Riad El-Dada
About Riad El-Dada
Riad El‑Dada, 60, serves as an independent director of Klotho Neurosciences (KLTO) and is a member of the Board’s Audit Committee. He is a former senior executive at Merck, most recently serving as President of the U.S. business after leading MSD Australia & New Zealand; earlier he was a consultant at McKinsey. He holds a B.A. from Cornell University (summa cum laude) and a graduate degree from Georgetown University (with distinction) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merck (MSD) | President, U.S. (most recent role); previously Managing Director, Australia & New Zealand | Not disclosed | Led commercial teams across ~12 therapeutic areas (>$12B revenue); extensive product development and lifecycle experience; negotiated multiple development/commercial partnerships |
| McKinsey & Company | Consultant | Not disclosed | Advised Fortune 500 clients in healthcare and other industries |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The MKG Group | Member, Board of Directors | Not disclosed | Current role |
| Merck Sharp & Dohme Federal Credit Union | Board Director | Not disclosed | Current role |
| Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals | Director | Former | Prior public company directorship |
| Various investors/companies in life sciences | Advisor/Consultant | Not disclosed | Strategic and commercial advisory |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (Chair: Samuel Zentman; other members: Jon McGarity, Riad El‑Dada). The company states all three audit members satisfy Nasdaq/SEC independence and financial literacy requirements; Zentman is the audit committee financial expert .
- Other committees: Not listed on the Compensation Committee (McGarity—Chair; Zentman; Hirschman) or the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Hirschman—Chair; McGarity; Zentman) .
- Board structure: Single class board of five directors (including CEO); directors serve until the next annual meeting .
- Director protections: Delaware exculpation to the fullest extent permitted and D&O insurance/indemnification authorized .
Fixed Compensation
| Period | Component | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (Non‑Employee Director) | $0 |
Note: The FY2024 director compensation table shows cash fees only for one director (Hirschman: $120,000); no cash fees were disclosed for El‑Dada in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | Grant Date | Quantity | Terms (Strike/Expiration/Vesting) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock options (in beneficial ownership) | Not disclosed | 30,000 | Included in beneficial ownership; specific strike/expiration/vesting not disclosed |
No RSUs/PSUs or performance metric linkages for directors were disclosed in the filing. The Audit Committee oversees related‑person transactions; no director‑specific incentive policy details were provided .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Board/Committee | Potential Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The MKG Group | Director | Private entity; no KLTO related‑party transaction disclosed |
| Merck Sharp & Dohme Federal Credit Union | Director | Financial cooperative associated with Merck; no KLTO related‑party transaction disclosed |
| Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals | Former Director | Prior public company directorship |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Global biopharma leadership across commercialization, product development and lifecycle management; led U.S. operations and ANZ region at Merck .
- Deal experience spanning development through commercialization partnerships .
- Consulting pedigree (McKinsey) with Fortune 500 healthcare clients .
- Academic credentials: Cornell (summa cum laude), Georgetown (with distinction) .
- Audit Committee independence and financial literacy designation by the company .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Total Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riad El‑Dada | 30,000 | 0.1% | Includes 30,000 shares issuable upon exercise of incentive options; based on 28,011,351 shares outstanding as of Mar 26, 2025 |
No disclosures on pledging/hedging, vested vs. unvested split, or ownership guideline compliance for directors were provided in the filings reviewed .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee role: El‑Dada is independent and serves on the Audit Committee, which is appropriate given his large‑cap pharma operating background. However, he is not identified as the audit committee financial expert (that designation is held by Zentman) .
- Engagement/attendance: No attendance metrics disclosed; cannot assess meeting attendance or engagement quantitatively .
- Compensation/Alignment: No FY2024 cash director fees were disclosed for El‑Dada; beneficial ownership reflects a modest option position (~0.1% of shares outstanding including 30,000 options), suggesting limited economic alignment pending vesting/exercise details. Lack of disclosed equity grant terms limits assessment of long‑term alignment .
- Conflicts/related party exposure: Company states Audit Committee pre‑approves related‑person transactions; filings list related‑party notes involving management but do not identify any transactions tied to El‑Dada. No director legal proceedings disclosed in the last 10 years .
- Board composition and oversight: Board consists of five members with standing audit/compensation/nom‑gov committees populated by independent directors; director exculpation and D&O indemnification in place. No lead independent director or executive session frequency disclosed .
RED FLAGS: None specific to El‑Dada were disclosed (no related‑party transactions, no legal proceedings). Data gaps include lack of director attendance disclosure, absence of detailed director equity grant terms, and no stated ownership guidelines or compliance status for directors .