Juergen Eckhardt
About Juergen Eckhardt
Juergen Eckhardt, M.D., M.B.A., age 58, is a Class II independent director at Metagenomi (MGX) with his current term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting; he previously served as Chairman of the Board from September 2020 to February 2024 . He is designated an audit committee financial expert and serves on all three standing committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance) . Dr. Eckhardt holds an M.D. from the University of Basel and an M.B.A. from INSEAD, and brings deep venture, strategy, and drug development experience from Bayer and McKinsey .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metagenomi (MGX) | Chairman of the Board | Sep 2020 – Feb 2024 | Led Board through reorganization/IPO period; transitioned to independent director |
| McKinsey & Co. | Associate Partner; Healthcare Leadership Team | 1994 – 2002 | Strategy and operational impact in healthcare clients |
External Roles
| Organization | Type | Role | Tenure | Notes / Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayer AG | Strategic VC (Corporate) | Head of Leaps (prev. Head of Venture Investments) | Feb 2019 – present (Sep 2016 – Feb 2019 prior role) | Bayer HealthCare LLC is a 10.8% MGX shareholder, creating a potential influence/interlock pathway |
| Dewpoint Therapeutics | Private biotech | Director | Current | Private board; potential network overlap in drug development |
| Khloris Biosciences | Private biotech | Director | Current | Private board |
| Oerth Bio | Private biotech | Director | Current | Private board |
| Other private companies/foundations | Private/non-profit | Director | Current | Portfolio governance roles |
Board Governance
| Governance Item | Status / Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent (Board determination as of March 2025; only CEO and COO are non-independent) |
| Committee memberships | Audit (Member), Compensation (Member), Nominating & Corporate Governance (Member) |
| Committee chairs | None (Audit Chair: Bjerkholt; Comp Chair: Dere; Nominating Chair: Dere) |
| Audit committee financial expert | Yes (Eckhardt designated) |
| Board & committee meeting cadence (2024) | Board: 11; Audit: 4; Compensation: 3; Nominating: 3 |
| Attendance & engagement | Each incumbent director attended ≥75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings served (2024) |
| Lead Independent Director | Willard H. Dere, M.D. |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Prohibited for directors (short sales, derivatives, pledging) |
| Related party oversight | Audit committee reviews/approves related person transactions ≥$120k |
Fixed Compensation
| 2024 Director Compensation (USD) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $60,268 |
| Option Awards (grant-date fair value) | $599,953 |
| Total | $660,221 |
| Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy (Cash Retainers) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer | $40,000 |
| Non-Executive Chair retainer | $40,000 |
| Audit Chair / Member | $15,000 / $7,500 |
| Compensation Chair / Member | $15,000 / $7,500 |
| Nominating Chair / Member | $10,000 / $5,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Design | 2024 Grant Value | Vesting Schedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock options (per Director policy) | $599,953 | Initial grant: 33% at 1-year, then monthly over 24 months; Annual grant: vests fully by next AGM or 1-year, subject to service | |
| Options held (as of 12/31/2024) | 78,636 shares | Standard 4-year vesting for options (25% at 1-year, then monthly) | Aggregate options across directors; Eckhardt held 78,636 options |
Note: Director equity is time-based; no performance metrics (TSR, EBITDA, ESG) are described for director awards in the policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship to MGX | Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer HealthCare LLC | 10.8% MGX holder | Eckhardt leads Bayer’s Leaps unit; potential influence/related-party sensitivity even with independence determination |
| Dewpoint, Khloris, Oerth Bio | Private biotech boards | No disclosed transactions with MGX; monitor ecosystem overlap |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Strategy, finance, and venture leadership (Head of Leaps at Bayer; ex-McKinsey Associate Partner) .
- Drug development and biotech governance experience across multiple boards .
- Audit committee financial expertise (SEC definition) .
- Medical and business credentials: M.D. (University of Basel); M.B.A. (INSEAD) .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Category | Shares | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially owned (options exercisable within 60 days) | 30,577 | <1% |
| Options held (total as of 12/31/2024) | 78,636 | n/a |
Policy note: Directors are prohibited from hedging or pledging company stock, supporting alignment with shareholders .
Governance Assessment
-
Strong signals:
- Independent director with comprehensive committee coverage and “audit committee financial expert” designation enhances oversight quality .
- Attendance met ≥75% threshold; Board and committees held regular sessions indicating active governance cadence .
- Robust policies: hedging/pledging prohibited; formal related-party review via Audit Committee .
- Director pay structure uses standard market retainers and equity with service-based vesting; annual limits to avoid excess .
-
Watch items / potential conflicts:
- Eckhardt’s senior role at Bayer AG coincides with Bayer HealthCare LLC owning 10.8% of MGX; while Board deems him independent, this creates an interlock/influence channel that warrants ongoing monitoring of related-party transactions and recusal practices in any Bayer-related matters .
- Transition from MGX Chairman (through Feb 2024) to independent director requires vigilance to ensure continued arm’s-length oversight, though independence has been formally affirmed .
-
Compensation mix considerations:
- Heavy initial option grant (~$600k grant-date fair value in 2024) and annual option policy align incentives to long-term equity value but are purely time-based with no disclosed performance metrics; investors may prefer adding performance-conditioned director equity to strengthen pay-for-performance optics .
RED FLAG: Potential related-party influence due to concurrent Bayer leadership (Head of Leaps) and Bayer HealthCare LLC’s 10.8% MGX ownership; ensure strict conflict management, disclosure, and committee oversight on any dealings or strategic decisions involving Bayer .