Rachel Meyers
About Rachel Meyers
Rachel Meyers, Ph.D., has served on the Korro Bio (KRRO) board since November 2023; she is a Class I director with a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting . She is an independent director under Nasdaq rules per the board’s March 2025 review . Meyers earned a Ph.D. from MIT (in vitro transcription) and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School (signal transduction), and brings deep RNA/drug discovery expertise from industry and venture roles .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faze Medicines, Inc. | Founder and Chief Scientific Officer | Jun 2020 – Jan 2023 | Company-building and R&D leadership |
| Third Rock Ventures | Entrepreneur-in-Residence | Prior to Faze (dates not specified) | Company creation, portfolio support |
| Alynlam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Various leadership roles; currently on Scientific Advisory Board | Apr 2003 – Nov 2016 (employee); continuing SAB member | RNA-based medicines expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AmyGo Solutions (private) | Acting Chief Executive Officer | Since Jan 2025 | Diagnostics for amyloidosis |
| National Advisory Board on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (U.S. Dept. of Commerce) | Member (Scientific Advisory) | Ongoing | Public-sector advisory engagement |
| Alynlam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Scientific Advisory Board member | Ongoing | Continued technical advisory role |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined in March 2025 that all directors except the CEO are independent; this includes Dr. Meyers .
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (NCG); chair is Ali Behbahani. The NCG committee did not meet in 2024 .
- Board attendance: The board met 8 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate of board and relevant committee meetings during their service period .
- Board class and tenure: Class I director; term ends at the 2026 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Policy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 cash fees (Meyers) | $44,000 | Fees paid/earned in cash for 2024 |
| Annual board retainer (policy) | $40,000 | Applies to non‑employee directors; payable quarterly |
| Committee retainers (policy) | Audit: Chair $15,000; Member $7,500. Compensation: Chair $10,000; Member $5,000. NCG: Chair $8,000; Member $4,000 | Payable quarterly; pro‑rated for partial years |
| Chair/Lead Independent Director (policy) | +$30,000 | Additional annual retainer if applicable |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Option awards – grant-date fair value ($) | 299,994 | 149,978 |
| Outstanding options at year-end (shares) | 12,551 (as of 12/31/23) | 17,741 (as of 12/31/24) |
- Director equity structure and vesting (policy):
- Initial grant upon board appointment: prior to Mar 2025, valued at $300,000 (max 16,000 shares); after Mar 2025, sized at ~0.128% of shares outstanding; vests in substantially equal annual installments over 3 years .
- Annual grant: prior to Mar 2025, valued at $150,000 (max 8,000 shares); after Mar 2025, ~0.064% of shares outstanding; vests in full on the earlier of 1 year or next annual meeting .
- 10‑year option term; exercise price = FMV on grant date; full acceleration upon a sale of the company .
- No performance-vested metrics disclosed for director equity; grants are time-based options .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company directorships: Dr. Meyers’ proxy biography lists scientific advisory roles but does not cite any current public company board seats .
- Committee co-members affiliations (context): The NCG committee includes Ali Behbahani (NEA partner) and Jean‑François Formela (Atlas partner); both firms are >5% stockholders in KRRO per proxy ownership disclosures .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Advanced education: Ph.D. (MIT), postdoc (Harvard Medical School) .
- Domain expertise: Drug discovery/development with emphasis on RNA-based medicines; inventor on many patents with peer‑reviewed publications .
- Industry network: Active SAB roles and U.S. Department of Commerce advisory involvement .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Beneficial Ownership (shares) | Percent of Outstanding | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 15, 2025 | 9,373 | <1% | Consists of 9,373 shares underlying options (i.e., exercisable within 60 days) |
- Anti‑hedging/pledging: KRRO prohibits directors from short sales, derivatives/hedging, and pledging/margin of company stock .
Shareholder Vote Context (2025 Annual Meeting)
| Item | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non‑Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Say‑on‑Pay (advisory) | 7,972,389 | 13,999 | 11,145 | 360,141 |
| Say‑on‑Pay Frequency – 1 Year option | 7,982,473 (1 Year) | 5,992 (2 Years) | 2,130 (3 Years); 6,938 (Abstain) | 360,141 |
| Class III director election – J‑F Formela (context) | 4,986,043 For | 3,011,490 Withheld | — | 360,141 |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with specialized RNA drug discovery expertise, aligned with KRRO’s scientific focus .
- Attendance: Board indicates each director met ≥75% attendance threshold in 2024, supporting engagement .
- Alignment mechanisms: Option-heavy director compensation; no hedging/pledging permitted .
-
Watch items / potential red flags
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee did not meet in 2024, which may limit formal oversight of board refreshment and governance cadence .
- Time commitments: Concurrent role as acting CEO of AmyGo Solutions and multiple advisory roles; investors may monitor bandwidth, though no conflicts are disclosed .
- Ownership is modest (<1% beneficial), typical for a small-cap director but offers limited direct “skin-in-the-game” by percentage; options outstanding increased YoY (12,551 → 17,741) .
-
Related-party/Conflicts
- Proxy’s related‑party sections describe financings involving >5% holders (e.g., NEA, Atlas) and a consulting arrangement with a former director; Dr. Meyers is not referenced in these related‑party transactions .
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Compliance
- Section 16(a) reporting: Company states all directors/officers met filing requirements on a timely basis in 2024 .
