Robert Radie
ROCKWELL MEDICALAbout Robert S. Radie
Robert S. Radie (age 61) is Chairman of the Board at Rockwell Medical, Inc. and has served as a director since March 2020; he was appointed Chairman in April 2022. He is deemed independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules. Radie holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Boston College and brings prior CEO, commercialization, and capital-raising experience in life sciences.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zyla Life Sciences | President & CEO, Director | Mar 2012–Oct 2019 | Led commercialization and capital markets activities |
| Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc. | President & CEO | Nov 2010–Oct 2011 | Specialty pharma leadership |
| Transmolecular, Inc. | President & CEO | Mar 2009–Nov 2010 | Biotech leadership; prior consultant (Dec 2008–Mar 2009) |
| Prestwick Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Chief Business Officer | Sep 2007–Sep 2008 | Business development |
| Morphotek, Vicuron, Eli Lilly | Senior management roles | Various | Broad pharma/biotech operating experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes/Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuraptive Therapeutics, Inc. (private) | CEO & Chairman | Jun 2020–present | Clinical-stage peripheral nerve company |
| ValSource Inc. | Director | Oct 2020–present | Private company; GMP/validation services |
| Orcosa Inc. | Director | Jan 2024–present | Private company |
| Paratek Pharmaceuticals | Director | Nov 2014–Sep 2023 | Prior public company directorship |
| Veloxis Pharmaceuticals A/S | Director | Jun 2016–Feb 2020 | Prior public company directorship |
| Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. | Director | Jul 2012–Mar 2014 | Prior public company directorship |
| Life Science PA | Director | Prior | Industry advocacy group |
| Horse Power for Life (nonprofit) | Director | 2006–2024 | Community engagement |
Board Governance
- Role: Chairman of the Board; RMTI separates Chair and CEO roles. No lead independent director currently appointed.
- Independence: Board determined Radie is independent under Nasdaq/SEC definitions.
- Committees: Not listed as a member of Audit (Cooper Chair; Ravich; Lau), Compensation (Smiley Chair; Cooper; Lau; Nissenson), or Nominating & Governance (Nissenson Chair; Ravich; Smiley).
- Attendance: Board met 10 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; all then-sitting directors attended the 2024 annual meeting.
- Policies: Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policy for directors; incentive compensation clawback policy aligns with Nasdaq rules.
- Time commitments: Directors generally limited to ≤5 public company boards; adherence reviewed annually.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $45,000 | Program benchmark; effective 2024 |
| Chairman additional cash retainer | $40,000 | Incremental for Board Chair |
| Committee cash (member/chair) | N/A for Radie | Not a committee member in 2024 |
| 2024 Cash actually paid | $85,000 | Fees earned by Radie in 2024 |
| 2024 RSU grant value | $65,000 | One-time 36,111 RSUs due to share pool constraints; grant 5/21/2024 |
| 2024 Total | $150,000 | Sum of cash + RSU grant-date value |
Notes:
- 2024 director equity program temporarily shifted to RSUs only (no options) due to limited share pool and low stock price.
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (non-employee director annual grant) | May 21, 2024 | 36,111 | $65,000 | Vests in full one year from grant date |
- No performance-conditioned metrics disclosed for director equity; RSUs vest time-based (no TSR/EBITDA/ESG linkages).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current external roles: Neuraptive Therapeutics (CEO/Chair), ValSource Inc. (Director), Orcosa Inc. (Director); prior public boards at Paratek, Veloxis, Affinium.
- Related-party transactions: Company reports no transactions ≥$120,000 or ≥1% of assets since Jan 1, 2023 involving directors/executives or 5% holders.
- Oversight: Audit Committee reviews related-party transactions and conflicts; Code of Business Conduct & Related Party Transactions Policy in place.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive leadership in specialty pharma and biotech (multiple CEO roles), commercialization, investor relations, and capital raising; prior roles at major pharma (Eli Lilly) and biotech firms.
- Board leadership experience across public and private companies in life sciences.
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 100,486 | As of Mar 24, 2025; <1% of class |
| Percent of class | <1% | Company-reported; total shares outstanding 34,174,687 |
| RSUs outstanding | 36,111 | Annual director grant from 5/21/2024 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 6,962 | Included in beneficial ownership calc |
| Options held (total) | 10,274 | Director options outstanding at 12/31/2024 |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited | Under Board policy |
| Director ownership guideline | 3x annual Board cash retainer | Must meet by later of 5th anniversary of joining or Feb 2028 (5 years post-amendment) |
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent Chairman separate from CEO; robust committee independence; anti-hedging/pledging and clawback policies; no material related-party transactions; attendance met Board policy.
- Alignment: Equity ownership and strengthened director stock ownership guidelines (3x cash retainer) promote alignment; RSUs vest time-based, with annual grants.
- Watch items: Multiple external roles (private companies) require ongoing time-commitment monitoring, but Board has explicit limits and oversight through the Nominating & Governance Committee.
RED FLAGS:
- None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, option repricing, or attendance shortfalls; RSU grants are time-based without performance conditions (common for small-cap boards but offers less explicit pay-for-performance linkage).