David Hollander
KIORA PHARMACEUTICALSAbout David Hollander
David Hollander, MD, MBA, age 51, has served as an independent Class III director of Kiora Pharmaceuticals since December 2021 (term expires at the 2027 annual meeting). He is a cornea specialist and senior biopharma operator: most recently Chief Medical Officer and Global Therapeutics Commercial Lead at Revance Therapeutics until its acquisition by Crown Laboratories in Feb 2025; prior roles include Chief R&D Officer at Aerie Pharmaceuticals, multiple ophthalmology leadership roles at Allergan beginning in 2006, and Chief Medical Officer at Ora, Inc. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry (Stanford), an M.D. (University of Pennsylvania), and an MBA in Health Care Management (Wharton), with residency at UCSF and a Heed Fellowship at UCLA/Jules Stein Eye Institute .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revance Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RVNC) | Chief Medical Officer and Global Therapeutics Commercial Lead | Until acquisition by Crown Laboratories in Feb 2025 | Executive clinical and commercial leadership in aesthetics/therapeutics |
| Aerie Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AERI) | Chief Research and Development Officer | Not disclosed | Led ophthalmic R&D |
| Allergan, Inc. | Multiple roles incl. Medical Director; VP Eye Care U.S. Medical Affairs; VP & Head Eye Care Global Medical Affairs; Therapeutic Area Head (Clinical Dev.) | Began in industry in 2006 | Oversaw ophthalmology clinical/medical affairs while maintaining clinical practice |
| Ora, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | Not disclosed | Oversaw pharma/device development; advanced novel IRD mobility course endpoints |
External Roles
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed in biography (which includes current/past five-year public directorships) |
| Private/non-profit/academic boards | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined all directors other than the CEO (Brian Strem) and Aron Shapiro are independent; Hollander is independent .
- Committee assignments: Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member) ; Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Committee activity: Nominating & Corporate Governance met once in 2024 .
- Attendance: In 2024, the board held 5 meetings and each director attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings of which they were members .
- Board leadership: Independent, non-executive Chair (Praveen Tyle); non-employee directors meet regularly in executive sessions .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Year | Cash Fees (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $35,750 | Board retainer and committee fees per policy; board policy: $40,000 board member; $7,500 NCG chair; other retainers as applicable; proportional reduction if director attends <75% (general policy) |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Year | Equity Instrument | Grant Value (USD) | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Stock options | $11,274 | Director program: annual non-employee director options with FMV strike; annual grants vest in full after 1 year; 10-year max term. New director initial grants vest 1/3 at 1 year then monthly over 24 months |
| As of 12/31/2024 | Options outstanding (count) | 3,249 | Aggregate options outstanding at FY-end (director) |
No performance-conditioned metrics disclosed for director equity; grants are time-based under the director program .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current other public company directorships: None disclosed .
- Network/interlocks: Prior professional overlap with another Kiora director—Hollander previously served as CMO at Ora, Inc., while director Aron Shapiro spent 25 years at Ora in senior roles—indicating a shared professional network in ophthalmic development (not a related-party transaction) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Clinical and development leadership across multiple ophthalmology franchises (Allergan, Aerie, Ora) .
- Combined medical and commercial leadership experience (Revance CMO and Global Therapeutics Commercial Lead) .
- Academic credentials in medicine and business (Stanford; Penn Med; Wharton MBA) and specialty training (UCSF; UCLA/Jules Stein) .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 1,471 shares (via options exercisable within 60 days) |
| Percent of shares outstanding | <1% |
| Options outstanding at FY 2024 year-end | 3,249 options |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed; company policy generally prohibits pledging/margin and hedging absent advance approval |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance—positions him to influence board composition, refreshment, and evaluations .
- Robust ophthalmology clinical/operational background aligns with Kiora’s retinal/ophthalmic strategy .
- Board conducts regular executive sessions under an independent chair, supporting independent oversight .
- Attendance threshold met across directors in 2024; Hollander’s committee met as required .
- Company-wide anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy enhances alignment and reduces hedging risk .
- No related-party transactions involving directors/officers in 2024 (beyond compensation) .
-
Watch items
- Low direct ownership: beneficial ownership comprises options exercisable within 60 days; no disclosed common shares held—modest near-term “skin in the game” relative to outstanding shares .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance met once in 2024; depending on strategic needs, frequency could be revisited for ongoing refreshment/succession oversight .
-
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed for 2024–2025 regarding related-party transactions, pledging/hedging, or legal/regulatory proceedings tied to the director .