Kim Blickenstaff
About Kim Blickenstaff
Independent director of Nuvation Bio (NUVB) since August 2019; age 72 as of the 2025 proxy. Former CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care and Biosite; formerly a certified public accountant with 20+ years overseeing financial statements. Holds a B.A. in Political Science and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago. Board has affirmatively determined Blickenstaff is independent under NYSE standards and Company guidelines .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. | President & CEO; later Chairman of the Board | CEO 2007–2019; Chairman since March 2020; served on board through December 2024 | Led diabetes device company; board leadership experience |
| Biosite Incorporated | Chairman & CEO | 1988–2007 (acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations in June 2007) | Built diagnostics business; oversaw financial statements |
| Medivation, Inc. | Director | 2005–2016 (acquired by Pfizer in 2016) | Oncology board experience; network tie to NUVB CEO David Hung (Medivation founder) |
| DexCom, Inc. | Director | June 2001–September 2007 | Diabetes CGM industry board experience |
| Baxter Travenol National Health Laboratories; Hybritech | Various roles in finance, operations, research, sales, strategic planning, marketing | Prior to 1988 | Broad operating and financial experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. | Executive Chairman and Director | Company site lists him as Executive Chairman (current) |
| OPY Acquisition Corp. I | Independent Director | As reported in WSJ profile (verify status) |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Blickenstaff (and five other directors) are independent; no material relationships; Board also reviewed ordinary-course relationships and found none material .
- Committee assignments (2024/2025): Audit Committee member; Audit Chair is Kathryn E. Falberg (financial expert). Compensation Committee: Bazemore, Cui, Vernon (Chair). Nominating & Corporate Governance: Bazemore (Chair), Mashal, Vernon .
- Class B Director: Designated as Class B Director in board classification .
- Attendance: Board met 14 times in 2024; Audit 5, Compensation 12, Nominating 2; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Lead Independent Director: Robert B. Bazemore Jr.; Board Chair is David Hung; non-management directors held 14 executive sessions in 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (FY2024) |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $40,000 |
| Audit Committee member fee | $7,500 |
| Total fees earned (reported) | $47,500 |
| Lead Independent Director premium | $30,000 (not applicable to Blickenstaff) |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | # Shares/Options | Exercise Price | Fair Value | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual non-employee director stock option | Sep 2024 | 200,801 | $2.98 | $385,020 | Vests at 2025 Annual Meeting (policy: earlier of one-year or next annual meeting) |
| Annual policy (ongoing) | At each Annual Meeting | Options sized to ~$385,000 fair value | — | $385,000 target | Vests on earlier of one-year or next annual meeting |
| 2025 Annual Meeting grant (Form 4) | May 21, 2025 | 292,983 (stock option) | $2.03 | — | Annual grant under policy (vesting per policy) |
Policy notes: New director initial option grants targeted at $770,000 fair value, vest monthly over three years; annual refresh options typically granted last business day of February for employees; directors receive automatic grants at Annual Meetings .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Medivation, Inc. | Blickenstaff director (2005–2016); Hung founded and led Medivation | Historical network tie (not current); signals prior working relationship with current CEO |
| NovoCure Ltd. | Current board overlap noted between David Hung and Anthony Vernon (not Blickenstaff) | Interlock pertains to Hung and Vernon; not Blickenstaff |
| Tandem/DexCom (diabetes devices) | Prior/current roles | No related-party transactions disclosed with NUVB; sectors differ from oncology focus |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial oversight: Former CPA and 20+ years overseeing preparation of financial statements; aligns with Audit Committee service .
- Life sciences leadership: CEO roles at Tandem and Biosite; director experience at Medivation and DexCom; breadth across devices, diagnostics, and biotech .
- Governance: Long-tenured board service and chairmanship experience; independent status affirmed .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Options Exercisable Within 60 Days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Blickenstaff (incl. Revocable Trust) | 172,189 | 792,047 | 964,236 | <1% |
- Anti-hedging/anti-pledging: Company policy prohibits short sales, options/hedging, margin accounts, and pledging by directors and employees .
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Filing Date | Transaction Date | Type | Securities Transacted | Price | Security | Post-Transaction Ownership | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-23 | 2025-05-21 | Award (A) | 292,983 | $2.03 | Stock Option (Right to Buy) | 292,983 options | |
| 2024-09-05 | 2024-09-03 | Award (A) | 200,801 | $2.98 | Stock Option (Right to Buy) | 200,801 options | |
| 2024-06-13 | 2024-06-11 | Purchase (P) | 172,189 | $2.9043 | Class A Common Stock | 172,189 shares |
Alignment signal: Open-market purchase in June 2024 increases skin-in-the-game and can be viewed as confidence in the company’s prospects .
Director Compensation (FY2024 reported)
| Name | Fees Earned (Cash) | Option Awards (Grant-date FV) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Blickenstaff | $47,500 | $385,020 | $432,520 |
- Non-employee director policy: Annual cash retainer $40,000; committee fees $7,500 (Audit member), $6,000 (Comp member), $5,000 (Nominating member); $15,000/$12,000/$10,000 for chairs; Lead Independent Director receives $30,000 additional retainer .
- 2024 director options: Standard annual option sized to ~$385,000 fair value; Blickenstaff held 200,801-share option granted in September 2024 set to vest at the 2025 Annual Meeting .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback (Context)
| Proposal | For | Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation | 214,903,033 | 1,601,869 | 143,821 | 64,812,107 |
- 2025 Annual Meeting quorum/attendance: 82.8% of Class A and 100% of Class B present; directors Falberg (Class A) and Hung (Class B) elected; KPMG ratified .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Blickenstaff’s CPA background and extensive operating experience bolster Audit Committee capabilities under an experienced chair (Falberg, audit financial expert). Attendance thresholds met; Board and committees active (14 Board meetings; 14 executive sessions in 2024) .
- Independence and conflicts: Independence affirmed; Company reports no related-party transactions involving directors above thresholds; robust related-person transaction policy and review by Audit Committee .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay structure balanced—modest cash retainer with equity options that vest on an annual cycle; open-market share purchase by Blickenstaff in 2024 enhances alignment with shareholders .
- Other directorships/interlocks: Historical network tie to CEO Hung via Medivation tenure; current interlock noted between Hung and Vernon at NovoCure (not Blickenstaff). No disclosed related-party exposure from Blickenstaff’s external roles .
- Policies and controls: Anti-hedging/anti-pledging policy strengthens ownership alignment; Dodd-Frank-compliant clawback policy implemented (primarily for executives), supporting governance rigor .
RED FLAGS
- None identified in filings regarding related-party transactions, pledging, or attendance shortfalls. Ongoing monitoring warranted for potential external role conflicts, though none disclosed involving NUVB .
Additional References
- Committee composition (public site): Audit—Falberg (Chair), Bazemore, Blickenstaff; Compensation—Vernon (Chair), Bazemore, Cui; Nominating—Bazemore (Chair), Vernon, Mashal .