Anders Ekblom
About Anders Ekblom
Independent non-executive director of Mereo BioPharma Group plc since July 2015; age 70 as of the 2025 proxy. Board-certified medical doctor and Associate Professor at Karolinska Institutet; holds M.D., Ph.D., and D.D.S. degrees. Former AstraZeneca executive (EVP Global Drug Development, EVP Global Medicines Development, Global Head Clinical Development, CEO of AstraZeneca AB Sweden). Chairs Mereo’s Remuneration Committee and Research & Development Committee, indicating deep development and governance expertise .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca | EVP Global Drug Development; EVP Global Medicines Development; Global Head Clinical Development; CEO, AstraZeneca AB Sweden | Not disclosed | Led global development; operational leadership across clinical and medicines development |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alligator Bioscience AB | Chairman of the Board | Not disclosed | External public role |
| Atrogi AB | Chairman of the Board | Not disclosed | External role |
| Elypta AB | Chairman of the Board | Not disclosed | External role |
| Xspray Pharma AB | Chairman of the Board | Not disclosed | External public role |
| AnaMar AB | Director | Not disclosed | External role |
| Flerie AB | Director | Not disclosed | External role |
| Synerkine Pharma Bv | Director | Not disclosed | External role |
Board Governance
- Committee leadership and membership
- Remuneration Committee: Chair; members include Deepika Pakianathan and Justin Roberts (Rubric nominee), satisfying the Cooperation Agreement provision for Rubric representation on committees .
- Research & Development Committee: Chair; members include Pierre Jacquet, Daniel Shames, and Marc Yoskowitz .
- Independence: Board affirms Ekblom is independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules (nine of ten directors independent) .
- Attendance: All directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings in 2024 (Board 5, Audit 6, Remuneration 5) .
- Re-election: Re-elected by shareholders in 2024; not up for re-election in 2025 (continuing director) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | $0 | $0 (opted for Deferred RSUs) |
| Board Member Annual Fee (policy) | $39,463 | $39,644 |
| Audit Committee Member / Chair ($) | $7,638 / $19,732 | $7,527 / $19,446 |
| Remuneration Committee Member / Chair ($) | $5,601 / $11,712 | $5,520 / $11,542 |
| Nom/Gov Committee Member / Chair ($) | $4,456 / $8,911 | $4,391 / $8,782 |
| R&D Committee Member / Chair ($) | $5,092 / $10,184 | $5,018 / $10,036 |
- Directors may elect to convert annual cash fees into Deferred RSUs over ADSs; vest monthly over the plan year; delivery generally 180 days post-separation .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Date | Number | Strike/Value | Vesting | Expiration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Options (annual grant) | Feb 8, 2024 | 45,000 | $3.87 per ADS | Equal monthly over 1 year (fully vested on Feb 8, 2025) | Feb 8, 2034 | No performance conditions |
| Deferred RSUs (in lieu of cash) | 2024 plan year | 3,246 unvested at 12/31/24 | $11,361 market value | Equal monthly over plan year; fully vested Jan 2025 | N/A | Paid in ADSs post-separation |
Director Compensation (Year-over-Year)
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Share Awards ($) | $74,894 | $75,353 |
| Option Awards ($) | $46,412 | $127,512 |
| Total ($) | $121,306 | $202,865 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Rubric Cooperation Agreement requires at least one Rubric nominee on each committee; Remuneration Committee includes Justin Roberts (Rubric Partner). Governance dynamic warrants monitoring but no related-party transactions involving Ekblom are disclosed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Clinical and development leadership: senior AstraZeneca roles across global drug and medicines development; CEO of AstraZeneca AB Sweden .
- Academic credentials: Associate Professor at Karolinska Institutet; M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., signaling strong scientific and medical oversight capability .
- Committee suitability: Chairs Remuneration (comp governance) and R&D (pipeline oversight), consistent with expertise .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (ordinary shares incl. ADSs) | 1,517,210 (0.2%) |
| Direct ADSs held | 37,940 ADSs |
| Options/awards exercisable within 60 days | 265,502 ADSs |
| Outstanding Options (sample detail at 12/31/24) | 43,252 @ $8.63 exp. 09/29/2025; 5,500 @ $5.40 exp. 05/20/2029; 5,500 @ $3.00 exp. 07/23/2029; 11,000 @ $1.84 exp. 02/20/2030; 31,500 @ $2.72 exp. 02/01/2031; 55,000 @ $1.31 exp. 02/01/2032; 55,000 @ $0.94 exp. 02/01/2033; 37,500 (exercisable) + 7,500 (unexercisable) @ $3.87 exp. 02/08/2034 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by company policy (directors, officers, employees) |
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback
| Proposal (AGM 2025) | Result |
|---|---|
| UK Directors’ Remuneration Report (advisory) | 98.64% FOR |
| U.S. NEO Compensation (advisory) | 97.97% FOR |
| Frequency of advisory vote | 1-year: 48.08%; 3-year: 46.36%; Board adopted annual say-on-pay until next frequency vote by 2031 |
| Auditor re-appointment / remuneration authority | 99.58% and 99.91% FOR, respectively |
Related-Party Transactions
- No transactions involving Anders Ekblom disclosed. The Cooperation Agreement with Rubric (largest shareholder) governs committee representation and includes a 20% standstill; extended to post-2025 AGM; not specific to Ekblom .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with deep clinical development credentials; chairs both Remuneration and R&D, enhancing board effectiveness in pay-for-performance alignment and pipeline oversight .
- Robust shareholder support on remuneration matters (UK and U.S. say-on-pay), suggesting confidence in board oversight of compensation .
- Clear policies prohibiting hedging/pledging and established clawback for officers; formal related-party transaction review by Audit & Risk Committee .
-
Watch items
- Rubric Cooperation Agreement embeds investor-nominated presence on committees (including Remuneration), requiring continued vigilance to ensure independence of compensation decisions; however, no specific conflicts involving Ekblom are disclosed .
- Director compensation tilt toward options in 2024 (higher option award value), while cash fees were converted to Deferred RSUs; alignment is primarily via equity but options carried no performance conditions, typical for non-executive directors .
-
Overall
- Governance signals are constructive: independence affirmed, strong attendance, and leadership on key committees. Shareholder votes endorse remuneration oversight, and policies mitigate alignment risks. No red flags (pledging, loans, related-party exposure) tied to Ekblom disclosed .