Laurence Reid
About Laurence Reid
Laurence Reid, Ph.D., age 62, was appointed as an independent Class I director of Metagenomi (MGX) effective August 11, 2025; his term runs to the 2028 annual meeting unless earlier departure. He holds a B.A. in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from King’s College London, and brings extensive operating, business development, and biotech leadership experience (Decibel Therapeutics CEO; Alnylam CBO; Warp Drive Bio CEO) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decibel Therapeutics, Inc. | President & Chief Executive Officer | Jan 2020 – Nov 2023 | Led strategic repositioning; company later acquired by Regeneron |
| Third Rock Ventures LLC | Entrepreneur in Residence | Dec 2019 – Nov 2020 | Company creation and early-stage portfolio support |
| Warp Drive Bio, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | Mar 2015 – Oct 2018 | Led through acquisition by Revolution Medicines |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Chief Business Officer | Jun 2010 – Dec 2014 | BD leadership at a leading RNAi company |
| Ensemble Discovery Corporation | Business Leadership | Jan 2006 – Jun 2010 | BD/operations (private company) |
| Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | General Manager | 1993 – 2003 | Operational leadership; Millennium is now part of Takeda |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Since | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken String Biosciences Ltd. | Chairperson of the Board | Aug 2024 | Private | UK-based biotech board leadership |
| KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director | Nov 2024 | Public | NASDAQ-listed biotech |
| Stratus Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly Garuda Therapeutics) | Director | Nov 2021 | Private | Cell therapy focus |
Board Governance
- Classification and tenure: Class I director; term through 2028 annual meeting .
- Independence: Board determined Reid is independent under Nasdaq rules; no arrangements/understandings for selection; no related-party transactions requiring Item 404(a) disclosure; no family relationships with MGX directors/officers .
- Committee assignments: Member of newly established Research & Development Committee alongside Willard H. Dere, M.D., Jian Irish, Ph.D., M.B.A., and Brian Thomas, Ph.D. .
- Board leadership context: MGX’s chair and CEO roles are combined; Willard H. Dere, M.D. serves as Lead Independent Director .
- Attendance: Board met 11 times in 2024 with incumbents at ≥75% attendance; Reid joined in August 2025—his attendance metrics not yet disclosed .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | $40,000 | Payable quarterly; prorated for partial year |
| Non-Executive Chair Retainer (cash) | $40,000 | Not applicable to Reid |
| Audit Committee Chair | $15,000 | Policy amounts; R&D Committee fees not specified |
| Audit Committee Member | $7,500 | Policy amounts |
| Compensation Committee Chair | $15,000 | Policy amounts |
| Compensation Committee Member | $7,500 | Policy amounts |
| Nominating & Gov. Chair | $10,000 | Policy amounts |
| Nominating & Gov. Member | $5,000 | Policy amounts |
MGX adopted standardized director retainers and equity awards; R&D Committee is newly formed and compensation specifics for that committee were not disclosed in the proxy .
Performance Compensation
| Grant | Grant Date | Shares/Options | Exercise Price | Vesting | Value Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Option Grant (Director) | Sep 2, 2025 | 42,000 stock options | Closing price of MGX on grant date | 33% on first anniversary; remaining 67% in 24 equal monthly installments (service-based) | ≤$600,000 grant-date fair value |
| Annual Director Option Grant (Policy) | At each annual meeting | 21,000 stock options | Closing price on grant date | Vests fully by next annual meeting or 1-year anniversary | ≤$300,000 grant-date fair value |
- Equity acceleration: Full acceleration upon sale of company per director policy .
- Award caps: Annual aggregate director compensation capped at $1,000,000 in first calendar year as director and $800,000 thereafter .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| External Board | Potential Interlock/Conflict with MGX | Disclosure Status |
|---|---|---|
| KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | None disclosed (no MGX transactions reported) | No related-party transactions requiring Item 404(a) disclosure; independence affirmed |
| Broken String Biosciences Ltd. | None disclosed | No related-party transactions; independence affirmed |
| Stratus Therapeutics, Inc. | None disclosed | No related-party transactions; independence affirmed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Education: B.A. Natural Sciences (Cambridge); Ph.D. Biochemistry (King’s College London) .
- Technical/industry experience: Executive leadership in RNAi (Alnylam), antibiotics/genomic-derived discovery (Warp Drive Bio), and otology therapeutics (Decibel); extensive BD and company-building experience .
- Board experience: Public company board at KalVista; chair role at Broken String .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 0 | Initial Form 3 reported no securities beneficially owned as of 08/11/2025 |
| Ownership % of outstanding | 0% | Outstanding shares were 37,382,478 as of 04/14/2025 record date; Form 3 indicates zero holdings |
| Vested vs unvested | 0 vs 0 | Prior to initial grant; service-based vesting to commence after 9/2/2025 grant |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | 0 / 0 | As of initial Form 3; initial 42,000 option grant scheduled (service-based vesting) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging for directors |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed | No director stock ownership guideline disclosure in proxy |
Insider Filings and Trades
| Date Filed | Form | Summary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2025 | Form 3 | Initial statement of beneficial ownership; no securities beneficially owned | Filed with attorney-in-fact authorization; event date 08/11/2025 |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and conflicts: Board determined Reid independent; no related-party transactions; no family relationships—supports board effectiveness and investor confidence .
- R&D oversight signal: Appointment to the new R&D Committee indicates a governance focus on scientific rigor and pipeline strategy at the board level, aligning with MGX’s platform-centric model .
- Pay structure and alignment: Cash retainer modest, with at-risk equity via options (42,000 initial; time-based vesting), aligning incentives with long-term shareholder value; anti-hedging/pledging policy strengthens alignment .
- Attendance/engagement: Joined mid-2025; attendance metrics will be disclosed post-year-end; broader board maintained regular executive sessions and strong participation in 2024, suggesting established governance cadence .
- Compensation process quality: Compensation Committee uses independent consultant (Aon) following competitive process; independence assessed and affirmed—reduces consultant conflicts risk .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed specific to Reid: no related-party transactions; independence affirmed; initial Form 3 shows no holdings or pledging; monitor time commitments across external boards and future attendance disclosures .