Andrew Phillips
About Andrew Phillips
Andrew Phillips, age 54, has served as an independent director of MoonLake Immunotherapeutics since April 2022, and currently chairs the Compensation Committee while serving on the Nominating Committee . He is a seasoned biotech executive and scientist: CEO/President of Aleksia Therapeutics (since Aug 2022) and Nexo Therapeutics (since Nov 2022), former CEO of Blossom Bioscience (Jun 2021–Dec 2023), ex-Managing Director at Cormorant Asset Management (Aug 2020–Jul 2022), and prior CFO of Helix (pre-de-SPAC) . His academic credentials include a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Canterbury; he previously held roles at C4 Therapeutics (CEO/President/CSO), the Broad Institute (Senior Director), Yale (Professor), and the University of Colorado (Professor) . The Board has formally determined him to be independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CCCC) | Chief Executive Officer; President; Chief Scientific Officer | CEO: May 2018–Mar 2020; President: Sep 2016–May 2018; CSO: Jan 2016–May 2018 | Led company through early clinical development and strategic execution |
| Broad Institute | Senior Director, Center for Development of Therapeutics | Jul 2014–Jan 2016 | Built translational discovery capabilities |
| Yale University | Professor of Chemistry | Jun 2010–Jan 2015 | Academic leadership in chemistry |
| University of Colorado | Assistant/Associate/Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry | Jul 2001–Jun 2010 | Academic leadership in biochemistry |
| Helix (pre-MoonLake) | Chief Financial Officer | Apr 2021–Apr 2022 (Merger Closing) | CFO of SPAC predecessor to MLTX |
External Roles
| Organization | Exchange/Ticker | Role | Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleksia Therapeutics, Inc. | Private | Chief Executive Officer & President | Aug 2022 | Previously interim CEO |
| Nexo Therapeutics, Inc. | Private | Chief Executive Officer & President | Nov 2022 | |
| Enliven Therapeutics, Inc. | Nasdaq: ELVN | Director | Ongoing (as of Apr 2025) | Public biopharma directorship |
| OnKure, Inc. | Nasdaq: OKUR | Director | Ongoing (as of Apr 2025) | Public biopharma directorship |
| Blossom Bioscience Ltd. | Private | Chief Executive Officer | Jun 2021–Dec 2023 | |
| Cormorant Asset Management | — | Managing Director | Aug 2020–Jul 2022 | Fund manager experience |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee Chair; Nominating Committee member .
- Independence: Determined independent under Nasdaq rules; Compensation and Nominating Committee members meet additional independence criteria .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 4 times in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings; six directors attended the 2024 AGM .
- Board leadership: Independent Chairperson (Simon Sturge); independent directors meet in executive session at every regular Board meeting .
- Committee activity: 2024 meetings—Audit (4), Compensation (2), Nominating (2) .
- Say-on-pay signal: 99% approval at 2024 AGM, indicating strong shareholder support for compensation oversight .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Cash Retainer | $40,000 | Program rate | Paid quarterly in advance |
| Compensation Committee Chair Fee | $12,000 | Program rate | Chair premium |
| Nominating Committee Member Fee | $4,000 | Program rate | Member premium |
| 2024 Fees Earned (Andrew Phillips) | $56,000 | Actual | Sum consistent with roles (Chair Comp + Member Nominating + base) |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | Vesting / Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Option Grant (count) | 11,297 | 7,688 | Vests in full on earlier of 1-year from grant, next AGM, or Change of Control; subject to service |
| Option Awards Fair Value (Andrew Phillips) | $224,991 | $225,005 | Black-Scholes valuation; value realized contingent on share price vs exercise price |
| Grant Date | Jun 8, 2023 | Jun 6, 2024 | |
| Outstanding Options (as of 12/31) | 56,297 (2023) | 63,985 (2024) | Aggregate outstanding option awards |
- Change-of-control terms: Director options vest fully upon a Change of Control per program description .
- Clawback, hedging/pledging: Company has an incentive compensation clawback policy (Nasdaq 10D-1) and prohibits hedging/pledging of Company stock by directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Enliven Therapeutics (ELVN) | Director | Public biopharma board; no MLTX disclosed related-party transactions |
| OnKure (OKUR) | Director | Public biopharma board; no MLTX disclosed related-party transactions |
| MoonLake AG (subsidiary) | Director | Reimbursement for business expenses in subsidiary role |
| Prior: Cormorant Asset Management | Managing Director | Cormorant-affiliated funds are >5% holders in MLTX; Board still deems Phillips independent |
- Compensation committee interlocks: None of the Compensation Committee members were officers/employees in prior three years; no cross-boards with MLTX executives creating interlocks .
- Related-party exposure: No related party transactions disclosed involving Phillips; company policy requires Audit Committee review of potential conflicts .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Scientific/technical: Drug discovery and translational science leadership (Broad Institute; C4 Therapeutics; academic professorships) .
- Financial/operational: Fund management (Cormorant), SPAC CFO experience (Helix) .
- Education: B.Sc. Biochemistry and Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Canterbury (New Zealand) .
- Governance: Multiple public company directorships; current chair of MLTX Compensation Committee .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares | % Class A | Class C Shares | Options Exercisable ≤60 Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Phillips | 48,985 | <1% | — | 48,985 (entirely options exercisable within 60 days) | Aggregate outstanding options: 63,985 (12/31/2024) |
| Policy & Controls | — | — | — | — | Hedging/pledging prohibited; insider trading policy in place |
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Composition: Chair Andrew Phillips; members Catherine Moukheibir and Spike Loy .
- Consultant: Deloitte AG engaged in 2024 to advise on executive/director pay; committee concluded Deloitte is independent with no conflicts .
- Peer group benchmarking: Committee reviewed a biotech peer set (market cap $696mm–$2,859mm; headcount 36–236) including Immunovant, Bicycle Therapeutics, Acelyrin, Rapt, Vera Therapeutics, Verona, Pharvaris, Summit, Aclaris, Protagonist, Dice, and others .
- Shareholder feedback: 99% say-on-pay approval in 2024; no program changes made based on vote .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with deep biotech R&D and operating experience; chairs Comp Committee and participates in governance via Nominating Committee .
- High engagement (≥75% attendance; active committee work); robust independent board leadership and executive sessions .
- Director pay mix blends modest cash retainers with time-based equity; no meeting fees; anti-hedging/pledging policy; clear clawback framework .
- Strong shareholder support for compensation oversight (99% say-on-pay) .
-
Watch items / potential conflicts:
- Prior role at Cormorant Asset Management (affiliated with a >5% MLTX holder) could present perceived network influence; Board independence determination and related-party policy mitigate risk .
- Change-of-control acceleration for director equity can be shareholder-sensitive, though common in biotech; transparency provided on vesting triggers .
-
Overall signal:
- Governance profile supports investor confidence: independent chair structure, active committees, transparent director compensation, and strong say-on-pay outcomes .