David Gobel
About David Gobel
Independent director (age 72) of VivoSim Labs, Inc. since September 2020; currently CEO of Methuselah Fund LLC (since Dec 2016) and CEO of Methuselah Foundation (since Sep 2001). Prior roles include Chief Venture Strategist at TSA (2009–2013), and board positions across longevity/biotech ventures. On VIVS’s board, he serves as Compensation Committee Chair, and is a member of Nominating & Corporate Governance and Science & Technology committees. The board has affirmatively determined he is independent under Nasdaq standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation Security Administration (TSA) | Chief Venture Strategist | Jan 2009 – Mar 2013 | Strategic planning; innovation management; created VC capability with In-Q-Tel |
| Volumetric Biotechnologies | Director | Apr 2018 – Jan 2020 | 3D tissue printing domain expertise |
| Leucadia Therapeutics | Director | Oct 2015 – Aug 2022 | Neuroscience/therapeutics oversight |
| Oisin Therapeutics | Independent founding board member | Since Dec 2014 | Longevity therapeutics governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methuselah Fund LLC | Chief Executive Officer | Since Dec 2016 | Venture investing in longevity/biotech |
| Methuselah Foundation | Chief Executive Officer | Since Sep 2001 | Prizes, grants, startup creation in healthy lifespan |
| Turn Bio | Director (since Jul 2018), Chairman (since May 2020) | Since Jul 2018 | Cellular reprogramming; governance leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation (Chair), Nominating & Corporate Governance (Member), Science & Technology (Member) .
- Independence: Board determined Gobel is independent; 4 of 5 directors are independent (Murphy not independent due to related-party transactions) .
- Attendance and engagement: All directors attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings in FY ended Mar 31, 2025; Board met 8 times, acted by written consent 10 times; Compensation Committee met 0 times but acted by written consent 5 times; Science & Technology met 1 time .
- Lead Independent Director: Douglas Jay Cohen; duties include executive sessions, liaison roles, agenda review, and stockholder communication .
- Governance policies: Stock ownership guidelines; prohibition on hedging/pledging/margin; periodic board self-evaluation; executive sessions; plurality-plus resignation policy in uncontested elections .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2025 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $66,300 | Standard director retainer |
| Committee fees (Chair/Member) | Included in total cash | Chair $25,500; Member $15,300 per committee; total director cash capped at $105,000 per year |
| Fees earned or paid in cash (Gobel) | $105,000 | FY 2025 actual cash compensation |
| Equity (RSU grant) | $10,729 | Grant date fair value; 1,633 RSUs granted Aug 2024; vested Aug 4, 2025 |
| Total (Gobel) | $115,729 | Cash + stock award; no meeting fees |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Fair Value | Vesting / Performance Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Director annual grant) | Aug 2024 | 1,633 | $10,729 | Time-based; vested Aug 4, 2025 (no performance metrics disclosed for directors) |
- No director meeting fees; equity granted annually as time-based RSUs. Company emphasizes performance-based incentives for executives, but director program is service-linked; hedging/pledging prohibited .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Viscient Biosciences, Inc. | Gobel (through Methuselah Foundation/Methuselah Fund) invested via convertible promissory note (not officer/director) | VIVS has an intercompany agreement with Viscient for shared services/facilities/IP; R&D consulting expenses to Viscient ~$118,000 in FY 2025; services provided ~$3,000. Investment linkage across multiple VIVS directors (Stern, Cohen, Gobel) elevates perceived conflict risk, mitigated by related-party policy and audit oversight . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Leadership across longevity-focused ventures; experience with human tissue bioprinting companies; extensive board experience cited by VIVS as qualification .
- Independent director with committee leadership, relevant sector knowledge (biotech, R&D oversight) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Outstanding | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Gobel | 6,007 | <1% | Beneficial ownership comprises shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days as of Oct 17, 2025 (no common shares separately listed) |
- Stock ownership guidelines: directors required to hold shares with value equal to 4x annual cash retainer within five years; company states directors >5 years on board are in compliance; guidelines count vested options and unvested RSUs toward compliance; hedging/pledging prohibited .
- Signal: Limited outright common-share holdings and reliance on options may weaken perceived ownership alignment versus cash retainers and RSUs .
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent status; multi-committee engagement including Chair of Compensation; ≥75% attendance; robust governance policies (ownership guidelines; no hedging/pledging; plurality-plus resignation standard); independent compensation consultant (Anderson Pay Advisors) and no tax gross-ups/change-in-control single triggers .
- Shareholder signals: Prior say‑on‑pay approval at ~92% for FY 2024 indicates constructive investor sentiment toward compensation framework .
- Red flags and monitoring:
- Related-party exposure: Board members (including Gobel via Methuselah entities) invested in Viscient while VIVS maintains intercompany agreements and cross-licensing—requires continued Audit Committee oversight and transparent disclosure to mitigate conflict-of-interest risk .
- Committee process: Compensation Committee held zero formal meetings in FY 2025 but acted via written consents five times—efficiency vs. deliberation trade-off; investors may prefer more documented meeting deliberations for executive/director pay decisions .
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership reflects option-based holdings with minimal listed common shares; while guidelines count options/RSUs, stronger open-market stock ownership would improve “skin-in-the-game” optics .
Overall: Gobel’s independence, compensation chair role, and relevant biotech governance experience support board effectiveness. The Viscient linkage and low visible common-share ownership warrant ongoing scrutiny to ensure compensation independence and conflict management remain robust .