Donna French
About Donna French
Donna French, PhD, is an independent director of KORU Medical Systems (KRMD) and a pharmaceutical devices executive with 30+ years of experience developing drug-device combination products. She has served as Vice President, Dosage Form Design and Development at AstraZeneca since June 2017; prior roles include Senior Director, Device Development at Genentech (Jan 2009–May 2017) and Executive Director of Drug Delivery Engineering at Amgen. She holds a B.S. in Pharmacy (Albany College of Pharmacy) and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (University of Nebraska). Age 60; director since 2021.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca | Vice President, Dosage Form Design & Development | Since June 2017 | Leads development and commercialization of combination products and delivery systems (auto-injectors, pen injectors, subcutaneous infusion, etc.) |
| Genentech | Senior Director, Device Development | Jan 2009 – May 2017 | Led device development for drug delivery systems |
| Amgen | Executive Director, Drug Delivery Engineering | Prior to 2009 | Executive leadership in drug delivery engineering |
External Roles
| Category | Company/Institution | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate employment | AstraZeneca | VP Dosage Form Design & Development | Active role alongside KRMD directorship |
| Other public company boards | None disclosed | — | No other public directorships disclosed in KRMD proxy; skills matrix does not mark “Other Public Company Director Experience” for French |
| Nonprofit/academic/private boards | Not disclosed | — | No disclosures in 2025 proxy |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Determined independent by the Board under Nasdaq rules (non‑employee director) |
| Committee assignments (2024) | Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member) |
| Committee meeting frequency (2024) | Nominating & Governance: 3 meetings; Audit: 9; Compensation: 5 |
| Board meetings (2024) | Four regular and one special meeting |
| Attendance | All directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served; all directors attended 2024 Annual Meeting |
| Executive sessions | Non‑employee directors met in executive session at or shortly after each Board meeting in 2024 |
| Lead independent director structure | Company maintains a lead director structure when Chairman not independent or combined roles; independent directors elect lead director as needed |
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $50,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Annual equity (common stock) | $60,000 | Shares based on average of high/low on last trading day of quarter; paid quarterly |
| Additional Chairman equity | $30,000 | For Chairman only; not applicable to French |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit: $15,000; Compensation: $11,500; Nominating & Governance: $7,500 (foregone by chair in 2024) | French is not a chair |
| Director | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna French (2024) | 50,000 | 60,000 | 110,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Performance Element | Disclosure | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Performance cash bonus (director) | Not applicable | Non‑employee directors receive retainer and stock, no performance bonuses disclosed |
| Performance‑based equity (director) | Not applicable | Annual director equity is common stock (not PSUs/options); no performance conditions disclosed for directors |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Type | Entity | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company board | None disclosed | — | No interlocks disclosed |
| Employment | AstraZeneca | VP Dosage Form Design & Development | Board independence review found non‑employee directors (including French) independent; no related‑party transactions disclosed impacting independence |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep device/drug‑delivery product development expertise; extensive medtech and biopharma domain knowledge (auto‑injectors, pen injectors, subcutaneous infusion). Board skills matrix flags her for Product Development, Medtech Industry Experience, Market Knowledge – Biopharma, International Healthcare Experience, and C‑level expertise.
- Advanced scientific training (PhD Pharmaceutical Sciences) aligned with KRMD’s subcutaneous drug delivery focus.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna French | 80,785 | <1% | As of April 2, 2025; based on 46,140,996 shares outstanding |
| Director ownership guideline | 4x annual cash fees | — | Must comply within five years of joining Board; all non‑employee directors have achieved or are on track |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | — | No margining, pledging, shorting, or derivatives allowed for directors |
Shareholder Support Signals (2025 Annual Meeting)
| Item | For | Withheld/Against | Abstain | Broker Non‑Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director election – Donna French | 23,886,587 | 65,791 | — | 12,997,325 |
| Say‑on‑Pay (Advisory) | 23,167,952 | 702,827 | 81,599 | 12,997,325 |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and alignment: French is an independent director; KRMD prohibits hedging/pledging and requires meaningful director ownership (4x cash retainer), with directors achieving or on track—supportive of alignment.
- Engagement: Board reported ≥75% attendance for all directors; non‑employee directors held executive sessions at or after each Board meeting in 2024, indicating active oversight.
- Committee fit: Serves on Nominating & Governance Committee, consistent with her cross‑functional industry experience and governance focus; committee met 3x in 2024.
- Compensation: Standard director pay structure ($50k cash/$60k stock in 2024 for French) without performance features—typical for small/mid‑cap medtech; no meeting fees paid.
- Potential conflicts: French’s AstraZeneca role represents an external industry tie; the Board’s independence review found no impairment, and no related‑party transactions involving French were disclosed.
- Investor confidence: Strong shareholder support in 2025 director election and Say‑on‑Pay provides a positive governance signal at the company level.
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Donna French (no independence concerns, no related‑party transactions, no hedging/pledging, attendance threshold met).