Patrick Vink, M.D.
Spero TherapeuticsAbout Patrick Vink, M.D.
Patrick Vink, M.D. (age 61) is an independent director of Spero Therapeutics and has served on the Board since September 2015. He is a senior advisor at Athyrium Capital Management (since 2019) and previously held senior operating roles across Cubist, Mylan, Sandoz/Novartis, Biogen, and Sanofi; he earned his M.D. from the University of Leiden (1988) and an MBA from the University of Rochester (1992) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubist Pharmaceuticals | Executive Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer; earlier SVP, Head of International Business | 2012–2015 | Led worldwide commercial/technical ops, alliance management, full P&L oversight |
| Mylan Inc. | SVP, Global Head of Hospital Business and Global Head of Biologics | 2008–2012 | Established global functions in Switzerland; managed hospital business |
| Sandoz (Novartis) | Head, Global Business Franchise Biopharmaceuticals | Prior to 2008 | Global biopharma franchise leadership |
| Biogen Inc. | Vice President, International Business | Prior to 2008 | International commercial leadership |
| Sanofi-Synthélabo SA | Head, Worldwide Marketing (Cardiovascular & Thrombosis) | Prior to 2008 | Global marketing leadership |
| EFPIA (industry association) | Executive Committee member | 2013–2015 | Sector policy/advocacy leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athyrium Capital Management | Senior Advisor | 2019–present | Advisory role to pharma industry |
| Two privately held companies | Chairman of the Board | Current | Names undisclosed (private) |
| Santhera Pharmaceuticals AG | Director (past) | until June 2023 | Past public company directorship |
| Amryt Pharma PLC | Director (past) | until April 2023 | Past public company directorship |
Board Governance
- Classification/tenure: Class II director; nominated for re‑election at the June 12, 2025 annual meeting to serve through the 2028 meeting .
- Independence: Board determined Vink is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments (FY 2024): Compensation Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair .
- Meeting cadence and attendance: Board met 10 times; committees met 24 times in FY 2024; no director attended fewer than 75% of meetings of the Board and committees on which they served .
- Leadership history: Served as Lead Director in 2023 (and into 2024), with separate chair retainer structure; current Board Chair is Frank Thomas (separate from CEO), reinforcing independent oversight .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash fees (Board + committee/lead/chair retainers) | $50,000 | $83,750 | FY 2024 amount consistent with: Board $40k; Lead Director $18,750; Comp. Committee member $10k; Nominating Chair $15k |
| Equity – RSU grant (annual) | $23,200 fair value | $28,400 fair value | Policy grants 20,000 RSUs to each non‑employee director at the annual meeting; 1‑year vest |
| Equity – option (if elected in lieu of cash fees) | $19,987 fair value | — | Option election allowed by policy; 2023 award: 15,471 shares at $1.74, fully vested 12/31/2023 |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | No per‑meeting fees disclosed |
Director retainer schedule (policy):
| Position | Annual Retainer |
|---|---|
| Board Member | $40,000 |
| Board Chair (additional) | $30,000 |
| Lead Director (additional, if any) | $18,750 |
| Audit Chair | $20,000 |
| Compensation Chair | $20,000 |
| Nominating Chair | $15,000 |
| Development Chair | $10,000 |
| Audit Member | $10,000 |
| Compensation Member | $10,000 |
| Nominating Member | $7,500 |
| Development Member | $5,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Year | Instrument | Performance Metric | Weighting | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | RSUs (20,000) | None; time‑based vesting (1‑year for directors) | N/A | Granted at annual meeting; time‑vest |
| 2024 | RSUs (20,000) | None; time‑based vesting (1‑year for directors) | N/A | Granted at annual meeting; time‑vest |
No director performance metrics (e.g., TSR, revenue, ESG) are tied to director compensation; RSUs vest solely based on time served per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock with SPRO counterparties |
|---|---|---|
| Santhera Pharmaceuticals AG (past) | Director | None disclosed as related‑party transaction – |
| Amryt Pharma PLC (past) | Director | None disclosed as related‑party transaction – |
| Two private companies | Chairman | Private; no SPRO transactions disclosed – |
| Athyrium Capital Management | Senior Advisor | No transactions with SPRO disclosed; potential perceived conflict minimal absent dealings – |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep global operating background in anti‑infectives and biologics (Cubist COO, Mylan biologics/hospital leadership; Sandoz biopharma franchise; Biogen international; Sanofi CV/thrombosis marketing) .
- Governance and policy experience (EFPIA Executive Committee 2013–2015) .
- Medical and business training (M.D. 1988, University of Leiden; MBA 1992, University of Rochester) .
- Current capital markets perspective through advisory work at Athyrium .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | As of | Shares Owned Directly | Options Exercisable (≤60 days) | Total Beneficial Ownership | % Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Vink, M.D. | April 1, 2025 | 55,000 | 82,067 | 137,067 | <1% (denoted “*” in proxy) |
Additional context:
- Non‑employee directors’ outstanding options (aggregate): Vink holds 82,067 shares underlying options; none reported exercised in FY 2024 .
- Insider trading/hedging: Company policy prohibits hedging and short‑term speculative transactions for directors .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and experience: Vink is a seasoned operator with independent status, bringing international commercial and alliance management expertise; independence affirmed by Board .
- Committee leadership and engagement: Chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance and serves on Compensation; Board met 10x and committees 24x in FY 2024; no director fell below 75% attendance, indicating adequate engagement .
- Compensation alignment: Mix of fixed cash retainers and time‑based RSUs; optional use of options in lieu of cash (exercised in 2023), with no performance‑based metrics—typical for director pay; FY 2024 cash increased consistent with lead/director and chair roles; annual RSU grant standard at 20,000 .
- Ownership: Beneficial ownership is <1%; alignment is supported by annual equity grants and option holdings; no pledging disclosed .
- Conflicts/related‑party exposure: Proxy discloses related party items (GSK agreement; consulting for other directors), but none involving Vink; Athyrium advisory role noted without SPRO transactions—low conflict risk as disclosed – .
- Board structure: Separation of Chair and CEO enhances oversight; leadership transitioned to Frank Thomas as Chair, maintaining independent governance .
Red flags: None disclosed for Vink. No related‑party transactions, pledging, or attendance issues reported; director compensation structure appears standard with no repricing or unusual guarantees –.