Tolga Tanguler
About Tolga Tanguler
Tolga Tanguler (age 52) is an independent Class I director of Lexeo Therapeutics (LXEO) who joined the board in November 2024; his current term runs through the 2027 annual meeting. He serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (since January 2021), and previously led Alexion’s U.S. organization (2018–2020) and Pfizer’s Rare Disease business for North America (2014–2018). He holds a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Istanbul University and an MBA from Michigan State University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals | EVP & Chief Commercial Officer | Jan 2021–present | Senior commercial leadership in commercial-stage biopharma |
| Alexion Pharmaceuticals | Head, U.S. Organization | Nov 2018–Dec 2020 | Commercial leadership |
| Pfizer | President, Rare Disease (North America) | Oct 2014–Oct 2018 | Commercial leadership; rare disease focus |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No other public company directorships disclosed in the 2025 proxy . |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: None as of the 2025 proxy. Audit (Cholmondeley, Agger, Diaz), Compensation (Diaz, Altschuler, Cholmondeley), Nominating & Corporate Governance (Agger, Van Hauwermeiren, Cooperstone), and Science & Technology (Cooperstone, Altschuler, Patni, Crystal) do not list him . His name also lacks committee superscripts in the board composition table .
- Independence: Board determined him to be independent under Nasdaq rules (typo “Toga Tanguler” in text refers to Mr. Tanguler) .
- Attendance: The board met nine times in 2024; each director met or exceeded 75% attendance of board and relevant committee meetings during their service period .
- Classification/term: Class I director; term expires in 2027 .
- Board leadership: Independent chair structure with separate CEO and Chair roles maintained .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Amount/Detail | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Fees paid or earned in cash (actual) | $5,543 (pro-rated from Nov. 11, 2024 start) | FY 2024 |
| Base Director cash retainer (policy) | $40,000 annual | Ongoing policy |
| Committee member fees (policy) | Audit: $7,500; Comp: $6,000; Nominating: $6,000; S&T: $6,000 | Ongoing policy |
| Committee chair fees (policy) | Audit: $15,000; Comp: $12,000; Nominating: $12,000; S&T: $12,000 | Ongoing policy |
| Chair of the Board additional fee (policy) | $30,000 | Ongoing policy |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Quantity/Value | Key Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Awards (reported value, actual) | $215,640 (grant-date fair value) | Director option awards under policy | FY 2024 |
| Initial Director Option Grant (policy) | 36,000 options | Vests in equal annual installments over 3 years; exercise price = FMV at grant; accelerates on change in control | Granted upon first becoming a director |
| Annual Director Option Grant (policy) | 18,000 options (pro-rated if mid-year and ≥6 months service) | Vests by next annual meeting or 1 year from grant | Begins at annual meetings, subject to service requirement |
| Outstanding Options (as of 12/31/2024) | 36,000 options | Reflects his Initial Grant; vesting per policy | Year-end 2024 status |
All non-employee director equity awards are options priced at fair market value on grant date and accelerate upon change in control; no director RSUs were reported for Mr. Tanguler in 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Interlock/Committee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | 2025 proxy biography does not list other public boards |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Commercial-stage biopharma leadership, including rare disease franchises at Pfizer, Alexion, and Alnylam, cited by the board as the basis for his qualifications .
- Education: B.S. Finance & Economics (Istanbul University); MBA (Michigan State University) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (No. of Shares) | % of Shares Outstanding | As-of Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tolga Tanguler | — (not reported) | <1% | April 15, 2025 |
| Equity Detail | Quantity | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Options outstanding (director) | 36,000 | Dec 31, 2024 |
- Section 16(a) compliance: Company states all directors complied with filing requirements for 2024 .
- Indemnification: Company has indemnification agreements with each director .
Governance Assessment
- Positives:
- Independent director with deep commercial experience in rare disease and commercial-stage biopharma, matching Lexeo’s strategic needs .
- Attendance: Company disclosed all directors met ≥75% attendance in 2024; board held nine meetings, indicating active oversight cadence .
- No related-party transactions identified involving Mr. Tanguler; audit committee reviews related-person transactions under a formal policy .
- Alignment and incentives:
- Director compensation policy emphasizes equity via options (36,000 initial; annual 18,000), aligning value to long-term stock appreciation; acceleration on change-in-control is standard but noteworthy .
- As of April 15, 2025, no beneficial share ownership was reported for Mr. Tanguler (<1%), so alignment currently rests primarily on unexercised options and vesting over time .
- Board effectiveness:
- Newer director (appointed Nov 2024) with no committee assignments yet; near-term committee placement could enhance oversight impact .
- Risk indicators and red flags:
- RED FLAG (monitor): Limited disclosed beneficial share ownership as of April 15, 2025; ownership alignment will increase as options vest and any future annual grants are received .
- No disclosures of pledging, hedging, or related-party dealings for Mr. Tanguler; Section 16 compliance clean for 2024 .
Supporting context on compensation governance: The compensation committee (Diaz chair; Altschuler; Cholmondeley) engaged Alpine Rewards as its independent consultant and met four times in 2024, which supports independent oversight of pay practices . The audit committee (Cholmondeley chair; Agger; Diaz) met six times in 2024 and oversees related-person transaction reviews under formal policy .