Full Press Release Details
PSYENCE BIOMEDICAL LTD.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
IN RESPECT OF THE ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF PSYENCE BIOMEDICAL LTD. TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 12, 2024
Dated as of October 23, 2024
Neither the NASDAQ nor any securities commission has in any way passed upon the merits of the shareholder proposals described herein and any representation to the contrary is an offence.
The directors of Psyence Biomedical Ltd. ("Psyence," " the "Company," "we," "us," or "our") cordially invite you to attend the annual and special meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of Psyence (the "Shareholders") to be held in person at 1700 Broadway, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10019, on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (New York time).
At the Meeting, you will be asked to consider and, if deemed appropriate, to pass, the following:
to receive and consider the audited financial statements of the Corporation as at and for the year ended March 31, 2024, together with the report of the auditors thereon;
the appointment of MNP LLP as the auditor of the Corporation and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration;
the election of directors of the Corporation;
an ordinary resolution authorizing and approving the adoption of amendments to the Psyence Biomedical Ltd 2023 Equity Incentive Plan to (i) increase the number of shares reserved for issuance under the plan by 6,141,527 common shares, and (ii) allow for an automatic increase of the common shares available for issuance under the plan to an amount equal to 15% of the then issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation; and
a special resolution approving the proposed consolidation of the common shares of the Corporation;
The foregoing resolutions are referred to herein as the "Resolutions".
The Board of Directors of the Corporation unanimously recommends that Shareholders vote in favor of the Resolutions at the Meeting for the reasons set out in this Circular. You are urged to read this information carefully and, if you require assistance, to consult your own legal, tax, financial or other professional advisor.
We hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you to this year's Meeting.
/s/ Dr. Neil Maresky
Chief Executive Officer & Director
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Dated October 23, 2024, except where otherwise noted
Solicitation of Proxies
This management information circular (the "Circular") is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the management of Psyence Biomedical Ltd. ("Psyence," the "Corporation," "we," "us," or "our") for use at the annual and special meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders (the "Shareholders") to be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 1700 Broadway, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10019 at 9:00 a.m. (New York time), and at any adjournment(s) thereof. Solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail and by our proxy solicitor Advantage Proxy, but may also be carried out by directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation personally, in writing, by telephone or by fax. All cost thereof will be borne by the Corporation. Management of the Corporation has therefore prepared this Circular and has sent it to those shareholders who are entitled to receive a notice of meeting.
Shareholders Entitled to Vote
Registered shareholders ("Registered Shareholders") as at the close of business on October 10, 2024 (the "Record Date"), or the person or persons they appoint as their proxies, are entitled to attend and vote on all matters that may properly come before the Meeting in respect of which their vote is required. Each Shareholder of record at the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to one vote for each common share of the Corporation, no par value ("Common Share") held with respect to all matters proposed to come before the Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and requiring a vote by Shareholders.
Registered Shareholders are entitled to vote at the Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, either in person or by proxy. Voting by proxy means that you are giving the person or persons named on your proxy form (your proxyholder) the authority to vote your Common Shares for you at the Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof.
Appointment of Proxies and Revocation of Proxies
The individuals named in the enclosed form of proxy will represent management of the Corporation at the Meeting. A Shareholder has the right to appoint a person or company (who need not be a Shareholder), other than the persons designated in the accompanying form of proxy, to represent the Shareholder at the Meeting. Such right may be exercised by inserting the name of such person or company in the blank space provided in the proxy or by completing another proper form of proxy. A Shareholder wishing to be represented by proxy at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof must, in all cases, deposit the completed proxy with Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Co., 1 State Street 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004 ("CST") by 11:59 P.M. (New York time) on November 11, 2024 or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting at which the proxy is to be used, or deliver it to the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof prior to the commencement of the Meeting. A proxy should be executed by the registered Shareholder or its attorney-in-fact duly authorized in writing or, if the registered Shareholder is a corporation, by an officer or attorney thereof duly authorized. Failure to properly complete or deposit a proxy may result in its invalidation.
