Robert Iannone
About Robert Iannone
Robert Iannone, M.D., M.S.C.E., age 58, has served as an independent director of iTeos Therapeutics since April 2021 and was reclassified to the Class II slate on April 21, 2025 to rebalance Board classes; he brings over 17 years of clinical drug development leadership including his current role as EVP, Research & Development at Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc, and prior senior roles at Immunomedics, AstraZeneca, and Merck. He holds a B.S. from The Catholic University of America, an M.D. from Yale University, and an M.S.C.E. from the University of Pennsylvania, with residency and fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc | Executive Vice President, Research & Development | May 2019–present | Oversees product development, clinical operations, regulatory affairs |
| Immunomedics, Inc. | Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer | Apr 2018–May 2019 | R&D leadership at clinical-stage biopharma |
| AstraZeneca plc | SVP & Head of Immuno-oncology, Global Medicines Development; Global Products VP | Jul 2014–Apr 2018 | Led immuno-oncology portfolio development |
| Merck & Co., Inc. | Executive Director & Section Head, Oncology Clinical Development (and prior roles) | 2004–2014 | Oncology clinical leadership |
| University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine | Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Adjunct Assistant Professor | 2001–2012 | Academic appointments in pediatrics/oncology |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start–End | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autolus Therapeutics plc | Director | Jun 2023–present | Public company board |
| Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Jan 2020–Mar 2023 | Public company board (prior) |
| Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc | EVP, Research & Development | May 2019–present | Operating executive at public biopharma |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and chair roles:
- Compensation & Leadership Development Committee: Member .
- Science & Technology Committee: Chair; members include Michel Detheux, Ph.D., Robert Iannone, and Tony Ho; met six times in 2024 .
- Independence: The Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; Iannone is independent .
- Attendance and engagement:
- Board met six times in 2024 (plus four unanimous written consents); each director attended or participated in at least 75% of Board and assigned committee meetings .
- All then-serving directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders .
- Tenure and classification: Director since April 2021; reappointed as a Class II director on April 21, 2025 for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting (term through 2028, if elected) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $60,302 |
Reference fee schedule for non-employee directors (context): Board annual retainer $40,000; committee member retainers (Comp $6,000; Sci & Tech $7,500); committee chair retainers (Comp $12,000; Sci & Tech $15,000); Chair of Board $110,000; Audit member $7,500; Audit chair $15,000; Nominating member $5,000; Nominating chair $10,000 .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Detail | Terms |
|---|---|
| 2024 Option award (fair value) | $280,962 (aggregate grant-date fair value under ASC 718) |
| Annual director equity program (2024) | Option to purchase 24,200 shares granted June 11, 2024; vests in full on June 11, 2025, subject to continued service (applies to each continuing non-employee director) |
| Change-of-control provision (director awards) | Initial and annual director equity awards subject to full accelerated vesting upon a sale of the company, subject to continued service through the date of sale |
| Annual director compensation cap | Aggregate director compensation (cash + equity) capped at $750,000 per calendar year ($1,000,000 in year of initial appointment) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Autolus Therapeutics plc | Director | Current external public board; no compensation committee interlocks disclosed for 2024 |
| Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. | Director (prior) | Prior external public board service (ended Mar 2023) |
| Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc | EVP, R&D | Operating role at another biopharma; no related-party transactions involving Iannone disclosed in ITOS proxy |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Clinical drug development leadership across oncology and immuno-oncology at Jazz, Immunomedics, AstraZeneca, and Merck .
- Education: B.S. (Catholic University of America), M.D. (Yale University), M.S.C.E. (University of Pennsylvania) .
- Medical training: Pediatrics residency and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University; academic appointments at University of Pennsylvania .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 101,898 (all underlying options exercisable within 60 days) |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | Less than 1% |
| Vested vs. unvested breakdown | 101,898 options exercisable within 60 days; no direct common shares disclosed |
| Pledging/hedging policy | Company policy prohibits short sales, derivative and hedging transactions by directors |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and engagement appear solid: independent status, active committee leadership (Chair of Science & Technology), and at least 75% meeting attendance in 2024 support oversight quality .
- Compensation governance: Iannone serves on an all-independent Compensation & Leadership Development Committee; the committee uses an independent consultant (Radford) and oversees director compensation, clawback policy, and peer benchmarking—constructive signals for pay discipline .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay mix is balanced with modest cash ($60,302) and equity options; annual director equity awards vest over one year, with full acceleration upon a sale—investors should note the change-of-control acceleration for directors .
- Conflicts and related parties: Proxy discloses no related-party transactions involving Iannone; committee interlocks disclosure indicates none in 2024—low conflict risk as disclosed. His concurrent operating role at Jazz Pharmaceuticals is notable; while no transactions are disclosed between ITOS and Jazz, investors may monitor for potential competitive or partnership overlaps given his executive capacity at another biopharma .
- Risk indicators: Insider trading controls and anti-hedging policies are in place; non-management directors held four executive sessions in 2024—both supportive of governance quality .