Lavina Talukdar
About Lavina Talukdar
Lavina Talukdar, CFA, age 51, joined Monopar’s Board in February 2025 and is currently Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations at Moderna (since April 2019). She brings 20+ years of healthcare and biotechnology investing and financial strategy experience, with prior roles at ADIA (Senior Portfolio Manager), Lord Abbett (Partner/Healthcare Equity Analyst), MFS Investment Management, State Street Global Advisors, and Fiduciary Trust International; she holds a BS in Business Administration from SUNY Stony Brook and is a CFA charterholder. She was determined independent under Nasdaq standards by Monopar’s Board.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderna, Inc. | SVP, Head of Investor Relations | Since April 2019 | Leads IR for mRNA leader; deep capital markets and investor engagement expertise |
| Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) | Senior Portfolio Manager | Not disclosed | Oversaw global healthcare investments in private and public equities |
| Lord Abbett & Co. | Partner & Healthcare Equity Analyst | Not disclosed | Buy-side healthcare research/investing experience |
| MFS Investment Management | Investment role | Not disclosed | Institutional asset management experience |
| State Street Global Advisors | Investment role | Not disclosed | Institutional asset management experience |
| Fiduciary Trust International | Investment role | Not disclosed | Institutional investment experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company directorships | None disclosed | — | No other public company boards disclosed in MNPR proxy/8-K |
| Related-party transactions | None | — | Company states no reportable related-party transactions involving Talukdar |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (member), Compensation Committee (member), Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee (member), Plan Administrator Committee (member).
- Chair roles around her: Audit Committee Chair – Raymond W. Anderson; Compensation Committee Chair – Raymond W. Anderson; CG&N Committee Chair – Arthur J. Klausner; Plan Administrator Committee has no charter (no chair disclosed).
- Independence: Board affirmed Talukdar is independent under Nasdaq listing standards; Board found no disqualifying relationships.
- Engagement signal: Signed the Audit Committee Report for FY2024, indicating active participation in audit oversight.
- Board/committee cadence: In 2024, Board met 6 times; Audit met 5; Compensation met 1; CG&N met 1; Plan Administrator Committee took 4 unanimous written actions; all Board members at that time attended at least 75% of meetings (Talukdar joined in 2025; her attendance will be reported in the next proxy).
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Employee Board Member Base Fee | 40,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| Audit Committee Member | 10,000 | Member fee (Chair: 15,000) |
| Compensation Committee Member | 7,000 | Member fee (Chair: 12,500) |
| CG&N Committee Member | 5,000 | Member fee (Chair: 7,500) |
| Executive Chairman additional fee | 40,000 | Applies to Executive Chairman (not Talukdar) |
| Standard compensation eligibility | — | Talukdar will receive standard non-employee director compensation per appointment 8-K |
- 2024 non-employee director compensation was cash-only (no stock or option awards recorded for directors in 2024); figures reflect fees for incumbents at that time.
Performance Compensation
| Item | Disclosure | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based metrics tied to director pay | None disclosed | No revenue/EBITDA/TSR-linked director compensation metrics disclosed |
| Long-term equity framework | Disclosed | Equity compensation determined annually using Black-Scholes with peer review; no RSUs outstanding for directors as of 12/31/2024 |
| Compensation peer group usage | Disclosed | ~20 peer companies reviewed for compensation decisions in 2024; no independent compensation consultant engaged that year |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Other public company boards: None disclosed for Talukdar.
- Interlocks/conflicts: Company states no related-party transactions involving Talukdar or her immediate family; she joined alongside the resignation of director Michael J. Brown.
- Governance environment: CG&N notes significant voting control by certain existing stockholders and absence of formal shareholder-nomination policy/minimum qualifications, relying on case-by-case evaluations and diversity of experience.
Expertise & Qualifications
- 20+ years in biopharma capital markets, investing, and financial strategy; senior IR leadership at Moderna; prior buy-side roles at ADIA and Lord Abbett.
- CFA charterholder; BS in Business Administration (SUNY Stony Brook).
- Identified by CG&N based on extensive industry experience and long-standing investment in Monopar.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lavina Talukdar | 15,422 | * | Includes 1,421 options vested or vesting within 60 days after April 4, 2025 |
| Options detail | 1,421 | — | Exercisable or become exercisable within 60 days after April 4, 2025 |
- Pledging/hedging: No pledging or hedging disclosures specific to Talukdar; not disclosed in the proxy/8-K.
Governance Assessment
-
Positives:
- Independence affirmed; multi-committee membership (Audit, Compensation, CG&N, Plan Admin) enhances oversight span and signal of active engagement.
- Audit Committee participation and signature on the Audit Committee Report indicate direct involvement in financial reporting and controls oversight.
- Deep capital markets and healthcare investing background (Moderna IR lead; prior buy-side roles) adds investor-relations and valuation literacy to the Board.
-
Watch items / potential red flags:
- Compensation Committee did not engage an independent compensation consultant in 2024, relying on internal peer review (~20 peers); investors may monitor for independence in pay benchmarking going forward.
- CG&N acknowledges significant voting control by certain stockholders and absence of a formal stockholder-nomination policy/minimum qualifications; this can concentrate influence and may limit formalized director selection processes.
- Director equity alignment appears modest per beneficial ownership (15,422 shares including 1,421 options); percent-of-class not specified (denoted “*”); investors may seek future increases in ownership to strengthen alignment.
-
Conflicts:
- Company disclosed no related-party transactions involving Talukdar; she was appointed without any arrangement/understanding with other persons and is entitled to standard non-employee director compensation.
-
Attendance:
- Board-level attendance in 2024 was at least 75% for all then-current directors; Talukdar joined in February 2025—her individual attendance will be reported in the next proxy.