Daniel Curran
About Daniel Curran
Daniel Curran, M.D., age 58, has served on Xilio Therapeutics’ board since December 2020. He is currently Managing Partner at Mountainfield Venture Partners (since March 2024) and previously held senior leadership roles at Takeda, including SVP and Head of Rare Genetics and Hematology (2019–2023). He holds an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, and a B.S. in chemistry from King’s College .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. | SVP, Head of Rare Genetics & Hematology | Jan 2019–Dec 2023 | Therapeutic area leadership; strategy and development oversight |
| Takeda (prior roles) | Various leadership roles | 2008–2018 | Strategy, BD, project leadership, development roles |
| Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Takeda subsidiary) | VP, Corporate Development | 1999–2008 | Corporate development leadership |
| DuPont Merck Pharmaceuticals | Business Development | Not disclosed | Product planning and acquisitions |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountainfield Venture Partners, LLC | Managing Partner | Private | Since Mar 2024 | Company-creation firm |
| Tome Biosciences | Director (prior) | Private | Not disclosed | Prior private company board service |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and chair roles:
- Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; members include Drs. James Shannon and Yuan Xu; committee met 2 times in 2024 and is comprised entirely of independent directors .
- Independence: The board determined in March 2025 that all directors except the CEO (Dr. Russo) are independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; Curran is independent .
- Attendance: In 2024, the board met 7 times; each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate board and applicable committee meetings .
- Board leadership: Paul J. Clancy serves as Director and Chair of the Board (independent) .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees (USD) | Committee/Chair Fees Included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $41,198 | Not itemized | Per 2024 non-employee director compensation table |
Current non-employee director policy (effective April 14, 2025): annual board retainer $40,000 (Chair $70,000); audit committee member $7,500 (Chair $15,000); compensation committee member $5,000 (Chair $10,000); nominating & governance committee member $4,000 (Chair $8,000). New non-employee directors receive an initial stock option for 62,000 shares under the 2021 Plan upon initial election .
Performance Compensation
| Year | Equity Type | Grant Date Fair Value (USD) | Aggregate Options Held (as of 12/31/2024) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Stock options | $19,058 | 25,000 | Aggregate option holdings table for directors |
- Structure and metrics:
- Director equity compensation consists of stock options under the 2021 Plan; the policy discloses options (no RSUs/PSUs specified for directors) and does not disclose performance metrics tied to director equity; grants to non-employee directors occur automatically on the first business day after each annual meeting .
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging: Directors are prohibited from hedging and from holding shares in margin accounts or pledging Xilio securities, aligning with shareholder interests .
- Governance note: Non-employee directors are explicitly excluded from the 2025 stock option repricing and from the 2025 Stock Incentive Plan grants (which were targeted to employees), reducing potential conflicts in equity plan design .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Committee Roles | Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed (public) | — | — | — | No current public company directorships disclosed in last five years . |
| Tome Biosciences | Private | Director (prior) | Not disclosed | Prior private company board role . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Clinical and business credentials: M.D. (UPenn), M.B.A. (Wharton), B.S. Chemistry (King’s College) .
- Deep biopharma leadership: 20+ years across strategy, BD, project leadership and development at Takeda, Millennium, DuPont Merck .
- Governance experience: Chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; responsible for director nominations, leadership structure, succession planning, governance principles, and annual board evaluation .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Shares Owned | Right to Acquire Within 60 Days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2025 (Proxy reference date) | 0 | 25,000 | 25,000 | <1% (denoted “*”) |
- Note: Rights to acquire include options and certain warrants exercisable within 60 days of the reference date .
Related Party and Conflict Checks
- Related-person transaction policy: All related-person transactions >$120,000 require audit committee review/approval; detailed criteria applied to ensure terms are in the company’s best interests .
- Disclosed transactions since Jan 1, 2023 involve strategic investors (e.g., Gilead, AbbVie) and not directors individually; no Curran-specific related-person transactions are disclosed in the section .
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company-wide prohibitions cover directors, reducing alignment risk from hedging or pledged shares .
Governance Assessment
- Positives:
- Independent director and Chair of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; committee independence affirmed; clear remit over board composition, leadership structure, succession, and governance principles .
- Attendance compliance (≥75%) and overall board engagement in 2024; structured committee activity .
- Strong governance policies (anti-hedging/pledging) and exclusion of non-employee directors from employee-focused equity repricing/2025 option plan reduce perceived conflicts .
- Watch items:
- “Skin-in-the-game” is modest: beneficial ownership reflects 25,000 options exercisable within 60 days and no common shares in the latest proxy table (<1% ownership). While typical for small-cap biotech directors, investors may prefer higher direct ownership for stronger alignment .
- External venture role (Mountainfield Venture Partners) could create potential perception risks if investing in counterparties; no related-person transactions involving Curran are disclosed, but ongoing monitoring is prudent .
- Compliance signals:
- Section 16 reporting: Company states all required reports were timely in 2024 except for a late Form 3 by an investor (GKCC), with no director-specific delinquencies noted .
Overall: Curran’s independence, committee leadership, and governance posture are supportive of investor confidence. Ownership alignment is relatively light by disclosed measures; however, policy safeguards (hedging/pledging bans) and his non-participation in employee equity repricing mitigate key governance risks .