William Singer
About William S. Singer
William S. Singer (age 83) is an independent director and Vice‑Chairman of the Board at Synaptogenix (now TAO Synergies). He has served on the board since the company’s Neurotrope era (appointed August 23, 2019) and brings four decades of corporate and legislative legal experience as a longtime Kirkland & Ellis attorney (partner 1980–2006; of counsel since 2006), as well as prior civic leadership in Chicago; he previously served as President and board member of CRE through April 26, 2016 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP | Partner; Of Counsel (corporate, real estate, legislative matters) | Partner 1980–2006; Of Counsel 2006–present | Provides deep legal/commercial expertise to board oversight . |
| CRE (Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute successor) | President; Director | Through April 26, 2016 | Executive leadership and governance experience . |
| City of Chicago | Alderman; Mayoral candidate | Not dated | Public service/government relations perspective . |
External Roles
| Category | Organization(s) | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | Not disclosed for Mr. Singer in SNPX filings | — | No other public directorships listed in SNPX proxy/10‑K biographies . |
| Non‑profit/academic | Not disclosed | — | — |
Board Governance
- Board structure and tenure: Class III director; term up for election in 2024 and nominated for a new three‑year term through 2027 .
- Independence: Board has determined Mr. Singer is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments and roles (most recent disclosed):
- Audit Committee: Member; committee met 5x in FY2023; all members independent; financial expert(s) designated on committee (Bernstein/Schechter), not Singer .
- Compensation Committee: Member; committee met 3x in FY2023; all members independent .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Chair; committee composition independent .
- Attendance: In FY2023, no director attended fewer than 75% of board and applicable committee meetings .
- Lead roles: Vice‑Chairman of the Board .
- Hedging/Pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging/short sales for directors and officers; no pledging disclosure for directors .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount | Period/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer – Vice Chairman | $100,000 | Director compensation policy (amended Mar 29, 2023) . |
| Annual cash retainer – Chairman (for reference) | $120,000 | Policy baseline for Chair . |
| Annual cash retainer – Other non‑employee directors (for reference) | $60,000 | Policy baseline . |
| Mr. Singer – Cash fees paid | $100,000 | FY2023 director compensation table . |
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Award Type | Grant Policy / Quantity | Vesting | Reported Grant Date Fair Value (Singer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual non‑qualified stock options | Automatic annual grant of up to 20,000 options per non‑employee director | Time‑based; annual grants vest on 1‑year anniversary (service‑based) | $14,941 (FY2023 option award value) . |
| New‑director option grants (policy) | Up to 20,000 options upon appointment | 50% at grant; 25% at 1 year; 25% at 2 years (service‑based) | N/A to Singer in 2023 . |
Notes:
- No performance‑metric‑based director pay is disclosed (equity awards are service‑vested options) .
- Director stock ownership guidelines are not disclosed in the proxy –.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Interlocks: Proxy discloses a compensation committee interlock involving Chairman Joshua Silverman and CFO Robert Weinstein at another issuer; no interlock involving Mr. Singer is disclosed .
- Related‑party exposure: The only disclosed related‑party arrangement is a consulting agreement with SM Capital Management (affiliated with Chairman Silverman); no related‑party transactions involving Mr. Singer are disclosed. All related‑party transactions require Audit Committee pre‑approval .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Corporate/legal: Senior corporate, real estate, and legislative law experience (Kirkland & Ellis) .
- Public service & leadership: Chicago alderman; prior CRE president/board member .
- Board leadership: Vice‑Chairman; Chair of Nominating & Governance; member of Audit and Compensation .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Oct 21, 2024 | Jun 20, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares owned | 1,320 | 1,320 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 4,210 | 5,010 |
| Total beneficial ownership (shares + options) | 5,530 (<1%) | 6,330 (<1%) |
Notes:
- Percent of shares outstanding reported as less than 1% at each date .
- Disclosure specifies exercisable options “within 60 days,” indicating these are vested/exercisable holdings (timing‑based) .
- No pledging of shares is disclosed; hedging is prohibited by policy .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with extensive legal and governance experience; serves as Vice‑Chairman and chairs Nominating & Governance, supporting board effectiveness and succession/governance processes .
- Active committee roles (Audit, Compensation) enhance cross‑functional oversight; independence affirmed by the board –.
- Solid attendance disclosure (no director <75% in FY2023) supports engagement expectations .
- Director compensation combines cash retainer with annual time‑based options, offering alignment lever without performance metric gaming risk at this stage –.
-
Watch items
- Board diversity remains limited (all‑male board at the time of the 2024 proxy’s matrix); although not specific to Mr. Singer, it can influence external governance assessments .
- Related‑party consulting with the Chairman (Silverman) exists (SMCM agreement); no direct involvement by Mr. Singer, but the board should continue robust Audit Committee oversight of any related‑party matters .
- The Nominating & Governance Committee did not meet in FY2023 (while chaired by Mr. Singer); as the company’s strategy shifts, regular cadence of governance committee meetings may merit attention .
-
Overall view
- Mr. Singer’s independence, legal credentials, and board leadership roles are positives for investor confidence. His compensation and ownership are modest and conventional for a micro/small‑cap issuer, with no pledging/hedging concerns disclosed – . Continued transparency on related‑party oversight and governance committee activity will further support board effectiveness .