Gregory L. Verdine
Wave Life SciencesAbout Gregory L. Verdine
Gregory L. Verdine, Ph.D., age 65, is a Wave Life Sciences co-founder and director since July 2013; he previously served as President, CEO, and Chief Scientific Officer through December 2013 and as Board Chair from July 2013 to September 2017 . He is Erving Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, and a leading expert in stereopure oligonucleotide therapeutics as co‑inventor of Wave’s stereochemistry technology . Current outside roles include President/CEO of LifeMine Therapeutics, Executive Chair of Biggie Bio (since August 2024) and sole Director of subsidiary VidaVinci, and Managing General Partner of LoLa Capital Partners; he is also a Venture Partner at Andreessen Horowitz .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Life Sciences | President, CEO, Chief Scientific Officer | Inception–Dec 2013 | Led foundational strategy and platform development |
| Wave Life Sciences | Chair of the Board | Jul 2013–Sep 2017 | Early governance leadership |
| Warp Drive Bio (merged with RVMD) | Founder; CSO→CEO | 2012–Apr 2016 | Built new modality pipeline |
| Enanta Pharmaceuticals | Founder; Director | 1990–2013 (IPO) | Helped guide to IPO |
| Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute & Gloucester Biotechnology Academy | Founding President | 2013–2016 | Non-profit creation and leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LifeMine Therapeutics (private) | President & CEO; Director | Current | Company leadership |
| Biggie Bio LLC / VidaVinci, Inc. | Executive Chair; Sole Director (subsidiary) | Since Aug 2024 | Governance of wholly-owned subsidiary |
| LoLa Capital Partners | Managing General Partner | Current | New modality venture fund |
| Andreessen Horowitz | Venture Partner | Current | Strategic investment role |
| Parabilis Medicines (formerly Fog Pharmaceuticals) | Co-founder; President & CEO; Vice Chair | Oct 2015–Jun 2023 (CEO); Jun 2023–Jun 2024 (Vice Chair) | Private company leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Research & Development Committee (Corrigan, Chair; Kolchinsky; Verdine) .
- Not a member of Audit (Rawcliffe Chair; Corrigan; Henry; Tan) or Compensation (Henry Chair; Rawcliffe; Wagner) or Nominating & Corporate Governance (Wagner Chair; Takanashi; Corrigan) .
- Independence: The Board identified independent directors as Tan, Wagner, Kolchinsky, Henry, Rawcliffe, Corrigan, and Takanashi; Verdine is not listed and therefore not independent (founder; related-party ties) .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board met 4 times and committees 18 times; no director attended fewer than 75% of Board/committee meetings .
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (Christian Henry); independent director executive sessions are held per Corporate Governance Guidelines .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer | Committee Fees | Total Cash | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $40,000 | $7,500 (R&D member) | $47,500 | Per policy; matches fees earned |
| 2025 Policy (proposed) | $45,000 | $7,500 (R&D member), $15,000 (R&D Chair), $20,000 (Audit Chair), $10,000 (Audit member), $15,000 (Comp/Nom Chair), $7,500 (Comp/Nom member) | N/A | Subject to shareholder approval |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Type | Grant Size | Vesting Schedule | Valuation/Strike | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Annual Option | 32,230 sh (non-employee director policy) | 100% on earlier of 2025 AGM or 1st anniversary | Fair value $100,303 (Verdine); exercise price at grant-date market | Granted per 2024 policy; Verdine’s option value shown |
| 2024 Annual RSU | 16,115 sh | 100% on earlier of 2025 AGM or 1st anniversary | Fair value $86,538 (Verdine) | Granted per 2024 policy; Verdine’s RSU value shown |
| 2025 Policy – Annual Option (proposed) | 76,200 sh | 100% on earlier of 2026 AGM or 1st anniversary | Standard at-market exercise price | Requires approval; increased size reflects Singapore 5-year limit |
| 2025 Policy – Annual RSU (proposed) | 12,700 sh | 100% on earlier of 2026 AGM or 1st anniversary | N/A | Requires approval |
| 2025 Policy – Refresh/Initial Option (proposed) | 152,400 sh | 12.5% quarterly over 2 years | N/A | For initial/refresh grants; Singapore law term constraint |
| 2025 Policy – Refresh/Initial RSU (proposed) | 25,400 sh | 50% at next AGM or 1-year anniversary, each year over 2 years | N/A | For initial/refresh grants |
- 2024 Director equity totals: Verdine’s 2024 share awards $86,538 and option awards $100,303; total director compensation $234,341 .
