Arthur Klausner
About Arthur J. Klausner
Arthur J. Klausner, MBA (age 65), has served as an independent director of Monopar Therapeutics since August 2017. He chairs the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee and sits on the Audit and Compensation Committees. Klausner holds an MBA from Stanford and a BA in Biology from Princeton and has extensive biopharma leadership and venture capital experience spanning executive roles and 18 years at Domain Associates and Pappas Ventures .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldilocks Therapeutics, Inc. | President, CEO, Director | 2018–2022 | Nephrology drug development |
| Gem Pharmaceuticals, LLC | CEO | 2012–2017 | Gem’s drug assets acquired by Monopar in 2017 |
| Jade Therapeutics Inc. | CEO | 2012–2015 | Ophthalmology therapeutics |
| Domain Associates | VC professional | Part of 18 total years | Life sciences venture capital (with Pappas Ventures) |
| Pappas Ventures (now Pappas Capital) | VC professional | Part of 18 total years | Life sciences venture capital |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concarlo Therapeutics, Inc. | Executive Chairman | Current | Oncology drug development |
| NYU Innovation Venture Fund | Investment Review Board Member | Current | Venture investment oversight |
| NYU Langone Health | Investment Review Board Member | Current | Review board member |
Board Governance
| Committee | Role | Chair | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance & Nominating (CG&N) | Member | Yes (Klausner) | Oversees board composition, independence, governance principles, succession, and annual board evaluations |
| Audit Committee | Member | No (Chair: Anderson) | Financial reporting integrity, internal controls, auditor oversight, related-party transaction review |
| Compensation Committee | Member | No (Chair: Anderson) | Executive and director compensation, incentive plans, peer benchmarking |
- Board meetings in 2024: 6; Audit 5; Compensation 1; CG&N 1; all directors attended at least 75% of meetings for boards/committees on which they served .
- Independence: Board determined Klausner is independent under Nasdaq standards; no family relationships among directors/executives .
- Governance nuance: CG&N has not adopted formal stockholder nominee policies due to significant voting control by certain stockholders (a process gap worth monitoring) .
- Board leadership: CEO and Executive Chairman roles are separate; Chair sets agenda and presides over meetings .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Amount ($) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Total Cash Fees | 64,500 | As reported in director compensation table |
| Base Board Retainer | 40,000 | Annual non-employee director base fee |
| Audit Committee Member Fee | 10,000 | Annual committee member fee (in addition to base) |
| Compensation Committee Member Fee | 7,000 | Annual committee member fee |
| CG&N Committee Chair Fee | 7,500 | Annual chair fee |
| Meeting Fees | Not used | Fee schedule does not list per-meeting fees |
- Director equity awards granted in 2024: none (stock awards $0; option awards $0) .
- Payment cadence: Quarterly in arrears .
Performance Compensation
| Component | 2024 Activity | As-of Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Awards (RSUs/PSUs) | None | 12/31/2024 | No RSUs outstanding for non-employee directors |
| Option Awards (grants) | None | 12/31/2024 | No new option grants to directors in 2024 |
| Outstanding Options | 17,256 (fully vested) | 12/31/2024 | Director-level options held; fully vested by year-end |
| Options Vesting Status | Fully vested | 12/31/2024 | All non-employee director options fully vested |
- No disclosed performance metrics (e.g., TSR, revenue, EBITDA) tied to director compensation; directors are compensated via fixed cash retainers and committee fees, with historical options fully vested as of year-end 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public Company? | Committee Roles | Interlocks / Related Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concarlo Therapeutics, Inc. | Not disclosed as public | Exec Chairman | None disclosed with Monopar |
| NYU Innovation Venture Fund | N/A | Investment Review Board | None disclosed |
| NYU Langone Health | N/A | Investment Review Board | None disclosed |
- No other public company directorships disclosed for Klausner .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive leadership across multiple therapeutics companies (oncology, ophthalmology, nephrology) and deep venture capital background (18 years), supporting governance oversight and capital allocation competence .
- Education: MBA (Stanford Graduate School of Business); BA in Biology (Princeton) .
- Committee experience includes chairing CG&N and serving on Audit and Compensation, aligning with governance process, financial oversight, and pay structures .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (SEC definition) | 26,270 shares | Includes 20,097 options vested/vesting within 60 days of April 4, 2025 |
| Percent of Class | <1% | As shown in ownership table |
| Options (beneficial within 60 days) | 20,097 | Included in beneficial ownership |
| Options (as-of 12/31/2024) | 17,256 | Reported as fully vested |
| Shares Outstanding (record date) | 6,115,214 | April 25, 2025 record date |
- Hedging/pledging: Hedging transactions (e.g., swaps, collars) not permitted by Insider Trading Policy; short sales prohibited. No pledging of shares disclosed .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; multi-committee engagement including Audit; chairing CG&N indicates leadership in board composition and governance; ≥75% attendance; cash-based director pay with clear committee fee schedule .
- Alignment: Beneficial ownership is <1%; options fully vested by year-end 2024 (limited incremental long-term equity linkage absent new awards) .
- Conflicts/Related Party: No related-party transactions involving directors reported since Jan 2024; Audit Committee oversees related-party reviews .
- Process Risk/Red Flag: CG&N has not adopted formal policies/processes for stockholder-recommended nominees due to concentrated voting control—this can constrain board refreshment pathways and may be viewed as a governance process gap for minority investors .
- Board structure: Separation of CEO and Executive Chairman supports oversight; however, no Lead Independent Director disclosed .
Overall signal: Klausner’s independence, committee breadth, and governance chair role support board effectiveness. The lack of new equity awards and small beneficial stake temper ownership alignment, while the CG&N policy gap tied to concentrated control is a governance risk investors should monitor .