Jonathan Schechter
About Jonathan Schechter
Independent director of Synaptogenix (now TAO Synergies Inc.), investment banker and attorney with over two decades of public company experience. He is Director of Investment Banking at Chardan Capital Markets (since Feb 2008), holds an A.B. from Duke University and a J.D. from Fordham Law School, and was age 50 as of Nov 7, 2024 . He has served on the board since Dec 13, 2018 (initially Neurotrope, then Synaptogenix/TAO Synergies post spin-off and rename), and is designated by the board as an audit committee financial expert .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chardan Capital Markets | Director of Investment Banking | Feb 2008–present | Senior IB role; finance and accounting expertise referenced in director qualifications |
| Neurotrope / Synaptogenix / TAO Synergies | Board Director | Dec 13, 2018–present | Audit Committee member; designated audit committee financial expert |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblong, Inc. (NASDAQ: OBLG) | Board Director | Since May 2023 | Current public company directorship |
| DropCar, Inc. | Board Director | Prior service (dates not specified) | Former public company directorship |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Schechter is an independent director under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee memberships: Audit Committee member (Chair: Bernstein); Compensation Committee includes Silverman (Chair), Bernstein, Singer; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee includes Singer (Chair), Bernstein, Silverman .
- Audit Committee financial expert: Board designated Schechter and Bernstein as “audit committee financial experts” .
- Attendance: In 2023, the board met 5 times and board committees met 8 times; no director attended fewer than 75% of combined board/committee meetings .
- Board classification and term: Schechter is a Class I director with term expiring at the 2025 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer (Director) | Committee Chair Fees | Meeting Fees | Equity Grant Policy | Option Award Grant-Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $60,000 (non-employee director) | None disclosed for Schechter (not a chair) | Not disclosed (policy provides annual retainer model) | Annual automatic grant of options up to 20,000 shares to each non-employee director; vest on 1-year anniversary | $14,941 |
Notes:
- Chairman annual retainer is $120,000 and Vice Chairman $100,000; other non-employee directors receive $60,000 per year .
- New director grant: additional nonqualified options to purchase up to 20,000 shares, vesting 50% at grant, 25% at 1 year, and 25% at 2 years .
Performance Compensation
| Category | Metrics | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Director compensation – performance metrics | None disclosed for directors; equity awards follow time-based vesting with a minimum one-year vesting policy (with limited exceptions) | Plan prohibits repricing without shareholder approval; provides governance provisions (no discounted options; minimum vesting) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap / Interlock |
|---|---|---|
| Oblong, Inc. | Director | None disclosed with SNPX board or executives beyond Schechter’s service |
| DropCar, Inc. | Director (prior) | None disclosed |
Additional disclosures:
- Compensation Committee interlocks: No member has been an officer/employee of the Company; no executive officer serves on the board or compensation committee of a company that has an executive serving on SNPX’s board/Comp Committee, except CFO Robert Weinstein serves on PharmaCyte Biotech’s board where Joshua Silverman (SNPX Comp Chair) is Interim CEO/Chairman—no interlock involving Schechter disclosed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and legal: Two decades of public company experience (10 years legal, 11 years investment banking), formal education in finance/accounting; designated audit committee financial expert .
- Education: A.B. in Public Policy/Political Science (Duke), J.D. (Fordham Law School) .
- Industry exposure: Investment banking with focus on public companies; evaluation of financial statements .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Oct 21, 2024 | Jun 20, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares owned | 1,090 | 1,090 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 3,993 | 4,793 |
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 5,083 | 5,883 |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | <1% | <1% (group total 1.87%) |
Policy and restrictions:
- Hedging and short-term speculation prohibited for executives and directors; no explicit pledging policy disclosed .
Insider Trades
| Date | Transaction | Shares | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2025 | Open-market buy | 10,000 | $2.73 |
Additional filings:
- Form 4 filed Apr 7, 2025 (details in SEC filing index) .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and financial oversight: Schechter is an independent director and audit committee financial expert, strengthening board oversight of financial reporting and controls .
- Engagement: 2023 attendance met board’s threshold (no director below 75%), indicating adequate engagement; Audit Committee met 5 times in 2023 .
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership remains <1% of outstanding shares, with holdings comprised largely of options; alignment is present but not concentrated, typical for small-cap boards using option-heavy director pay .
- Compensation structure: Director pay is primarily fixed cash plus time-vested options (no performance metrics), with governance guardrails (no repricing, minimum vesting) that limit shareholder-unfriendly practices .
- Potential conflicts: Current disclosures show no related-party transactions involving Schechter; the company’s related-party policy requires audit committee pre-approval and reviews materiality and third-party comparables .
- Policy safeguards: Hedging/derivative transactions are prohibited for directors, supporting alignment; pledging policy not specified .
RED FLAGS to monitor:
- Low personal share ownership (<1%), though standard for option-focused director comp; consider ongoing monitoring of insider purchases for enhanced alignment .
- Broader board interlocks exist (CFO Weinstein and Comp Chair Silverman at PMCB), but no interlock disclosed involving Schechter; maintain vigilance for any future Chardan-related engagements that could pose perceived conflicts .