Anthony Natale
Venus ConceptAbout Anthony Natale
Anthony Natale, M.D., age 52, is an independent director at Venus Concept (VERO), serving since 2019. He is Managing Partner at Aperture Venture Partners (since 2010), with prior surgical training in General Surgery and Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, and holds a BA (University of Virginia), MD (University of Florida), and MBA (Yale). The Board has affirmatively determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aperture Venture Partners | Managing Partner | 2010–present | Lead investor and director across healthcare ventures |
| Prism Ventures | Partner | 2006–2010 | Healthcare venture investments |
| MDS Capital | Partner | 2002–2006 | Healthcare venture investments |
| University of Connecticut & Hartford Hospital | Surgical training | Prior to VC roles | General Surgery & Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes/Interlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuros Medical | Director | Current | Healthcare device; no VERO interlock disclosed |
| XII Medical | Director | Current | Healthcare; no VERO interlock disclosed |
| Serpex Medical | Director | Current | Healthcare; no VERO interlock disclosed |
| ENT Specialty Partners | Director | Current | Healthcare; no VERO interlock disclosed |
| LAVA Medtech Acquisition Corp | Director | Current | Medtech-focused SPAC; no VERO interlock disclosed |
| Prior portfolio boards (e.g., Xlumena, Spirox, MAKO Surgical, Inspire Medical, Avedro, Otonomy, Entrigue Surgical) | Director/board roles | Historical | Prior board experience; no current VERO interlocks disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committees: Audit Committee member (Chair: Louise Lacchin); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair; not on Compensation Committee.
- Independence: Board determined all directors except CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules; independent directors meet in regular executive sessions.
- Attendance: Board met 15 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; independent directors held 4 executive sessions; all directors attended the 2023 annual meeting.
- Board classification/tenure: Natale is a Class II director (standing for re-election in 2025), director since 2019.
Fixed Compensation
| Component (FY2024 unless stated) | Amount/Policy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee director) | $45,000 | Chair of Board adds $30,000 (not applicable to Natale) |
| Committee fees – Audit | Chair: $25,000; Member: $10,000 | Natale is a member |
| Committee fees – Compensation | Chair: $20,000; Member: $10,000 | Natale not a member |
| Committee fees – Nominating & Governance | Chair: $15,000; Member: $5,000 | Natale is Chair |
| FY2024 fees earned (Natale) | $60,000 | Cash payments earned in 2024 deferred to Q2 2025; aggregate director cash deferred: $664,647 |
Performance Compensation
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Equity grants to directors | Initial option grant upon appointment; additional options may be granted based on contributions/performance; typical 4-year vesting in quarterly/monthly tranches |
| FY2024 option awards (Natale) | None reported (Option Awards column blank for Natale) |
| Change-in-control treatment (directors) | Unvested director equity does not automatically vest immediately prior to a change in control |
| Hedging policy | Hedging of company equity prohibited for directors, officers, employees, certain consultants |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Director | Other public company boards | Committee roles | Interlocks/transactions disclosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Natale | LAVA Medtech Acquisition Corp | Not disclosed | No related-party transactions involving Natale disclosed; RPTs involve EW entities (affiliated with director Scott Barry) and Madryn |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Medical training and board-certified specialty experience in Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery; deep venture capital track record in healthcare; extensive board service at life sciences companies.
- Committee leadership: Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance; Audit Committee member—supports governance quality and financial oversight.
- Education: BA (UVA), MD (University of Florida), MBA (Yale).
Equity Ownership
| As of April 28, 2025 | Common Shares | Securities Exercisable within 60 Days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Natale | 890 | 47 | 937 | <1% |
| Outstanding stock options (total, Dec 31, 2024) | – | – | 1,221 options outstanding (not all exercisable within 60 days) | – |
Additional ownership context:
- Directors and officers as a group: 509,317 common shares; 1,066 securities exercisable within 60 days; 28.04% of class (group).
- No pledging disclosure specific to directors; hedging prohibited per Insider Trading Policy.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chairs Nominating & Governance and serves on Audit; acceptable attendance; regular executive sessions; hedging prohibited; cash compensation deferral signals cost-discipline during restructuring.
- Potential watch items: Low personal common-share ownership (<1%) and no FY2024 equity grant may limit alignment, though legacy options exist; no explicit director stock ownership guidelines disclosed in proxy.
- Conflicts/related-party: No related-party transactions involving Natale disclosed; significant shareholder-related transactions with Madryn and EW (affiliated with director Scott Barry) are overseen under the Related Person Transaction Policy and Audit Committee remit.
Overall signal: Natale’s committee leadership and independence support board effectiveness, with no disclosed conflicts tied to him. Alignment is mainly via service and legacy options rather than recent equity grants; continued monitoring of ownership and committee oversight (especially RPTs and governance processes) is warranted.