6.Release from liability for the Company's directors with respect to the performance of their duties during the financial year ended December 31, 2021 (voting item)
It is proposed that the Company's directors be released from liability for the exercise of their duties during the fiscal year 2021. The scope of this release from liability extends to the exercise of their respective duties insofar as these are reflected in the Company's statutory board report or annual accounts over the fiscal year 2021 or in other public disclosures.
7.Appointment of James Nobel as non-executive director of the Company (voting item)
The Company's board of directors has made a binding nomination to appoint James Nobel as non-executive director of the Company for a period of three years, ending at the end of the annual general meeting of shareholders of the Company to be held in the year 2025.
Mr. Noble has over thirty years’ experience in the biotech sector. His most recent executive role was as CEO of Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc, a NASDAQ listed company. Mr. Noble held that position from 2008, when he Co-founded the company, until he retired in 2019. He remains on the board as a non-executive director. Mr. Noble was also CEO from 2008 to 2014 of Immunocore, which he co-founded.
He has held numerous non-executive positions. He previously served as a deputy Chairman of GW Pharmaceuticals (until its acquisition by Jazz Pharmaceuticals) and as director of Curagen Corporation, Powderject Pharmaceuticals, Oxford Glycosciences, MediGene AG and Advanced Medical Solutions plc. Mr. Noble is Chairman of Orexo AB and also serves as chairman of Sutura Therapeutics and Celleron Therapeutics.
Mr. Noble qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse and spent 7 years at the investment bank Kleinwort Benson, where he became a director in 1990. He then joined British Biotech plc as CFO from 1990 to 1997. Mr. Noble holds an MA degree from the University of Oxford. We believe that Mr. Nobel is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive experience as a senior executive of multiple biotechnology companies and his experience serving on boards of several publicly traded life science companies.
8.Appointment of Jay Backstrom as non-executive director of the Company (voting item)
The Company's board of directors has made a binding nomination to appoint Jay Backstrom as non-executive director of the Company for a period of three years, ending at the end of the annual general meeting of shareholders of the Company to be held in the year 2025.
Jay T. Backstrom, MD, MPH has served as Executive Vice President, Research and Development, at Acceleron Pharma from December 2019 up through the completion of the Merck acquisition in December 2021.
He previously served as the Chief Medical Officer for the Celgene Corporation from April 2016 through December 2019. Dr. Backstrom joined Celgene in March 2008 as vice president of clinical