Kush Parmar
About Kush M. Parmar, M.D., Ph.D.
Kush Parmar is Managing Partner at 5AM Venture Management LLC and has served on Entrada Therapeutics’ board since October 2016, becoming Chairman in December 2020; he is 44 years old. He holds a B.A. in Molecular Biology and Medieval Studies (Princeton), a Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology (Harvard), and an M.D. (Harvard Medical School), and previously trained as an NIH-sponsored M.D./Ph.D. fellow in the Harvard-MIT HST program .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard Medical School / Harvard-MIT HST | NIH-sponsored M.D./Ph.D. physician-scientist fellow | 2002–2010 | Scientific training; translational research exposure |
| 5:01 Acquisition Corp. | Director | Sep 2020–Oct 2022 | SPAC governance and deal oversight |
| Homology Medicines, Inc. | Director | Mar 2015–Sep 2022 | Genetic medicines oversight; board governance |
| Akouos Inc. | Director | Oct 2017–Dec 2022 | Precision genetic medicine; board governance |
| Vor Biopharma Inc. | Director | Jul 2020–Apr 2023 | Cell therapy strategy; board governance |
| RallyBio Corp. | Director | Apr 2018–Oct 2024 | Biotech strategy; board governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5AM Venture Management LLC | Managing Partner | 2010–Present | Life sciences venture leadership; portfolio governance |
| Syngene International Ltd. | Director | Current | R&D/manufacturing services oversight |
| Harvard Medical School; Penn Medicine; Princeton Molecular Biology; Grace Science Foundation | Scientific Advisory Board Member | Ongoing | Scientific oversight and advisory contributions |
| Society of Kauffman Fellows | Fellow | Ongoing | Venture leadership network |
Board Governance
- Board roles: Chairman of the Board; member of Audit; Chair of Compensation; Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance .
- Independence: Board determined Parmar is independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules; only CEO (Doshi) and Peter S. Kim are not independent .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of board and assigned committee meetings .
- Committee activity: Audit met 4 times (chair: Mary Thistle); Compensation met 6 times (chair: Parmar); Nominating & Corporate Governance met 2 times (chair: Parmar) .
- Leadership structure: Chair role separated from CEO, supporting independent oversight .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $97,148 | Board/committee retainers and chair fees |
| Total Cash Retainers per Policy | Board member $40,000; Board chair +$30,000; Audit chair $15,000; Audit member $7,500; Compensation chair $12,000; Compensation member $6,000; Nominating chair $9,000; Nominating member $4,500 | Policy amended March 2023 and June 2024 |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Equity Award Terms | Detail | Vesting/Acceleration |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Option Grant | Lesser of $250,000 value or 16,000 options | Vests in full by next annual meeting or first anniversary |
| Initial Option Grant (on join) | Lesser of $500,000 value or 32,000 options | Vests in equal monthly installments over 3 years |
| 2024 Option Award (Grant-date fair value) | $176,202 | Value as reported for Parmar |
| Change-in-Control Treatment | Full acceleration of director awards upon sale of company; acceleration on death/disability | Single-trigger acceleration on sale |
No performance-based metrics are disclosed for director compensation; director equity is option-based with time-based vesting .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Role/Relationship | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| 5AM Ventures (entities affiliated) | >5% stockholder of Entrada (11.62% as of Apr 14, 2025) | Parmar is a managing member affiliated with 5AM entities; may share voting/dispositive power; board still deems him independent |
| Syngene International Ltd. | Director | External public company directorship (R&D/manufacturing services) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep life sciences venture and board governance experience; Managing Partner at 5AM Ventures .
- Scientific training and credentials (Ph.D., M.D.), with advisory roles at leading institutions .
- Broad prior public-company board exposure (Homology Medicines, Akouos, Vor Biopharma, RallyBio, SPAC 5:01 Acquisition) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Total Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Outstanding | Composition/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kush M. Parmar | 67,470 | <1% | Options exercisable within 60 days; no direct share count disclosed in his line item |
| Policy on Hedging/Pledging | Prohibits short sales, derivatives, and hedging transactions by directors; margin/pledging risks described | Company insider trading policy restricts hedging; no pledging prohibition explicitly stated; no pledging disclosure for Parmar | |
| Ownership Guidelines (Director) | Not disclosed | — | No director stock ownership guideline disclosure found in proxy |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent Chairman with active committee leadership (Compensation and Nominating), supporting board effectiveness .
- Robust committee cadence in 2024 (Audit: 4; Compensation: 6; Nominating: 2) and ≥75% attendance, indicating engagement .
- Clawback (compensation recovery) policy adopted in line with SEC/Nasdaq rules, enhancing accountability .
- Clear insider trading policy banning hedging and derivatives, reducing misalignment risks .
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Watch items / potential conflicts:
- Venture affiliation: 5AM Ventures is an 11.62% holder; Parmar is a managing member affiliated with 5AM entities. While the board deemed him independent, his fund’s significant ownership and his chairing of the Compensation and Nominating committees warrant continued monitoring for perceived influence or conflicts in pay/nomination decisions .
- Single-trigger acceleration of director equity upon sale of the company can be a shareholder-unfriendly feature and a potential red flag for transaction incentives .
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership is <1%; economic exposure appears primarily via options, which may be viewed as lighter “skin in the game” relative to direct share ownership (no pledging disclosed) .
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Related-party transactions:
- No related-person transactions disclosed involving Parmar since January 1, 2023; the proxy highlights an advisory agreement only with director Peter S. Kim, and a 2024 registered direct offering/registration rights involving other holders (Baker Bros., Janus, T. Rowe Price) .
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Say-on-Pay context:
- As an emerging growth company, Entrada is not required to conduct say-on-pay votes; investors should assess director and committee actions via disclosed policies and outcomes rather than vote history .