Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch
About Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch
Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, Ph.D., J.D. is an independent director of Quanterix (QTRX) since October 2024 and serves as President & CEO of Vigil Neuroscience (Nasdaq: VIGL) and a Vigil director since July 2020 . She is 58 years old and is a Class III director with a term ending at the 2026 annual meeting . Her credentials span 25+ years in biotech/pharma across strategy, BD, IP, and operations, with degrees from Wheaton College (BA in biology/chemistry), Harvard University (Ph.D. in genetics), and Suffolk University Law School (J.D., high technology law) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipsen S.A. | EVP, Chief Business Officer; led External Innovation and Business Development & Alliance Management | Mar 2018–Apr 2020 | External innovation and BD leadership |
| Axcella Health Inc. | EVP, Chief Strategy & Corporate Development Officer | May 2017–Mar 2018 | Strategy and corporate development leadership |
| Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. | SVP, Head of Global Business Development (specialty drug business) | Mar 2013–May 2017 | Global BD leadership |
| Dyax Corp. | Roles of increasing scope, incl. EVP & COO; launched first drug (Kalbitor) | Apr 2001–Mar 2013 | Commercial launch leadership for orphan drug Kalbitor |
| Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc. | Director of Intellectual Property & Patent Counsel | 1998–2001 | IP and patent counsel |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vigil Neuroscience (Nasdaq: VIGL) | President & CEO; Director | Since Jul 2020 | CEO–director dual role |
| Acrivon Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ACRV) | Director | Current | — |
| Absci Corporation (Nasdaq: ABSI) | Chairperson (prior) | Prior service | — |
| Aeglea BioTherapeutics (now Spyre Therapeutics, Nasdaq: SYRE) | Director (prior) | Prior service | — |
| Applied Genetic Technologies (acquired by Syncona; now Beacon Therapeutics) | Director (prior) | Prior service | — |
| Boston Museum of Science; Boston Ballet; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | Trustee/Overseer | Current | Non-profit governance roles |
Board Governance
| Committee | Role | Independence Status | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Governance | Chairperson | Board determined all members (incl. Ivana) are independent under Nasdaq rules | 11 meetings/actions by written consent |
| Compensation | Member; also member of Equity Award Subcommittee | Board concluded each of Flynn, Donnelly, Magovčević-Liebisch, Walt qualifies as “independent” under Nasdaq/SEC rules | 6 meetings/actions by written consent |
| Board | Director (Class III; term ends 2026) | Independent director | Board met/acted 14 times; all incumbent directors attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings |
- Equity Award Subcommittee: Authorized to award equity grants; current members are Donnelly, Flynn, and Magovčević-Liebisch, all independent, non-employee directors .
- Governance policies: No hedging or pledging permitted for directors/officers; stock ownership guidelines apply to tenured directors and executive officers; annual Say-on-Pay vote .
- Governance evolution: August 4, 2025 cooperation agreement with Kent Lake to appoint a new independent director by Dec 1, 2025, seek declassification, and adopt majority voting for uncontested elections (bylaws amended Aug 5, 2025) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Policy | 2025 Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee director) | $40,000; Chair/Lead Director $80,000 | $50,000; Chair/Lead Director $95,000 |
| Audit Committee | Member $10,000; Chair $20,000 | Member $10,000; Chair $20,000 (unchanged) |
| Compensation Committee | Member $7,500; Chair $15,000 | Member $7,500; Chair $15,000 (unchanged) |
| Nominating & Governance Committee | Member $5,000; Chair $10,000 | Member $5,000; Chair $10,000 (unchanged) |
| Payment form | Quarterly in arrears; may elect common stock in lieu of cash | Quarterly in arrears; may elect common stock in lieu of cash |
Note: Ivana became a director in Oct 2024; actual cash fees are subject to proration and any election to receive stock. Directors electing stock-in-lieu were disclosed (Donnelly, Hlavinka, Meister), not including Ivana for 2024 .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Value/Mix | Vesting | Mechanics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial appointment equity (new non-employee director) | $400,000 total; 60% non-qualified stock options; 40% RSUs | Options: 1/3 at 1-year anniversary; remainder monthly over next 24 months to 3 years; RSUs: 1/3 annually over three years | Option exercise price at FMV on grant date; RSUs/Options determined by Black‑Scholes and share price at grant |
| Annual equity award (each fiscal year’s first trading day) | $200,000 total; 60% options; 40% RSUs | Full vest on December 31 of grant year, contingent on director service | Option exercise price at FMV; Black‑Scholes used for option sizing; RSU count from grant-date share price |
| Performance metrics tied to director equity | None disclosed; awards are time-based vesting only | — | — |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Relationship to QTRX | Potential Interlock/Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Vigil Neuroscience; Acrivon Therapeutics; Absci; Aeglea/Spyre; AGTC/Beacon | External roles of Ivana | No related-party transactions involving Ivana or these entities disclosed in QTRX’s related party section; disclosed related-party items primarily involve licenses/payments connected to Director David R. Walt (Tufts/Harvard) and UltraDx/ARCH arrangements |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 25+ years senior management in biotech/pharma, including BD, strategy, IP, and operations; launched orphan drug at Dyax (Kalbitor) .
- Degrees: BA (biology/chemistry, Wheaton), Ph.D. (genetics, Harvard), J.D. (high tech law, Suffolk) .
- Current CEO experience and public board service; prior board leadership (chair at Absci) .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 31, 2025 | — (none) | — | Beneficial ownership computed including exercisable options/vested RSUs within 60 days; Ivana shows no beneficial ownership in table |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 27,689 options (aggregate number of shares subject to stock options) | — | Options holdings disclosed; share ownership not provided in this table for Ivana |
| Hedging/Pledging | Not permitted for directors/officers | — | Alignment-positive policy |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Applicable to tenured directors and executive officers | — | Guideline existence disclosed; compliance status for Ivana not disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee leadership: Independent director; Chair of Nominating & Governance; member of Compensation Committee and Equity Award Subcommittee—positions central to board refresh, governance, and executive pay oversight .
- Attendance & engagement: Board met/acted 14 times in 2024; all incumbent directors attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings; Nominating met 11 times; Compensation met 6 times, indicating active governance cadence .
- Director pay structure: Balanced cash/equity mix; annual equity at $200k with time-based vesting; initial $400k onboarding equity; 2025 policy increased base and chair retainers, with committee fees unchanged—no performance-based equity for directors disclosed .
- Ownership alignment and policies: No hedging/pledging permitted; directors may take cash fees in stock; stock ownership guidelines apply to tenured directors; Ivana reported no beneficial ownership as of July 31, 2025; held 27,689 options as of Dec 31, 2024 .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related-party transactions involving Ivana disclosed; material related-party items primarily relate to Director David R. Walt’s Tufts/Harvard licensing and UltraDx/ARCH arrangements; Audit Committee reviews/approves related-party transactions per policy .
- Governance trajectory: Company entered a cooperation agreement (Aug 4, 2025) to add an independent director, declassify the board, and adopt majority voting for uncontested elections, signaling responsiveness to investor governance preferences .