following two years | All vesting ceases upon resignation unless Board decides otherwise; indemnification agreement executed |
| Annual Option Grant (policy) | At each Annual Meeting (if continuing as non‑employee director) | 10,000 stock options | Vests in full on earlier of next Annual Meeting or first anniversary of grant | Director awards fully accelerate upon sale of the Company |
Performance metrics: IRON’s non‑employee director compensation is time‑based; no performance metric link (TSR, revenue, ESG) is disclosed for director awards .
Change of control: Director equity awards subject to full accelerated vesting upon sale of the Company .
Clawback/tax gross‑ups: Not disclosed for directors in cited materials; executive compensation framework discussed separately .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Transaction | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cullinan Therapeutics (CGEM) | President & CEO; Director | Same industry (biopharma); potential for future overlaps in hematology | No IRON related‑party transactions disclosed at Ahmed’s appointment ; IRON financing 8‑Ks state no undisclosed related‑party transactions broadly at time of offerings |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep hematology/oncology leadership with product launch and portfolio stewardship across BMS and Celgene; commercial strategy at GSK .
- Public company CEO experience and board service at CGEM; operational and BD acumen highlighted in 2025 remarks (cash runway, pipeline balance, autoimmune/oncology strategy) .
- Academic credentials: M.S. (Loughborough University), B.S. (University College London) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount / Detail | As-of |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Form 3) | No securities beneficially owned | Filed Jul 16, 2025 |
| Initial option grant | 20,000 options (see vesting above) | Granted Jul 14, 2025 |
| Vested vs. unvested | Time-based; first vesting on 7/14/2026; monthly thereafter | Per grant terms |
| Pledging / hedging | Not disclosed | — |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed for directors in cited sections | — |
Board Governance
- Committee responsibilities (context):
- Audit Committee: oversees financial reporting, auditor independence, risk, and related‑party transactions .
- Compensation Committee: oversees executive and director pay, equity plans, severance and change‑of‑control protections; uses independent consultants .
- Nominating & Governance Committee: board nominations, evaluations, governance guidelines, succession, diversity considerations .
- Independence sessions: Four executive sessions with only independent directors in 2024 .
Insider Filings & Trades
| Filing | Date | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Form 3 (Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership) | Jul 16, 2025 | Director; no securities beneficially owned reported |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Seasoned hematology/oncology operator with global commercial and development expertise (BMS/Celgene/GSK), adding relevant domain depth to IRON’s hematology pipeline focus .
- Clean appointment disclosures: no Item 404(a) related‑party transactions and standard indemnification; aligned non‑employee director compensation with standard equity vesting .
- Robust committee frameworks and independence practices at IRON (regular executive sessions; clear committee charters and independence standards) .
-
Watch items:
- Committee assignment pending: governance impact increases once Ahmed is placed on Audit/Comp/NCG; monitor for eventual placements .
- External CEO role at CGEM: industry adjacency could create informational interlocks; continue monitoring for IRON–CGEM collaborations, licensing, or overlapping counterparties; current disclosures show no related‑party transactions at appointment .
- Ownership alignment: Form 3 shows no beneficial holdings at appointment; alignment will depend on option vesting and any future share acquisitions .
-
RED FLAGS:
- None disclosed at appointment: no related‑party transactions, no attendance issues (new appointee), no compensation anomalies. Director equity is time‑based; no repricing/modifications disclosed .