A Registered Shareholder who has submitted a proxy may revoke it at any time prior to the exercise thereof. If a Registered Shareholder who has given a proxy attends the Meeting in person at which such proxy is to be voted, such person may revoke the proxy and vote in person. In addition to any other manner permitted by law, a proxy may be revoked before it is exercised by an instrument in writing executed in the same manner as a proxy and deposited to the attention of the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation at the registered office of the Corporation at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting, or any adjournment thereof, at which the proxy is to be used or with the Chairman of the Meeting on the day of such Meeting or any adjournment thereof and thereupon the proxy is revoked.
A Registered Shareholder attending the Meeting has the right to vote in person and, if he or she does so, his or her proxy is nullified with respect to the matters such person votes upon and any subsequent matters thereafter to be voted upon at the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
If you are not a Registered Shareholder, please refer to the section below entitled "Advice to Beneficial Holders of Common Shares".
Advice to Beneficial Shareholders of Common Shares
The information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many Shareholders as a substantial number of Shareholders do not hold their Common Shares in their own name and thus are considered non-registered Shareholders (referred to as "Beneficial Shareholders"). Beneficial Shareholders should note that only proxies deposited by Shareholders whose names appear on the records of the Corporation as the registered holders of Common Shares can be recognized and acted upon at the Meeting. If Common Shares are listed in an account statement provided to Shareholders by a broker then, in almost all cases, those shares will not be registered in the Shareholder's name on the records of the Corporation. Such Common Shares will more likely be registered under the name of the Shareholder's broker or an agent of that broker or another similar entity (an "Intermediary"). Common Shares held in the name of an Intermediary can only be voted by the Intermediary (for or against resolutions or withheld) upon the instructions of the Beneficial Shareholder. Without specific instructions, Intermediaries are prohibited from voting shares.
If you are a Beneficial Shareholder:
Beneficial Shareholders should ensure that instructions respecting the voting of their Common Shares are communicated in a timely manner and in accordance with the instructions provided by their Intermediary. Applicable regulatory rules require Intermediaries to seek voting instructions from Beneficial Shareholders in advance of the Meeting. Every Intermediary has its own mailing procedures and provides its own return instructions to clients, which instructions should be carefully followed by Beneficial Shareholders in order to ensure that their Common Shares are voted at the Meeting.
Most brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions from clients to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge") in the United States and in Canada. Broadridge mails a voting instruction form in lieu of a form of proxy provided by the Corporation. The voting instruction form will name the same persons as the Corporation's form of proxy to represent you at the Meeting. You have the right to appoint a person (who need not be a shareholder of the Corporation), other than the persons designated in the voting instruction form, to represent you at the Meeting. To exercise this right, you should insert the name of the desired representative in the blank space provided in the voting instruction form. The completed voting instruction form must then be returned to Broadridge by mail or facsimile or given to Broadridge by phone or over the internet, in accordance with Broadridge's instructions. Broadridge then tabulates the results of all instructions received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of Common Shares to be represented at the Meeting. If you receive a voting instruction form from Broadridge, you cannot use it to vote Common Shares directly at the Meeting - the voting instruction form must be completed and returned to Broadridge, in accordance with its instructions, well in advance of the Meeting in order to have the Common Shares voted.
Although a Beneficial Shareholder may not be recognized directly at the Meeting for the purpose of voting Common Shares registered in the name of their Intermediary, a Beneficial Shareholder may attend at the Meeting as proxyholder for the Intermediary and vote the Common Shares in that capacity. Beneficial Shareholders who wish to attend the Meeting and indirectly vote their Common Shares as a proxyholder should enter their own names in the blank space on the form of proxy provided to them by their Intermediary and return the same to their Intermediary in accordance with the instructions provided by their Intermediary well in advance of the Meeting.
Non-registered holders who have not objected to their Intermediary disclosing certain ownership information about themselves to the Corporation are referred to as "non-objecting beneficial owners". Those non-registered holders who have objected to their Intermediary disclosing ownership information about themselves to the Corporation are referred to as "objecting beneficial owners" ("OBOs") .
