Mitchell Finer
About Mitchell H. Finer
Mitchell H. Finer, Ph.D., age 66, was appointed as a Class III independent director of PepGen on March 27, 2025; he is nominated for election at the June 4, 2025 annual meeting and, if elected, will serve until the 2028 annual meeting . He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Harvard, a B.A. in Biochemistry and Bacteriology from UC Berkeley, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research . The Board has determined that all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules . He executed PepGen’s standard indemnification agreement upon appointment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ElevateBio LLC | Strategic Advisor; previously President, R&D; Chief Scientific Officer; President, BaseCamp | Strategic Advisor current; R&D President Jan 2022–May 2024; CSO May 2019–Dec 2021; BaseCamp President May 2019–Dec 2021 | Senior leadership across R&D and manufacturing platform |
| LifeEDIT Technologies Inc. | Chief Executive Officer; Director | Nov 2020–May 2024 | Led gene editing business (ElevateBio subsidiary) |
| Oncorus, Inc. (formerly Nasdaq: ONCR) | Co-founder; Chairman and Director; CEO & CSO | Board Jan 2016–Jun 2023; CEO & CSO Jan 2016–Jun 2018 | Chaired board; operating leadership at launch |
| MPM Capital, Inc. | Executive Partner | Aug 2015–Oct 2023 | Biotech investment leadership |
| bluebird bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE) | Chief Scientific Officer | 2010–2015 | Led development of multiple approved cell/gene therapies |
| Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. | Co-founder; interim CEO | Interim CEO Apr 2017–Jul 2018 | Company formation and interim leadership |
| CODA Biotherapeutics, Inc. | Director; interim CEO | Board Jan 2017–Oct 2022; interim CEO Apr 2017–Jul 2018 | Board governance and interim operating role |
| TCR Therapeutics (formerly Nasdaq: TCRR) | Co-founder; Director | 2015–2019 | Company formation and board service |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status/Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ElevateBio LLC | Strategic Advisor | Current | Former ElevateBio board member (May 2019–May 2024) and senior executive roles |
| Public Company Boards | — | Not disclosed | No current public company directorships disclosed beyond PepGen |
Board Governance
- Class and election: Appointed Class III director; nominated for election at the 2025 annual meeting; Class III term runs to 2028 if elected .
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules; Finer is a non-employee director .
- Committee assignments: As of appointment, no committee assignment disclosed for Finer; current committee rosters are Audit (Henson—Chair; Dable; Keating) , Compensation (Mayer—Chair; Keating; Henson) , and Nominating & Corporate Governance (Resnick—Chair; Dable; Keating) .
- Board attendance: In 2024 the full Board met 10 times and each director met ≥75% attendance thresholds; Finer joined in 2025, so no 2024 attendance data applies .
- Leadership: Chair separated from CEO; Laurie B. Keating serves as chair; structure emphasizes independent oversight .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $40,000 | Paid quarterly; Finer entitled as a non-employee director |
| Non-Executive Chair retainer | $30,000 | Applies to chair only (Keating), not Finer |
| Committee chair/member retainers | Audit Chair $15,000; Audit member $7,500; Compensation Chair $10,000; Compensation member $5,000; Nominating Chair $8,000; Nominating member $4,000 | Finer has no disclosed committee assignment; no meeting fees |
| Meeting fees | $0 | No additional compensation for meeting attendance |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Key Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial stock option award | March 2025 | 26,000 | Vests 33% on first anniversary of election, remaining vests monthly over next two years; exercise price = fair market value at grant; 10-year term; accelerates on Sale Event per plan |
| Annual stock option award | Next annual meeting eligibility | 13,000 (policy) | Granted to continuing directors appointed ≥4 months before the annual meeting; vest by next annual meeting or 1 year; Finer appointed Mar 27, 2025, so <4 months before June 4, 2025—likely ineligible in 2025 under policy |
No director performance metrics (TSR, EBITDA, ESG, etc.) are tied to director compensation in disclosed policies; director equity is time-based options per the Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oncorus, Inc. | Public (formerly Nasdaq: ONCR) | Co-founder; Chair; Director | Prior board service; no current interlock disclosed with PepGen |
| bluebird bio, Inc. | Public (Nasdaq: BLUE) | Chief Scientific Officer | Operating role; no PepGen interlock disclosed |
| Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. | Public | Co-founder; interim CEO | Prior executive role; no PepGen interlock disclosed |
| CODA Biotherapeutics, Inc. | Private | Director; interim CEO | Prior role; no PepGen interlock disclosed |
| TCR Therapeutics (formerly Nasdaq: TCRR) | Public (historical) | Co-founder; Director | Prior role; no PepGen interlock disclosed |
No related-party transactions involving Finer are disclosed; standard indemnification agreement executed at appointment .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Advanced scientific leadership across gene and cell therapies; led development of four approved therapies at bluebird bio (Abecma, Zynteglo, Lyfgenia, Skysona) .
- Ph.D. Harvard; B.A. UC Berkeley; postdoctoral fellowship at Whitehead Institute, underscoring deep technical pedigree .
- Inventor on >15 issued U.S. patents, reflecting sustained innovation track record .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of March 31, 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | — | No beneficial ownership reported for Finer in principal stockholders table |
| Ownership % of outstanding | * | Below 1%; not reported explicitly |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 0 | Initial option grant is time-based; first tranche vests at 1-year anniversary |
| Unvested options awarded | 26,000 | Initial award terms per policy/8-K |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | Company policy prohibits hedging, short sales, and pledging by directors |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and alignment: Finer is a non-employee, independent director under Nasdaq/SEC standards, and his compensation is predominantly equity via time-based options, aligning incentives with long-term shareholder value .
- Board effectiveness: Deep domain expertise in genetic medicines and prior chair/CEO/CSO roles strengthen Board technical oversight during PepGen’s mid-stage clinical programs; nomination to stand for shareholder election adds accountability .
- Potential conflicts: No related-party transactions or family relationships disclosed; standard indemnification in place; company prohibits hedging/pledging—reducing alignment red flags .
- Engagement signals: No 2025 attendance data yet due to recent appointment; committee assignments not disclosed—initial influence likely through full Board participation until committee placement occurs .