Tony Ho
About Tony Ho
Tony Ho, M.D., age 59 as of April 24, 2025, has served as an independent director of iTeos Therapeutics since April 2021 (Class II; nominated for re‑election in 2025). He is a seasoned R&D leader with ~20 years across discovery, clinical development, and regulatory; former EVP, R&D at CRISPR Therapeutics (2017–2021), senior oncology lead at AstraZeneca (2012–2017), and clinical section head at Merck. Education: M.D. Johns Hopkins; B.S. Electrical Engineering UCLA; residency/fellowship in Neurology at Johns Hopkins; adjunct associate professor at UPenn and Johns Hopkins; >80 publications and co‑inventor on 13 patents .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRISPR Therapeutics AG | Executive Vice President, Research & Development | 2017–2021 | Led R&D; senior executive oversight |
| AstraZeneca plc | SVP & Head of Oncology Integration and Innovation | 2012–2017 | Led development/commercialization of Lynparza (PARP) and Imfinzi (PD‑L1) |
| Merck Research Laboratories (Merck & Co.) | Neurology & Ophthalmology Clinical Section Head | Prior to 2012 | Led programs incl. Maxalt pediatric migraine and Zioptan approval |
| Neuronyx Inc. | Co‑Founder & Chief Scientific Officer | Prior to Merck | Regenerative medicine company; CSO leadership |
| Johns Hopkins Hospital | Assistant Professor (Neurology) | Prior | Academic teaching/clinical research |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Engrail Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Current board service |
| Qihan Holdings Limited | Director | Current board service |
| University of Pennsylvania; Johns Hopkins University | Adjunct Associate Professor | Academic affiliation |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules; Tony Ho is independent .
- Board service: Director since 2021; Class II term expiring at 2025 annual meeting; nominated for re‑election .
- Attendance: In 2024, each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served; full Board met 6 times; non‑management directors held 4 executive sessions .
- Committees:
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Member; Chair—David L. Hallal; met 2 times in 2024 .
- Science & Technology Committee: Member; Chair—Robert Iannone; met 6 times in 2024 .
- Annual meeting: All then‑serving directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Overboarding policy: Board assesses time commitments; no explicit numeric limits, but directors are evaluated for potential overboarding; current composition deemed compliant .
| Committee | Role | Chair | Meetings in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member | David L. Hallal | 2 |
| Science & Technology | Member | Robert Iannone | 6 |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Fees earned (cash) ($) | $51,802 |
| Policy reference: Board annual retainer ($) | $40,000 |
| Policy reference: Nominating committee member ($) | $5,000 |
| Policy reference: Science & Technology committee member ($) | $7,500 |
Notes:
- Non‑employee director cash retainers per policy; Tony’s actual cash fees totaled $51,802 in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
Directors receive annual equity grants that are time‑based; iTeos does not disclose performance metrics tied to director pay (no TSR/EBITDA/ESG metrics for directors). The annual equity structure and 2024 grant are:
| Grant Date | Award Type | Shares/Options | Vesting | Grant‑date Fair Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024‑06‑11 | Stock option (Annual Award) | 24,200 options per non‑employee director | Vests in full on 2025‑06‑11 (1‑year cliff) | $280,962 (Tony Ho’s 2024 option award accounting value) |
Change‑of‑control terms (directors): Initial and annual director equity awards vest fully upon a sale of the company, subject to continued service through the transaction date .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Potential Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engrail Therapeutics, Inc. | Not disclosed in proxy | Director | No interlocks disclosed with ITOS customers/suppliers |
| Qihan Holdings Limited | Not disclosed in proxy | Director | No interlocks disclosed with ITOS customers/suppliers |
- Compensation committee interlocks: Tony Ho did not serve on the Compensation & Leadership Development Committee in 2024; committee members had no reportable Item 404 related‑party relationships and were independent .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Oncology drug development leadership; led development/commercialization of Lynparza and Imfinzi at AstraZeneca .
- Senior R&D executive experience at CRISPR Therapeutics; broad translational/clinical background .
- Clinical leadership at Merck with successful approvals; strong regulatory/clinical trial execution credentials .
- Academic and scientific depth: >80 publications; 13 patents; adjunct academic roles .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 101,898 (options exercisable within 60 days of April 21, 2025) |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% (asterisk in proxy table denotes <1%) |
| Pledged/Hedged shares | Company policy prohibits short sales, derivatives, and hedging; pledging prohibited per insider trading policy |
Notes:
- Proxy lists director beneficial ownership as options exercisable within 60 days; no RSUs disclosed for Tony Ho .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and engagement: Tony Ho is independent, serves on two key governance/technical committees, and met attendance expectations—supportive of board effectiveness and investor confidence .
- Skills fit: Deep oncology/R&D expertise aligns with iTeos’ science‑driven strategy; committee placement (Science & Technology and Nominating/Corporate Governance) leverages domain experience and governance acumen .
- Compensation alignment: Mix is primarily at‑risk equity via options with one‑year vesting; 2024 cash fees were modest relative to equity grant accounting value ($51.8k vs $281.0k), suggesting alignment with long‑term shareholder outcomes .
- Conflicts/related party: No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Tony Ho; broader financing transactions involved RA Capital and Boxer Capital without Tony’s participation .
- Policies and protections: Insider trading policy prohibits hedging/pledging; Board uses independent advisors (Radford) for director/executive compensation benchmarking; annual equity award sizing aimed near 75th percentile of peer group in 2024 .
- RED FLAGS / Watchpoints:
- Single‑trigger accelerated vesting of director equity upon a sale of the company (customary but can be viewed as a potential misalignment if transactions are near term) .
- Overboarding monitored but no hard limits; Board asserts current commitments do not impair effectiveness—continue to monitor external board load .
- Company designated emerging growth/smaller reporting company; not required to hold say‑on‑pay—reduces direct shareholder feedback on compensation practices until EGC status ends .
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