This Circular and applicable proxy-related materials are being sent directly to non-objecting beneficial owners. The Corporation does not intend to pay for Intermediaries to deliver the Meeting materials. As a result, OBOs will not receive the Meeting materials unless their Intermediary assumes the costs of delivery.
Interest of Certain Persons or Companies in Matters to Be Acted Upon
Other than as described herein, the Corporation is not aware of: (i) any person who has been a director or executive officer of the Corporation at any time since the beginning of the last financial year; (ii) a nominee for election as a director of the Corporation at the Meeting; or (iii) any associate or affiliate of any such director or executive officer or nominee, who has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting.
Use of Discretionary Power Conferred By the Proxies
Common Shares represented by proxies in favor of management nominees will be voted in accordance with the instructions of the Shareholder on any ballot that may be called for and, if a Shareholder specifies a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon at the Meeting, the shares represented by proxy shall be voted accordingly. Where no choice is specified, the proxy will confer discretionary authority and will be voted FOR all matters proposed by management at the Meeting. The enclosed form of proxy also confers discretionary authority upon the persons named therein to vote with respect to any amendments or variations to the matters identified in the notice with respect to this Meeting and with respect to any other matters which may properly come before the Meeting in such manner as the nominee in his judgment may determine. At the date hereof, management of the Corporation knows of no such amendments, variations or other matters to come before the Meeting.
Voting Securities and Principal Holders of Voting Securities
The authorized share capital of the Corporation consists of an unlimited number of Common Shares without par value. As at the date hereof, 54,334,170 Common Shares without par value are issued and outstanding. Each Common Share carries the right to one vote at any ballot taken at any meeting of the shareholders. Only shareholders of record of the Corporation at the close of business on the Record Date or their duly authorized agents are entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting.
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of Common Shares on the date of this Circular, based on information obtained from the persons named below, by:
each person known by Psyence to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding Common Shares;
each of Psyence's executive officers and directors; and
all of Psyence's executive officers and directors as a group.
Unless otherwise indicated, Psyence believes that all persons named in the tables below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned by them. Except as otherwise noted herein, the number and percentage of Common Shares beneficially owned is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under such rule, beneficial ownership includes any Common Shares as to which the holder has sole or shared voting power or investment power and also any Common Shares which the holder has the right to acquire within 60 days of the date of this Circular through the exercise of any option, warrant, convertible security or other right.
| Name of Beneficial Owner (1) | Number of Company Common Shares | % of Company Common Shares | |||||||||||
| 5% Holders | |||||||||||||
| Harraden Circle Investors GP, LLC | (2) | 9.9 % | |||||||||||
| Psyence Group Inc. | 7,075,920 | 13.0 % | |||||||||||
| Directors and Executive Officers | - | - | |||||||||||
| Dr. Neil Maresky | - | - | |||||||||||
| Warwick Corden-Lloyd | - | - | |||||||||||
| Jody Aufrichtig | - | - | |||||||||||
| Marc Balkin | - | - | |||||||||||
| Christopher (Chris) Bull | - | - | |||||||||||
| Dr. Seth Feuerstein | - | - | |||||||||||
| All Directors and Executive Officers as a group (six individuals) | - | - |
Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of those listed in the table above is 121 Richmond Street West, Penthouse Suite 1300, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2K1.
Harraden Circle Investors GP, LP ("Harraden GP") is the general partner of each of Harraden Circle Investors, LP and Harraden Circle Special Opportunities, LP (together, the "Harraden Funds"). Harraden Circle Investors GP, LLC ("Harraden LLC") is the general partner of Harraden GP. Harraden Circle Investments, LLC ("Harraden Adviser") is investment manager to the Harraden Funds and other high net worth individuals. Frederick V. Fortmiller, Jr. is the managing member of each of Harraden LLC and Harraden Adviser. In such capacities, each of Harraden GP, Harraden LLC, Harraden Adviser and Mr. Fortmiller may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the securities reported herein directly beneficially owned by Harraden Funds. The principal business address of each of the Harraden Funds, Harraden GP, Harraden LLC, Harraden Adviser and Mr. Fortmiller is 299 Park Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10171. Each of the Harraden Funds directly beneficially own (i) 500,000 Common Shares, and (ii) 575,000 warrants to purchase Common Shares at an exercise price of $11.50 per share and 250,000 warrants to purchase Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.50 per share, in each case, exercisable within 60 days of the date of this Circular. In addition, the Harraden Funds are each entitled to convert their respective Second Tranche Notes into up to an aggregate of 10,400,000 Common Shares, including 300% of the maximum number of Common Shares issued or issuable pursuant to the Second Tranche Notes. However, under the terms of the Second Tranche Notes, the Investors may not convert any of the Notes to the extent (but only to the extent) the Harraden Funds or any of their affiliates would beneficially own a number of our Common Shares which would exceed 9.99% of the outstanding shares of the Company.
