Simeon George
About Simeon George
Simeon George, M.D., M.B.A. (age 48) is an independent Class II director of Nkarta, Inc. (NKTX), serving since February 2020 (and previously from February 2015 to September 2017). He is CEO and Managing Partner of SR One Capital Management, LP; earlier he led S.R. One, Limited (GSK Equity Investments) and worked at Bain & Company, Goldman Sachs, and Merrill Lynch. He holds a B.A. in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins (Phi Beta Kappa), an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. (Mayer Scholar) from Wharton .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Dates | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR One Capital Management, LP | Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner | Since Sep 2020 | Leads transatlantic biotech venture capital strategy |
| S.R. One, Limited (now GSK Equity Investments, Limited) | Chief Executive Officer & President; prior roles since 2007 | 2007–2020 | Corporate VC leadership at GSK subsidiary |
| Bain & Company | Consultant | Prior to 2007 | Strategy consulting experience |
| Goldman Sachs; Merrill Lynch | Investment Banker | Prior to 2007 | Capital markets and transactions background |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Dates | Notes/Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: CRSP) | Director | Since Mar 2015 | Ali Behbahani (NKTX Chair) also serves on CRISPR’s board (interlock) |
| Design Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DSGN) | Director | Since Feb 2020 | Public biotech board role |
| Principia Biopharma Inc. (acquired by Sanofi) | Director | Feb 2011–Sep 2020 | Prior public board |
| Progyny, Inc. (NASDAQ: PGNY) | Director | May 2012–Oct 2019 | Prior public board |
| Turning Point Therapeutics, Inc. (acquired by BMS) | Director | May 2017–Aug 2022 | Prior public board |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board classification | Class II director; nominated for re-election to serve until 2028 |
| Independence | Board determined Dr. George is independent under Nasdaq standards; affiliations with >5% holders considered |
| Committees | Compensation Committee member (Chair: Michael Dybbs); committee met 6 times in 2024 |
| Consultant use | Compensation Committee retained Aon; independence assessed—no conflicts |
| Attendance | Board met 6 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings |
| Executive sessions | Independent directors meet in regularly scheduled sessions without management |
| Board leadership | Independent Chairman (Ali Behbahani); CEO and Chair roles separated |
Committee coverage and meetings:
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation | Member | 6 | Oversees exec/director pay, clawback policy administration |
| Audit | Not a member | 4 | Audit Chair is Leone Patterson; Thedinga and Behbahani members |
| Nominating & Governance | Not a member | 5 | Behbahani (Chair), Dybbs, Scheiner |
| Science & Technology | Not a member | 1 | Thedinga & Vratsanos (Co-Chairs) |
Fixed Compensation
Director cash retainer policy:
| Component | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer | 40,000 | Paid quarterly; pro-rated for partial service |
| Additional Chair/Lead Independent Director retainer | 30,000 | If applicable |
| Committee Chair retainer (Audit/Comp/Nom/Science) | 15,000 / 12,000 / 10,000 / 12,000 | Per policy |
| Committee member retainer (Audit/Comp/Nom/Science) | 7,500 / 6,000 / 5,000 / 6,000 | Per policy |
Dr. George’s 2024 director cash compensation:
| Component | 2024 Amount ($) |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | 45,138 |
| Total Director Compensation (Cash + Equity) | 164,242 |
Performance Compensation
Annual director equity awards (options):
| Grant Type | Grant Date | Shares | Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Vesting | Change-in-Control Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual non-employee director option | Jun 13, 2024 | 22,500 | 119,104 | Vests on first anniversary of grant | Outstanding, unvested director options vest upon change in control |
Outstanding equity position (as of 12/31/2024):
| Instrument | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Stock options outstanding | 88,211 |
No director performance metrics (TSR, revenue, EBITDA, ESG) are disclosed for director compensation; awards are time-based options per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Interlock: CRISPR Therapeutics board includes both Simeon George and NKTX Chairman Ali Behbahani (dual directorship) .
- Related-party exposure: SR One Capital Management (George’s firm) purchased 2,000,000 NKTX shares in March 2024 offering ($20,000,000), alongside RA Capital and Samsara—each represented on NKTX’s board by Scheiner and Dybbs, respectively. Transactions are subject to NKTX’s related-person policy and Audit Committee review .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Venture capital leader with deep biotech investing and governance experience; CEO/Managing Partner SR One .
- Prior roles in corporate venture (GSK’s S.R. One), management consulting (Bain), and investment banking (Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch) .
- Education: B.A. neuroscience (Johns Hopkins, Phi Beta Kappa); M.D. (University of Pennsylvania); M.B.A. (Wharton, Mayer Scholar) .
Equity Ownership
Shares outstanding as of April 10, 2025: 70,957,554 .
Beneficial ownership (as of April 10, 2025):
| Holder/Instrument | Shares | Ownership Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director stock options (exercisable within 60 days) | 88,211 | Direct derivative | Included in beneficial ownership calc |
| SR One Capital Opportunities Fund I, LP | 1,548,341 | Indirect | Shared voting/dispositive power; beneficial ownership disclaimed except pecuniary interest |
| SR One Capital Fund II Aggregator, LP | 451,659 | Indirect | Shared voting/dispositive power; beneficial ownership disclaimed except pecuniary interest |
| SR One Co-Invest IX, LLC | 666,667 | Indirect | Shared voting/dispositive power; beneficial ownership disclaimed except pecuniary interest |
| SR One Co-Invest X, LLC | 666,666 | Indirect | Shared voting/dispositive power; beneficial ownership disclaimed except pecuniary interest |
| Total beneficial ownership | 3,421,544 | 4.6% of class | Aggregate per proxy |
Policy on hedging/pledging: Insiders (including directors) are prohibited from pledging or hedging Company shares; no margining or derivatives hedges allowed .
Governance Assessment
- Alignment: Independent director with meaningful economic exposure (4.6% beneficial ownership including fund positions; 88,211 options). Cash/equity mix in 2024 biased to equity (~27% cash, ~73% equity based on $45,138 cash and $119,104 option value), supporting alignment with shareholders .
- Engagement: Compensation Committee member; committee met 6 times; Board attendance threshold met; independent directors hold executive sessions .
- Process quality: Use of independent comp consultant (Aon) with conflict assessment; clawback policy for executives overseen by Compensation Committee; robust related-party transaction policy under Audit Committee .
RED FLAGS and Watch Items
- Related-party exposure: SR One’s $20M purchase in March 2024 alongside RA Capital and Samsara (all with board representation). Although subject to formal review, continued monitoring is warranted for potential conflicts in future financing or strategic transactions .
- Board investor concentration: Multiple investor-affiliated directors (RA Capital, Samsara, SR One) noted by the Board in independence determinations. While independence affirmed, concentration may influence risk tolerance and capital allocation; investors should watch decision-making in financings/partnerships .
- Interlock: Dual CRISPR directorship (George and Behbahani) increases information flow; assess for any competitive sensitivities or overlapping strategic interests .
No Section 16(a) delinquencies reported for Dr. George; proxy notes one late Form 4 only for David Shook in 2024 .