Erik Manting
About Erik Manting
Erik Manting, PhD (age 53), has served as an independent director of TransCode Therapeutics (RNAZ) since 2020 (on the Board since December 2020). He is currently CEO of Mendus AB (formerly Immunicum AB) and previously was Managing Director and CEO of DCPrime BV. He holds an MSc in Medical Biology and a PhD from the University of Groningen, and brings executive biotech and life-science banking experience.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCPrime BV | Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer | Mar 2018 – Dec 2020 (until merger with Immunicum AB) | Led immuno-oncology strategy through merger; brings oncology company operating experience |
| Kempen & Co | Executive Director, Life Sciences & Healthcare | Oct 2012 – Sep 2017 | Life-science investment banking; corporate finance expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendus AB (listed in Sweden; formerly Immunicum AB) | Chief Executive Officer | Current | Public biotech CEO experience; cross-border perspective |
| Synerkine Pharma BV | Supervisory Board Member | Since Mar 2019 | Biopharma oversight role |
| BioEntrepreneur BV | Founder | Since Sep 2017 | Advisory/consulting background |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. Manting is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules. No family relationships disclosed.
- Committee leadership and memberships (2024):
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee – Chair; 0 meetings in 2024.
- Audit Committee – Member; 6 meetings in 2024.
- Compensation Committee – Member; 2 meetings in 2024.
- Attendance: The full Board met 7 times in 2024; each director, including Dr. Manting, attended 100% of Board and committee meetings on which they served.
- Board leadership structure: Chair and CEO roles are separated; Board affirms this as appropriate for oversight.
- Voting support (2025 Annual Meeting): Manting received 84,264 votes “For” vs 11,802 “Withheld”; 216,217 broker non-votes. All nominees were elected.
| Committee | Role | Chair? | 2024 Meetings | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | No | 6 | 100% |
| Compensation | Member | No | 2 | 100% |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Chair | Yes | 0 | 100% (aggregate Board/committees) |
Policies and controls:
- Insider trading policy prohibits derivative transactions and purchases of derivative securities; discussion of risks from pledging/margin.
- Clawback: Compensation Recovery Policy adopted Oct 2, 2023; no restatement recoveries required as of FY2024.
- Related-party review: Audit Committee reviews and approves related-person transactions; none exceeding thresholds since Jan 1, 2022 (other than noted compensation) were disclosed.
Fixed Compensation
- Cash retainers per policy: Board member $40,000; Audit member $7,500; Compensation member $5,000; Nominating & Gov Chair $8,000. This structure sums to $60,500, matching Manting’s 2024 “Fees Earned.”
| Year | Board Retainer ($) | Committee/Chair Fees ($) | Total Cash Fees ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 40,000 | 7,500 (Audit) + 5,000 (Comp) + 8,000 (N&G Chair) = 20,500 | 60,500 |
Notes:
- No meeting fees disclosed; policy is retainer-based.
Performance Compensation
- Annual director equity: Non-qualified stock options; Initial Grant = 24 shares (vests over 3 years); Annual Grant = 12 shares (vests fully on the earlier of 1 year or next annual meeting), time-based vesting only.
- 2024 Director option award grant-date fair value (Manting): $35.
- 2023 Retention Program: Manting received options to purchase 45,000 shares at $0.2834 strike (pre-reverse-split basis) on May 19, 2023; vested in full Dec 31, 2023.
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Strike/Price | Vesting Terms | Grant-Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Option (2024) | 2024 (per policy) | Policy: 12 shares | Not disclosed | Vests fully on earlier of 1 year or next annual meeting | $35 (Manting 2024) |
| Initial Director Option (policy) | At initial election | Policy: 24 shares | Not disclosed | 1/3 per year over 3 years | Not disclosed |
| Retention Program Option (Manting) | May 19, 2023 | 45,000 (pre-split) | $0.2834 | Vests in full Dec 31, 2023 | Not disclosed |
Performance metric table (for director equity):
| Metric Category | Used in Director Compensation? |
|---|---|
| Financial/operational performance metrics (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR) | No – director grants are time-based vesting only per policy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Public/Private | Role | Committee Roles/Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendus AB (Sweden) | Public (Sweden) | Chief Executive Officer | None disclosed at RNAZ; not an RNAZ committee interlock |
| Synerkine Pharma BV | Private | Supervisory Board Member | Not applicable |
| BioEntrepreneur BV | Private | Founder | Not applicable |
- Compensation Committee Interlocks: None of RNAZ’s Compensation Committee members (including Manting) were officers/employees; no interlocks with other entities’ comp committees/officers in FY2024.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive leadership in oncology biotech (CEO roles at DCPrime and Mendus AB).
- Life-science capital markets and banking experience (Kempen & Co).
- Scientific training (MSc Medical Biology; PhD), complements R&D governance.
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership (as of July 9, 2025): 68 shares beneficially owned, all underlying options exercisable within 60 days; 0.000% of outstanding shares. No common shares reported directly owned.
- Section 16 compliance: All reporting persons complied with filing requirements for FY2024.
- Pledging/hedging: Insider policy prohibits derivative transactions; no pledging by Manting disclosed.
| Ownership Detail | As of Dec 31, 2024 | As of July 9, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Options outstanding (all) | 81 options underlying shares | Not disclosed |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | Not disclosed | 68 shares underlying options |
| Common shares directly owned | Not disclosed | 0 (not listed in Manting’s line item) |
| % of shares outstanding | Not disclosed | 0.000% |
| Shares pledged | Not disclosed as pledged | Not disclosed as pledged |
Fixed Director Compensation Policy Reference
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Board Member Annual Retainer | $40,000 |
| Additional Retainer – Non-Executive Chair | $40,000 |
| Audit Committee – Member | $7,500 |
| Audit Committee – Chair | $15,000 |
| Compensation Committee – Member | $5,000 |
| Compensation Committee – Chair | $10,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance – Member | $5,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance – Chair | $8,000 |
Equity grant policy:
- Initial Grant: Option to purchase 24 shares; vests 1/3 per year over 3 years.
- Annual Grant: Option to purchase 12 shares; vests fully by next annual meeting or 1-year anniversary.
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent status, high attendance (100%), and active roles across key committees; chairs Nominating & Governance, signaling trust in governance oversight.
- Clear director compensation policy aligned to responsibilities; 2024 fees precisely match policy-derived totals, indicating consistency.
- No related-party transactions disclosed above thresholds; compensation committee interlocks not present; Board maintains clawback policy; leadership roles separated.
-
Potential watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Very low economic ownership (0.000% beneficial ownership; only options) may signal limited alignment via skin-in-the-game at current capitalization levels.
- Nominating & Governance Committee held zero meetings in 2024 (while Manting serves as Chair); although acceptable in some years, it bears monitoring for engagement as strategic needs evolve.
- External CEO role (Mendus AB) increases time commitments; no conflicts disclosed, but monitor for potential related-party exposure in future transactions.
-
Investor confidence signals:
- 2025 vote support indicates shareholder backing (84,264 “For”; 11,802 “Withheld”).
- Section 16 filing compliance and articulated policies (insider trading/derivatives prohibition; clawback) support governance hygiene.