The Business Combination
On January 25, 2024 (the "Closing Date"), the Corporation consummated the transactions contemplated by that certain Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement, dated as of July 31, 2023 (as amended, the "Business Combination Agreement" and the transactions contemplated thereby, the "Business Combination"), by and among the Corporation, Newcourt Acquisition Corp. ("NCAC"), Newcourt SPAC Sponsor LLC (the "Sponsor"), Psyence Group Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Ontario, Canada ("PGI"), Psyence (Cayman) Merger Sub, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub"), Psyence Biomed Corp., a corporation organized under the laws of British Columbia, Canada ("Psyence Biomed Corp."), and Psyence Biomed II Corp. ("Biomed II"). Pursuant to the Business Combination, at the effective time of the merger (the "Effective Time") (i) PGI contributed Biomed II to the Corporation in a share for share exchange (the "Company Exchange"), (ii) following the Company Exchange, Merger Sub merged with and into NCAC (the "Merger"), with NCAC being the surviving company in the Merger, and each outstanding ordinary share of NCAC
was converted into the right to receive one Common Share of the Corporation, and (iii) each outstanding warrant to purchase NCAC Class A Ordinary Shares was converted into a warrant to acquire one Common Share on substantially the same terms as were in effect immediately prior to the Closing Date under their terms.
All references to dollars or $ are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED UPON
Financial Statements
The shareholders will receive and consider the audited financial statements of the Corporation for the years ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, together with the auditor's report hereon.
Appointment of Auditors
Management recommends the appointment of MNP LLP, Chartered Accountants ("MNP"), of Toronto, Ontario, as the auditor of the Corporation to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of the Shareholders, or until their successor is appointed by the Board. MNP was appointed as the auditor of the Corporation on March 18, 2024, to replace the previous auditor of NCAC, Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP.
Common Shares represented by proxies in favor of the management nominees will be voted FOR the appointment of MNP LLP, Chartered Accountants, as the auditor of the Corporation and authorizing the directors of the Corporation to fix their remuneration, unless a Shareholder has specified in his proxy that his Common Shares are to be withheld from voting on the appointment of the auditor.
The aggregate fees billed by the Corporation's external auditors for professional services rendered for the audit of the consolidated financial statements of the Corporation and its subsidiaries were $80,500 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.
The aggregate fees (including reimbursed expenses) billed by the Corporation's external auditors for services related to the audit or review of the Corporation's financial statements were $123,000 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.
The aggregate fees (including reimbursed expenses) billed by the Corporation's external auditors for the preparation of corporate tax returns, tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning services were $nil in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.
The aggregate fees, including expenses reimbursed, billed by the Corporation's external auditors for services rendered to the Corporation and its subsidiaries, other than the services described above, were $nil in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.
Election of Directors
The articles of incorporation of the Corporation provide that the Board shall consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of ten directors. The directors have determined that there will be five persons elected to the Board at the Meeting.
Management proposes that each of the persons named below be nominated at the Meeting for re-election or election, as the case may be, as directors of the Corporation to serve, until the next annual meeting of Shareholders or until his or her successor is elected or appointed. Management does not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director. However, if a nominee should be unable to so serve for any reason prior to the Meeting, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy reserve the right to vote for another nominee in their discretion. Common Shares represented by proxies in favor of management nominees will be voted FOR the election of all of the nominees whose names are set forth below, unless a Shareholder has specified in his proxy that his Common Shares are to be withheld from voting on the election of directors.
