Devin Blass
About Devin Blass
Devin Blass (age 39) is Longeveron’s Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (effective December 2, 2024). He brings 15+ years in advanced therapy development and GMP manufacturing from NYBCe (SVP, Comprehensive Cell Solutions), Talaris Therapeutics (VP Technical Operations, Site Head), Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Mesoblast, and MD Anderson Cancer Center; he holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from Texas State University . As of April 21, 2025, company filings show he beneficially owned 12,750 Class A shares (<1%); his Form 3 (event date April 16, 2025) reported 121,084 Class A shares including RSUs subject to time‑based vesting (direct ownership) . His mandate aligns with Longeveron’s push toward potential BLA submission in HLHS pending pivotal ELPIS II results, with CMC and manufacturing readiness in focus . Company operating context around his arrival: 9M 2024 revenue rose 177% YoY to $1.789m; G&A expenses fell 16% YoY; R&D declined 11% YoY; net loss improved 23% YoY .
Company performance snapshot (context):
| Metric | 9M 2023 | 9M 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenues ($m) | 0.646 | 1.789 |
| General & Administrative ($m) | 8.902 | 7.447 |
| Research & Development ($m) | 6.910 | 6.148 |
| Net Loss ($m) | 15.385 | 11.892 |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Blood Center Enterprises (Comprehensive Cell Solutions) | SVP, CDMO business (Tech Ops, BD, Cell Sourcing) | Nov 2023–Dec 2024 | Oversaw CDMO unit spanning technical operations, business development, and cell sourcing |
| Talaris Therapeutics | VP Technical Operations; Site Head | Nov 2019–Oct 2023 | Managed Technical Operations and Supply Chain; site leadership |
| Bellicum Pharmaceuticals | Directed cell manufacturing operations | Not disclosed | Led cell manufacturing operations |
| Mesoblast | Director, Commercial Program Manufacturing | Not disclosed | Directed commercial program manufacturing |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center | Roles of increasing responsibility | Not disclosed | Built infrastructure/systems to obtain licensure for HPC and Cord Blood |
External Roles
- No external public company board roles are listed for Mr. Blass in the company’s executive officer biographies .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass in the 2025 Proxy or 8‑K filings reviewed. The 2025 Proxy lists NEO compensation for CEO, CFO, and General Counsel only . |
| Target bonus % | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass . |
| Actual bonus paid | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass . |
| Perquisites/benefits | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass (general benefits program described for executives) . |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Metric(s) | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual incentive (cash) | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass | — | — | — | — |
| Equity (RSUs/Options) | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass | — | — | — | Company 2021 Plan governs vesting; CIC provisions summarized below |
Notes:
- Company-wide, the Compensation Committee ties executive incentives to measurable corporate/individual goals; examples include total revenue and non‑GAAP operating expense (program description; not specific to Mr. Blass) .
- Longeveron’s Cash‑to‑Equity Program lets executive officers and directors elect up to 80% of cash compensation in RSUs or options paid at a 125–200% “premium equivalent” valuation; RSUs are fully vested at grant and options fully exercisable at issuance; details are set quarterly and subject to insider trading policy. This is an elective program (no disclosure that Mr. Blass elected participation) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Proxy as of Apr 21, 2025) | 12,750 Class A shares; <1% of class; <1% voting power . |
| SEC Form 3 (event 04/16/2025; filed 04/21/2025) | 121,084 Class A shares, direct; includes RSUs subject to time‑based vesting (net of shares withheld for taxes) . |
| Vested vs unvested breakdown | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass; Form 3 indicates presence of time‑vested RSUs . |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass . |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Company states “none of the shares listed are pledged” in the beneficial ownership table . |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging and pledging by employees, officers and directors (exceptions require approval) . |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Effective date | Appointed CTO & SVP, CMC effective December 2, 2024 . |
| Title/Scope | Leads technological and manufacturing strategies (CMC) . |
| Employment agreement | No offer letter/employment agreement for Mr. Blass was located in reviewed filings . |
| Severance | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass . |
| Change‑in‑Control (equity) | Under the Second Amended & Restated 2021 Incentive Award Plan, equity awards may vest/accelerate upon a “Change of Control” as defined in the plan . |
| Non‑compete / non‑solicit | Not disclosed for Mr. Blass . |
| Clawback | Not specifically disclosed; Code of Business Conduct and Ethics referenced; Insider Trading Policy summarized . |
Investment Implications
- Execution leverage: Blass’s deep CMC and cell‑therapy manufacturing background (NYBCe CDMO lead; Talaris VP Tech Ops) directly addresses Longeveron’s near‑term need to scale manufacturing and CMC systems ahead of a potential BLA in HLHS, should ELPIS II succeed .
- Alignment and selling pressure: His Form 3 indicates a meaningful RSU component subject to time‑based vesting (121,084 Class A), while the company’s policy prohibits hedging/pledging; the proxy shows none of his listed shares are pledged, reducing misalignment risk .
- Equity liquidity dynamics: The elective Cash‑to‑Equity Program pays RSUs fully vested and options fully exercisable at grant for participating executives/directors (not specific to Blass). If utilized, this structure can create near‑term share supply; participation is at each executive’s election and subject to insider trading policy windows .
- Data gaps: No public disclosure found on Mr. Blass’s salary, bonus targets, grant sizes, or vesting schedules; no Form 4 transactions surfaced in the documents searched. We relied on the 2025 Proxy, appointment press release, 8‑Ks and his Form 3 for this analysis .
Sources: Appointment press release (role, start date, background) ; 2025 Proxy (executive officer bio, ownership table, compensation program, insider trading policy, plan terms) ; Q3’24 8‑K/press release (company operating context and pipeline/BLA path) ; SEC Form 3 (initial beneficial ownership) .