Management Following the Merger
Prior to December 22, 2020, we were a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company known as Proteostasis Therapeutics, Inc. (“Proteostasis”). On December 22, 2020, we completed our merger whereby a wholly-owned subsidiary of Proteostasis merged with and into Yumanity, Inc. (formerly Yumanity Therapeutics, Inc.), with Yumanity, Inc. surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Proteostasis (such transactions, the “Merger”). In connection with the completion of the Merger, Proteostasis was renamed Yumanity Therapeutics, Inc. (“Yumanity”).
Prior to the Merger, Yumanity, Inc. was led by Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D. as President and Chief Executive Officer and its board of directors was composed of: N. Anthony Coles, M.D., Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D., Patricia L. Allen, Richard A. Heyman, Ph.D., Jeffery W. Kelly, Ph.D., Cecil B. Pickett, Ph.D. and Lynne Zydowsky, Ph.D. In connection with the Merger, the following Yumanity, Inc. officers joined Yumanity’s management team: N. Anthony Coles, M.D., as Executive Chair of the Board of Directors, Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D. as President and Chief Executive Officer, Paulash Mohsen, as Chief Business Officer and Brigitte Robertson, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer.
Post-Merger, the combined company is led by Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D. as President and Chief Executive Officer. Our principal executive offices are located at 40 Guest Street, Suite 4410, Boston, Massachusetts 02135. The Board of Directors of Yumanity was composed of N. Anthony Coles, M.D. (Executive Chair), Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D, Patricia L. Allen, Richard A. Heyman, Ph.D., Cecil B. Pickett, Ph.D. and Lynne Zydowsky, Ph.D. who joined from Yumanity, Inc.’s board of directors, David Arkowitz and Kim C. Drapkin who joined from Proteostasis’ board of directors and Jeffery W. Kelly, Ph.D., who was on both Proteostasis’ and Yumanity’s boards of directors.
Board and Committee Matters
Board Leadership and Independence. Our Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Board of Directors, except Dr. Peters and Dr. Coles, are independent, as determined in accordance with the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market. In making such independence determination, the Board of Directors considered the relationships that each such non-employee director has with us and all other facts and circumstances that the Board of Directors deemed relevant in determining his or her independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employee director. In considering the independence of the directors listed above, our Board of Directors considered the association of our directors with the holders of more than 5% of our common stock. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Board Leadership Structure. The positions of our chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer are presently separated. Separating these positions allows our Chief Executive Officer to focus on our day-to-day business, while allowing the chairman of the Board to lead the Board of Directors in its fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of management. Our Board of Directors recognizes the time, effort and energy that the Chief Executive Officer must devote to the position in the current business environment, as well as the commitment required to serve as our chairman of the Board, particularly as the Board of Directors’ oversight responsibilities continue to grow. Our Board of Directors also believes that this structure ensures a greater role for the non-management directors in the oversight of our company and active participation of the independent directors in setting agendas and establishing priorities and procedures for the work of our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors believes its administration of its risk oversight function has not affected its leadership structure. Although our By-laws do not require our chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer positions to be separate, our Board of Directors believes that having separate positions is the appropriate leadership structure for us at this time.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including those officers responsible for financial reporting. The current version of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website (www.yumanity.com) under the Investor Relations tab, under the sub-tab “Corporate Governance.” A copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics may also be obtained, free of charge, upon a request directed to: Yumanity Therapeutics, Inc., 40 Guest Street, Suite 4410, Boston, Massachusetts 02135 Attention: Secretary. We intend to disclose any amendment or waiver of a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, or principal accounting officer, or persons performing similar functions, by posting such information on our website and/or in our public filings with the SEC.