The following table and the notes below state the names of all persons to be nominated for election as directors, all other positions or offices with the Corporation now held by them, their principal occupations of employment for the previous five years, the year in which they became directors for the Corporation, their ages. As of the date hereof, none of the nominees beneficially own any Common Shares.
Common Shares represented by proxies in favor of the management nominees will be voted FOR the appointment of each of the nominees as a director of the Corporation, unless a Shareholder has specified in his proxy that his Common Shares are to be withheld from voting for any or all of the nominees(1).
| Name, Province, Country of Residence & Position(s) | Principal Occupation Business or Employment for Last Five Years | Date Elected or Appointed as Director | Shares Beneficially Owned or Controlled (1) | |||||||
| Jody Aufrichtig, Cape Town, South Africa - Chairman of the Board and Strategic Business Development Officer | Has served as Chairman of the Board and Strategic Business Development Officer of the Corporation since January 25, 2024 and in the same position at PGI since May 2020. Previously Managing Director of Canopy Growth Africa and founder of multiple award-winning businesses. | January 25, 2024 | - | |||||||
| Dr. Neil Maresky, Ontario, Canada - Chief Executive Officer and Director | Has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation since January 25, 2024 and Director since June 29, 2023. Served as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of PGI from July 1, 2021, until his resignation in March 2024 and as Vice President of Scientific Affairs at AstraZeneca Canada until 2021. | June 29, 2023 (Director), January 25, 2024 (CEO) | - | |||||||
| Marc Balkin, Cape Town South Africa - Director (1)(2)(3)(5)(6) | Has served as a d irector of the Corporation since January 25, 2024. Previously served as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of Newcourt Acquisition Corp from March 2021 until January 25, 2024. He is the founder of Balkin and Co., an advisory firm, since 2015 and currently serves as a partner at DiGame, a growth fund focused on Africa and the Middle East | January 25, 2024 | - | |||||||
| Christopher (Chris) Bull,London, UK, Director (1)(3)(4)(5) | Has served as a director of the Corporation since January 25, 2024 and as a Strategic Advisor of PGI since December 2022. He currently serves as the Chairman and a director of Knife Capital, a venture capital firm and as an investor, founder and advisor to various companies in Europe and North America | January 25, 2024 | - |
| Name, Province, Country of Residence & Position(s) | Principal Occupation Business or Employment for Last Five Years | Date Elected or Appointed as Director | Shares Beneficially Owned or Controlled (1) | |||||||
| in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and technology sectors. | ||||||||||
| Dr. Seth Feuerstein, Connecticut, USA - Director (1)(3)(5) | Has served as a director of the Corporation since January 25, 2024 and as Founder and CEO of Oui Therapeutics, Inc. since 2019. Dr. Feuerstein also serves as a senior advisor/Highly Qualified Expert for the U.S. Department of Defense and as an Executive Director of the Center for Digital Health, Innovation, and excellence at Yale University. Dr. Feuerstein has also served as the Faculty Advisory for Innovation in Healthcare at Yale School of Medicine since 2004. | January 25, 2024 | - |
Audit Committee Member
Audit Committee Chair and Audit Committee Financial Expert
Compensation Committee Member
Compensation Committee Chair
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Member
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair
Jody Aufrichtig, age 51, has served as Strategic Business Development Officer and Chairman of the Board since January 25, 2024, and a director of PGI since May 21, 2020. He has served in the same roles at PGI since May 21, 2020. Mr. Aufrichtig is a chartered accountant (former Ernst & Young) and experienced entrepreneur with extensive experience in emerging markets and private equity. Mr. Aufrichtig is the founder of MindHealth Biomed Corp, the predecessor company prior to the formation and listing of PGI and has built multiple award-winning businesses and created substantial shareholder value in aviation, medical cannabis, commercial and residential property, private equity, tourism, leisure and other industries. Prior to founding MindHealth Biomed Corp, he was the Managing Director of Canopy Growth Africa (a wholly owned subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE: CGC / TSX: WEED)) from May 2018 until he led a management buyout of the African operations in April 2020. Mr. Aufrichtig founded Daddy Cann Lesotho (Pty) Limited in July 2017 and was granted a license by the Ministry of Health (Lesotho) to cultivate, manufacture, supply, hold, import, export and transport cannabis. Daddy Cann Lesotho (Pty) Limited was subsequently acquired by Canopy Growth Corporation in May 2018. In 2000, Mr. Aufrichtig co-founded Indigo Properties, a business focused on commercial and residential property, aviation, tourism and leisure. Mr. Aufrichtig holds a Bachelor of Accounting and a Bachelor of Accounting Honours from the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and is registered with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. He completed his articles at Ernst & Young He is well-qualified to serve as a director because of his extensive commercial and corporate experience in a broad variety of areas including finance and mergers and acquisitions and has served as a director and chairman of other publicly traded companies.
