Michel Detheux
About Michel Detheux
Michel Detheux, Ph.D., age 59, was appointed an independent Class I director of Vor Bio on July 16, 2025, with a term running to the 2028 annual meeting . He is President and Chief Executive Officer of iTeos Therapeutics, which he co-founded in 2011 and led through a NASDAQ IPO in 2020; under his leadership iTeos raised ~$1.2B and entered a landmark anti-TIGIT collaboration with GSK in 2021 . He serves as Chairman of the Board at Egle Therapeutics and holds a Bioengineering degree and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Université Catholique de Louvain, plus a business certificate from Solvay Business School .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| iTeos Therapeutics | Co‑founder; President & CEO | Founded 2011; current | Raised ~$1.2B; NASDAQ IPO 2020; GSK anti‑TIGIT partnership 2021 |
| Ludwig Cancer Research | Director | Not disclosed | Senior scientific leadership |
| Ogeda (f/k/a Euroscreen) | Scientific and business development roles | Not disclosed | Early career roles across R&D and BD |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|
| iTeos Therapeutics | President & CEO | Public; completed NASDAQ IPO in 2020 | ~$1.2B capital raised; 2021 GSK anti‑TIGIT deal |
| Egle Therapeutics | Chairman of the Board | Not disclosed | Board leadership |
Board Governance
- Appointment and status: Independent Class I director; appointed July 16, 2025; term to 2028 .
- Committee assignments: Not specified in the July 2025 appointment 8‑K or August 2025 special proxy; no committee disclosure yet for Dr. Detheux .
- Board/committee activity context: In 2024, the Board met 5 times; Audit Committee met 4; Compensation Committee 2; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee did not meet; all directors other than Dr. Namouni attended ≥75% of aggregate meetings (Detheux was not yet on the board) .
- Independence practices: Independent directors meet in executive session at least twice per year per governance guidelines .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (director) | $40,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| Chairperson of the Board retainer | $30,000 | If serving as Board Chair |
| Committee membership fees | Audit $7,500; Compensation $5,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $4,000 | Annual cash retainers |
| Committee chair fees | Audit $15,000; Compensation $10,000; Nominating & Corporate Governance $8,000 | Annual cash retainers |
| Director compensation cap | $750,000 per calendar year; $1,000,000 in first year on board | Includes cash + equity grant-date values |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Date | Number of Options | Vesting | Term | Change‑in‑Control Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial non‑employee director option | Jul 16, 2025 | 60,000 | 36 equal monthly installments, service‑based | 10 years | Accelerated vesting upon “change in control” (2021 Plan) |
| Annual non‑employee director option | At each annual meeting (beginning 2026) | 30,000 | Vests by next annual meeting or 1‑year anniversary | 10 years | Accelerated vesting upon “change in control” (2021 Plan) |
| Plan administration and repricing authority | — | — | — | — | Administrator may reprice/cancel/re‑grant outstanding options subject to plan terms and participant consent |
| Compensation consultant involvement | — | — | — | — | Alpine Rewards advised the Compensation Committee, including a company‑wide option repricing implemented in Feb 2025 (employees and executives) |
Notes: Strike prices and specific expiration dates for Dr. Detheux’s grants were not disclosed in the appointment 8‑K; vesting and term follow the standard Non‑Employee Director Compensation Policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Interlock / Potential Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| iTeos Therapeutics | President & CEO | None reported with Vor; no related‑party transactions disclosed for his appointment |
| Egle Therapeutics | Chairman | None reported |
| RA Capital influence at Vor (context) | — | RA Capital beneficially owned ~31.4% and later nominated Sarah Reed, RA Capital GC, to Vor’s board; Detheux is not affiliated with RA Capital |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep biopharma leadership across oncology and immunology, company building, BD, and capital markets; led iTeos from discovery to late‑stage clinical development and major strategic deal‑making .
- Academic credentials in Bioengineering and Biochemistry; business training at Solvay Business School .
Equity Ownership
| As of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2025 | 3,333 | <1% (based on 126,637,075 outstanding) | Beneficial ownership per proxy; composition (vested/unvested) not disclosed |
| Policy on hedging/pledging | — | — | Directors are prohibited from hedging and pledging company stock under Insider Trading Policy |
Insider Filings
| Filing Date | Form | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2025 | Form 3 | Initial statement of beneficial ownership; reported “No securities are beneficially owned” at appointment (subsequent proxy shows 3,333 beneficially owned as of Jul 18, 2025) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with significant operational and deal‑making experience; non‑employee director compensation is predominantly equity (options) with change‑in‑control acceleration; hedging and pledging prohibited for directors; director compensation capped annually .
- Watch items: Company executed an option repricing in Feb 2025 for employees and executives (not specifically for directors), which is a governance sensitivity; the Amended 2021 Plan permits the administrator to reprice outstanding awards with consent; committee assignments for Dr. Detheux have not yet been disclosed post‑appointment; RA Capital holds significant influence and nominated another director (context for board dynamics) .
RED FLAGS
- Option repricing program (Feb 2025) implemented for employees and executives; requires ongoing monitoring for shareholder alignment, even though director awards follow a fixed policy .
- Significant shareholder influence from RA Capital, including board nomination rights for a director; monitor potential concentration of influence and independence of decision‑making (contextual, no direct conflict reported for Detheux) .