- Consulting equity in lieu of cash: October 2022 grant of 163,467 options for consulting services vesting monthly Oct 1, 2022–Dec 31, 2024 .
- Rationale for 2025 policy grant size: Singapore law caps non-employee director option terms at 5 years, prompting larger grants to maintain competitiveness with U.S. peers .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| LifeMine Therapeutics | Private biotech | President & CEO; Director | Operating commitment outside WVE |
| Biggie Bio / VidaVinci | Private | Executive Chair; Sole Director | Governance roles outside WVE |
| LoLa Capital Partners | VC fund | Managing General Partner | Investment activity in sector |
| Andreessen Horowitz | VC | Venture Partner | Industry network influence |
| SNBL (historical advisor) | Preclinical CRO; strategic stakeholder in WVE | Senior Advisor (past) | SNBL provides services to WVE; SNBL exec Ken Takanashi is WVE director; WVE paid SNBL ~$0.9M in 2024 (contract research) – related party exposure |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Scientific: Leading expert in new-modality therapeutics; co‑inventor of Wave stereochemistry technology; extensive chemical biology and RNA modality experience .
- Academic: Ph.D. Chemistry (Columbia); postdoctoral work at MIT/Harvard; Erving Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School .
- Entrepreneurial/Governance: Founded multiple biotech companies; prior board service (e.g., Enanta through IPO) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Owned | Options Exercisable ≤60 days | RSUs Vesting ≤60 days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory L. Verdine, Ph.D. | 296,402 | 314,197 | 16,115 | 626,714 | <1% (of 155,562,665 shares) |
- Aggregate options held as of 12/31/2024: 580,599 options (non-employee director total) .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging by directors .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and conflicts: Verdine is not classified as an independent director; he is a founder and maintained a paid consulting relationship through 2024 compensated via option grant—this represents a related-party transaction and potential conflict, albeit disclosed and approved per policy .
- Committee roles and effectiveness: Active on R&D Committee (science oversight); no Audit/Comp/Nom roles, reducing exposure to compensation and financial control conflicts .
- Attendance and engagement: Meets minimum engagement threshold; no director fell below 75% attendance in 2024 .
- Compensation alignment: Mix of cash retainer and time-based equity consistent with peers; 2025 proposal increases grant sizes due to local law constraints, not repricing, and maintains standard vesting—no red flags on option repricing or tax gross-ups (company avoids gross-ups and repricing) .
- Ownership alignment: Holds a meaningful but sub-1% stake with substantial options; company prohibits hedging/pledging, supporting alignment .
- Related party exposure: SNBL transactions and board presence (Takanashi) create a network of relationships; Verdine’s historical advisory role to SNBL heightens perceived conflict risk but current status appears historical and all related-party transactions are overseen under policy .
Director Compensation (Detail)
| Component (2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $47,500 |
| Share Awards (RSUs) | $86,538 |
| Option Awards | $100,303 |
| Total | $234,341 |
Related-Party Transactions (Verdine-specific)
- Consulting agreement with Wave Life Sciences USA, Inc. (subsidiary): Month-to-month (terminable with 14 days’ notice); cash fee $12,500/month (paid Jan–Sep 2022), replaced with non‑qualified option grant for 163,467 shares for Oct 1, 2022–Dec 31, 2024 vesting monthly; continued service required for vesting .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback (context)
- 2024 say‑on‑pay (NEOs) approved by over 99% of votes cast; Compensation Committee concluded no significant program changes for 2024 and continues annual advisory vote cadence .
RED FLAGS
- Non‑independence plus related‑party consulting through 2024 (compensated via equity) increases perceived conflict risk; monitoring of any ongoing consulting or advisory arrangements is warranted .
- Network ties to SNBL alongside SNBL transactions and board representation call for continued Audit Committee oversight of related-party dealings .
Overall: Verdine provides deep scientific and modality expertise with strong R&D committee utility, while his founder status, non‑independence, and prior consulting arrangement require elevated governance scrutiny to preserve investor confidence .