Dr. Neil Maresky, age 60, has served as Chief Executive Officer since January 25, 2024 and director since June 29, 2023. Dr. Maresky also served as PGI's chief executive officer and director from July 1, 2021 until his resignation in March 2024. Dr. Maresky brings more than 25 years of enterprise leadership and biopharmaceutical expertise and currently oversees the strategy and operations of Psyence. From 2010 to 2021, Dr. Maresky spent more than a decade at AstraZeneca Canada as Vice President of Scientific Affairs. Dr. Maresky is a South African trained doctor where he was trained in emergency room medicine and
cardiology, and practiced as a family physician. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Maresky emigrated to Canada and began his career in the pharmaceutical industry. During the course of his career, Dr. Maresky has positively impacted the health of millions of patients across Canada. He has held various executive leadership positions in "Big Pharma", including leading research and development and driving scientific strategy at Bayer Pharmaceuticals (1998-2002) as well as Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (2002-2008), where he was interim President and general manager in 2008. With extensive experience and relationships with academic institutions, health authorities and decision-making bodies across Canada, Dr. Maresky has contributed to many innovative medical therapies and technologies, including over 50 approvals of new medicines and new indications. One of Dr. Maresky's most recent achievements was the approval of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine by Health Canada. Dr. Maresky holds a Medical Degree M.B.,B.Ch. from the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa, 1987). Dr. Maresky is an experienced research scientist and entrepreneur, and has experience in both big pharma and technology driven startups, both at the board and operating levels, in a broad variety of areas.
Marc Balkin, age 50, has served as a director of the Company since January 25, 2024. He served as the Chief Executive Officer and served as a member of the board of directors of Newcourt Acquisition Corp (the special purpose acquisition company with which Psyence merged in January 2024) ("NCAC") from March 2021 until January 25, 2024. Mr. Balkin is a founder of Balkin and Co, an advisory firm that has advised private equity firms and family offices on mergers, acquisitions and investments in Africa since 2015. Clients have included HP Bet (part of the family office of Dr. Hasso Plattner, a founder and current Chairman of SAP), Omidyar Network (part of the family office of Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay) and Rand Merchant Bank. Prior to founding Balkin and Co, Mr. Balkin was the Managing Partner of Hasso Plattner Ventures Africa, a Venture Fund in which Dr. Plattner was the key limited partner. Mr. Balkin also held responsibility for managing the Emerging Market portfolio of private equity and venture capital assets of Dr. Plattner's family office. Mr. Balkin is currently a partner at DiGame, a growth fund focused on Africa and the Middle East in which the key investor is Abu Dhabi Investment Counsel ("ADIC"). Mr. Balkin represents DiGame on the board of direct-to-consumer asset manager 10X Investments. Since 2004, Mr. Balkin has served on and chaired a range of venture capital and private equity fund investment committees as the representative of the limited partners or investors. These include Enablis, First National Bank Vumela Fund, Telkom Future Makers and Alithea IDF. Between 2000 and 2007, Mr. Balkin was the founding partner of O2 Capital, a private equity fund manager for the Msele Nedventures Fund. The LPs in the fund included a range of development finance institutions such as Proparco (France), DEG (Germany) and IDC (South Africa) and the fund invested primarily in technology businesses in South Africa. Mr. Balkin obtained his BA in 1995 and his LLB in 1997 from University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He is well-qualified to serve as a director because of his experience at board and committee level as well as his legal, finance and financial markets background.
