George Vratsanos
About George Vratsanos
George Vratsanos, M.D., FACR (age 61) is a Class I independent director of Nkarta, Inc., elected on June 13, 2024, with a term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting . He is President and CEO of Jnana Therapeutics Inc. since November 2024, having joined Jnana in July 2023 as Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer; he is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology with deep immunology and translational science expertise . His education includes B.S. and M.S. in biomedical engineering (Columbia), M.S. in clinical investigation (Vanderbilt), M.D. (NYU), and a postdoctoral fellowship in investigative rheumatology/immunobiology (Yale) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janssen Pharmaceuticals | SVP, Translational Science & Medicine, Immunology | Sep 2018–Jul 2023 | Led immunology translational programs; R&D leadership experience |
| Janssen Pharmaceuticals | Vice President | Sep 2016–Sep 2018 | Immunology portfolio oversight |
| Novartis AG | Executive Global Program Head, Immunology & Dermatology Franchise | Jan 2013–Sep 2016 | Global program leadership; contributed to development of approved therapies (Orencia®, Cosentyx®) |
| Novartis AG | Vice President, Autoimmunity Clinical Science Unity Head | Nov 2011–Jan 2013 | Autoimmunity clinical leadership |
| Roche Pharmaceuticals | Translational Medicine Leader | Aug 2009–Nov 2011 | Translational medicine in immunology |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | Group Director | 2007–2009 | Program leadership; prior success noted by approved therapies (Orencia®) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jnana Therapeutics Inc. (private) | President & CEO | Since Nov 2024 | Clinical-stage biotech; immune-mediated diseases |
| Jnana Therapeutics Inc. (private) | Head of R&D and Chief Medical Officer | Jul 2023–Nov 2024 | Oversaw PKU and immune disease R&D |
| American College of Rheumatology | Fellow (FACR) | N/A | Professional credential |
Board Governance
- Board class and term: Class I; term expires at the 2027 annual meeting .
- Committee assignments: Co-Chair, Science & Technology Committee (with Angela Thedinga); committee met once in 2024; remit covers pipeline oversight, R&D/manufacturing strategy, and technical/clinical risk management .
- Independence: Board determined Vratsanos to be “independent” under Nasdaq listing standards .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held six meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings; independent directors meet in regular sessions without management .
| Governance Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Election Date | June 13, 2024 |
| Independence Status | Independent (Nasdaq) |
| Board Class / Term | Class I; term to 2027 |
| Committees | Science & Technology Committee (Co-Chair) |
| 2024 Meetings | Board: 6; S&T: 1 |
| Attendance | ≥75% for all directors |
| Independent Sessions | Yes, regularly scheduled |
Shareholder Election Votes (June 13, 2024)
| Candidate | For | Withheld | Broker Non-Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Vratsanos, M.D. | 55,902,624 | 119,188 | 2,957,724 |
Fixed Compensation
- Director Cash Policy: Annual retainer $40,000; additional retainers: Board Chair/Lead Independent $30,000; Committee Chair—Audit $15,000, Compensation $12,000, N&G $10,000, Science & Technology $12,000; Committee membership retainers—Audit $7,500, Compensation $6,000, N&G $5,000, Science & Technology $6,000; paid quarterly and prorated .
| Item | Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| 2024 Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (Vratsanos) | 25,249 |
| 2024 Stock Awards (Vratsanos) | — |
| 2024 Option Awards (Grant-date fair value) | 243,135 |
| 2024 Total (Vratsanos) | 268,384 |
Performance Compensation
- Equity structure for non-employee directors: Annual option grants for continuing directors sized to the lesser of 46,000 shares or ~$270,000 fair value (2024 actual: 22,500 shares); vest on first anniversary; initial option grants for new directors sized to lesser of 92,000 shares or ~$540,000 fair value; vest one-third on each of the first, second, and third anniversaries; options unvested at time of change-in-control will vest .
| Equity Award Detail (Director) | Grant Date | Type | Shares | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting | Change-in-Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Director Grant (Vratsanos) | Jun 13, 2024 | Stock Options | 45,000 | 243,135 | One-third annually on 1st, 2nd, 3rd anniversary (per policy) | Unvested options fully vest |
| Outstanding Options (as of 12/31/2024) | Count |
|---|---|
| Vratsanos | 45,000 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | No other public company directorships disclosed for Dr. Vratsanos in 2025 proxy . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Expertise: Immunology and translational science; leadership and management across global pharma .
- Education: B.S./M.S. biomedical engineering (Columbia), M.S. clinical investigation (Vanderbilt), M.D. (NYU), postdoctoral fellowship in rheumatology/immunobiology (Yale) .
- Recognized achievements: R&D leadership spanning autoimmune diseases with contributions to approved therapies such as Orencia® and Cosentyx® .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Class | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Vratsanos | 45,000 (options exercisable within 60 days of Apr 10, 2025) | <1% | Shares outstanding: 70,957,554 |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: As S&T Committee Co-Chair, Vratsanos directly oversees pipeline, R&D strategy, and technical/clinical risk—aligning board expertise with NKTX’s autoimmune focus . His independent status under Nasdaq supports objective oversight .
- Investor confidence: Election received strong support (55.9M For vs. 119k Withheld), signaling broad shareholder approval for his appointment .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay heavily equity-linked (2024: $243k option fair value vs. $25k cash), and initial options vest over three years; unvested options accelerate on change-in-control (common market practice but may modestly reduce “at-risk” exposure upon CoC) .
- Attendance/engagement: Board met six times, S&T once in 2024; all directors met ≥75% attendance; independent directors hold regular sessions without management—positive governance hygiene .
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: No related-party transactions involving Vratsanos disclosed; independence reaffirmed. External executive role at Jnana Therapeutics (private) targets immune-mediated diseases, overlapping thematically with NKTX’s autoimmune focus, but no conflict disclosed and independence affirmed by the Board .
- Insider compliance: No Section 16(a) delinquencies reported for directors other than a single Form 4 by an executive (David Shook), indicating proper ownership reporting practices for the board, including Vratsanos .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Vratsanos. Note the standard change-of-control acceleration for director options ; absence of disclosed director stock ownership guidelines limits visibility into long-term ownership targets .