Chris Bull, age 56, has served as a director of the Company since January 25, 2024 and has served as a strategic advisor of PGI since December 2022. Chris is a qualified chemical engineer, attorney, patent attorney and Certified Licensing Professional . Over his thirty year career, Mr. Bull has been an investor, director, founder and advisor to a range of successful companies in Europe and North America with novel technologies in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food sciences, chemical processing, and extraction technologies. Mr. Bull has served as a Chairman and director of a venture capital firm (Knife Capital). Mr. Bull has also been recognized through receipt of a number of international awards, including IAM Strategy 300, IAM Patent 1000, IAM Licensing 250; Euromoney Expert Guides: World's Leading Patent Attorneys; Chambers and Partners' Global Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers Legal 500 Guide to Outstanding Lawyers, in recognition of his skills in relation to the development and execution of venture capital investment, patent and intellectual property strategies for high-technology companies. He is well-qualified to serve as a director because of his prior Chairman and director experience and his chemical engineering, attorney and patent attorney qualifications.
Dr. Seth Feuerstein, age 52, has served as a director of the Company since January 25, 2024. Dr. Feuerstein has expertise across multiple areas of medicine including Suicide Prevention, Technology and Suicide, Telehealth, Social Media and Mental Health, Digital Medicine, Suicide, Digital Health, Digital Therapeutics, Healthcare Innovation, Emerging Medical Technologies, forensic psychiatry, technology transfer, technology investment, intellectual property and the intersection of technology, law and medicine. He is a founding board member of the Center for Biomedical and Interventional Technology at Yale and
Executive Director of the Center for Digital Health, Innovation and Excellence. He has been teaching at the Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, since 2004 and is the faculty advisor for Innovation in Healthcare at the medical school. He works across multiple sectors in healthcare including health insurance, healthcare startups, healthcare investing, clinical care delivery innovation and early stage emerging medical technologies. He is the founder and CEO of Oui Therapeutics, Inc. Since 2019, which is developing a prescription digital therapeutic for suicide attempt reduction. Dr. Feuerstein has been appointed senior advisor/Highly Qualified Expert (HQE) for the Department of Defense, advising on behavioral health innovation, since June 2019. From 2014 to August 2018, he was the chief medical and innovation officer at Magellan Healthcare. He has also co-founded and/or held leadership roles in a number of biotechnology and healthcare companies. Dr. Feuerstein received his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University, a J.D. from New York University School of Law, and an M.D. from New York University School of Medicine. We believe that Dr. Feuerstein is well-qualified to serve on the Board as result of his prior board experience and extensive experience in the fields of psychiatry and biotechnology.
Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies
No director or proposed director of the Corporation is, or has been within the past ten years, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any other corporation that, while such person was acting in that capacity:
was the subject of a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the Corporation access to any exemptions under securities legislation, and that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or
was the subject of a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the Corporation access to any exemptions under securities legislation, that was issued after that individual ceased to be a director or chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while such person was acting in a capacity as a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer.
No director or proposed director of the Corporation is, or has been within the past ten years, a director or executive officer of any other corporation that, while such person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that individual ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets.
Individual Bankruptcies
No director or proposed director of the Corporation is or has, within the ten years prior to the date hereof, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of that individual.
Penalties or Sanctions
No director or proposed director of the Corporation has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority. No director or proposed director of the Corporation has been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.
Conflicts of Interest
To the best of Corporation's knowledge, there are no known existing or potential conflicts of interest among the Corporation, proposed directors, executive officers or other members of management of the Corporation as a result of their outside business interests except that certain proposed directors and officers
may serve as directors and officers of other companies, and therefore it is possible that a conflict may arise between their duties to the Corporation and their duties as a director or officer of such other companies.
Approval of Amendment to the 2023 Plan