UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.  )

 

 

 

Check the appropriate box:

GALECTO, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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April 14, 2021

Dear Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Galecto, Inc. (the “Company” or “Galecto”). The meeting will be held online on May 26, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time. You may attend the meeting virtually via the Internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GLTO2021, where you will be able to vote electronically and submit questions. You will need the 16-digit control number, which is located on the Notice of Internet Availability that you received in the mail, on your proxy card or in the instructions accompanying your proxy materials, to attend the annual meeting.

Details regarding admission to the meeting and the business to be conducted are more fully described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement.

At this Annual Meeting, the agenda includes the election of three Class I directors for a three-year term and the ratification of the appointment of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

Under Securities and Exchange Commission rules, the Company is providing access to the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting to shareholders via the Internet. Accordingly, you can access the proxy materials and vote at www.proxyvote.com. Instructions for accessing the proxy materials and voting are described below and in the Notice of Annual Meeting that you received in the mail. Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, please carefully review the enclosed proxy statement and then cast your vote, regardless of the number of shares you hold. If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote over the Internet, by telephone, or, if you request to receive a printed set of the proxy materials, by completing, signing, dating and mailing the accompanying proxy card in the return envelope. Submitting your vote via the Internet or by telephone or proxy card will not affect your right to vote online during the virtual meeting if you decide to attend the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in street name (held for your account by a broker or other nominee), you will receive instructions from your broker or other nominee explaining how to vote your shares, and you will have the option to cast your vote by telephone or over the Internet if your voting instruction form from your broker or nominee includes instructions and a toll-free telephone number or Internet website to do so. In any event, to be sure that your vote will be received in time, please cast your vote by your choice of available means at your earliest convenience.

We hope that you will join us on May 26, 2021. Your investment and continuing interest in the Company are very much appreciated.

 

 

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GALECTO, INC.

NOTICE OF 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

Copenhagen N, Denmark
April 14, 2021

Important Notice Regarding the Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for the Company’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on May 26, 2021: The Notice of 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, proxy statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, are available at www.galecto.com by following the link for “Investors.”

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

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GALECTO, INC.

Ole Maaloes Vej 3

DK-2200 Copenhagen N

DENMARK

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR THE 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON May 26, 2021

AT 9:00 A.M. EDT

GENERAL INFORMATION

When are this proxy statement and the accompanying material scheduled to be sent to stockholders?

We have elected to provide access to our proxy materials to our stockholders via the Internet. Accordingly, on or about April 14, 2021, we will begin mailing to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials, including our proxy statement and our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Notice of Internet Availability also instructs you on how to submit your proxy or voting instructions through the Internet or to request a paper copy of our proxy materials, including a proxy card or voting instruction form that includes instructions on how to submit your proxy or voting instructions by mail or telephone. For shares held in street name (held for your account by a broker or other nominee), you will receive a voting instruction form from your broker or nominee. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 is available on our website at www.galecto.com by following the link for “Investors.”

Why did I receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?

Pursuant to rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, we are providing access to our proxy materials over the Internet rather than printing and mailing the proxy materials. We believe electronic delivery will expedite the receipt of materials, will help lower our costs and reduce the environmental impact of our annual meeting materials. Therefore, a Notice of Internet Availability will be mailed to holders of record and beneficial owners of our common stock starting on or around April 14, 2021. The Notice of Internet Availability will provide instructions as to how stockholders may access and review the proxy materials, including the Notice of Annual Meeting, proxy statement, proxy card, and Annual Report on Form 10-K, on the website referred to in the Notice of Internet Availability or, alternatively, how to request that a copy of the proxy materials, including a proxy card, be sent to stockholders by mail. The Notice of Internet Availability will also provide voting instructions. In addition, stockholders of record may request to receive the proxy materials in printed form by mail, or electronically by e-mail, on an ongoing basis for future stockholder meetings. Please note that while our proxy materials are available at the website referenced in the Notice of Internet Availability, and our Notice of Annual Meeting, proxy statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K are available on our website, no other information contained on either website is incorporated by reference in or considered to be a part of this document.

Who is soliciting my vote?

The board of directors of Galecto, Inc. is soliciting your vote for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or the 2021 Annual Meeting.

When is the record date for the Annual Meeting?

The board of directors has fixed the record date for the 2021 Annual Meeting as of the close of business on March 29, 2021.

How many votes can be cast by all stockholders?

A total of 25,261,832 shares of common stock of the Company were outstanding on March 29, 2021 and entitled to be voted at the Annual Meeting. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote on each matter.

How do I vote?

If you are a stockholder of record and your shares are registered directly in your name, you may vote:

 

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If your shares of common stock are held in street name (held for your account by a broker or other nominee):

 

How do I attend the Annual Meeting online?

We will be hosting our Annual Meeting of Stockholders via live webcast only. Any stockholder can attend the Annual Meeting live online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GLTO2021. The webcast will start at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on May 26, 2021. Stockholders may vote and ask questions while attending the Annual Meeting online. In order to be able to attend the Annual Meeting, you will need the 16-digit control number, which is located on your Notice of Internet Availability, on your proxy card or in the instructions accompanying your proxy materials. Instructions on how to participate in the Annual Meeting are also posted online at www.proxyvote.com.

What are the Board of Director’s recommendations on how to vote my shares?

The board of directors recommends a vote:

Proposal 1: FOR election of the three Class I director nominees (page 5)

Proposal 2: FOR ratification of the selection of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm (page 28)

Who pays the cost for soliciting proxies?

The Company will pay the cost for the solicitation of proxies by the board of directors. The solicitation of proxies will be made primarily by mail and through internet access to materials. Proxies may also be solicited personally, by telephone, fax or e-mail by employees of the Company without any remuneration to such individuals other than their regular compensation. The Company will also reimburse brokers, banks, custodians, other nominees, and fiduciaries for forwarding these materials to their principals to obtain the authorization for the execution of proxies.

Will my shares be voted if I do not return my proxy?

If your shares are registered directly in your name, your shares will not be voted if you do not vote over the Internet, by telephone, by returning your proxy or by ballot at the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in street name, your bank, broker or other nominee may under certain circumstances vote your shares if you do not timely return your proxy. Banks, brokers and other nominees can vote customers’ unvoted shares on routine matters, but cannot vote such shares on non-routine matters. If you do not timely return a proxy to your bank, broker or other nominee to vote your shares, your bank, broker or other nominee may, on routine matters, either vote your shares or leave your shares unvoted. Your bank, broker or other nominee cannot vote your shares on any non-routine matter. The election of directors (Proposal 1) is a non-routine matter. The ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal 2) is a routine matter. We encourage you to provide voting instructions to your bank, broker or other nominee by giving your proxy to them. This ensures that your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting according to your

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instructions. You should receive directions from your bank, broker or other nominee about how to submit your proxy to them at the time you receive this proxy statement.

Can I change my vote?

You may revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted by notifying our Corporate Secretary in writing, by returning a signed proxy with a later date, by transmitting a subsequent vote over the Internet or by telephone prior to the close of the Internet voting facility or the telephone voting facility. You may also attend the virtual meeting and vote during the meeting. If your stock is held in street name, you must contact your broker or nominee for instructions as to how to change your vote.

How is a quorum reached?

The presence, by virtual attendance or by proxy, of holders of a majority of the total number of outstanding shares entitled to vote is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Shares held of record by stockholders or brokers, bankers or other nominees who do not return a signed and dated proxy or attend the Annual Meeting virtually will not be considered present or represented at the Annual Meeting and will not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum. Abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present for the transaction of business at the meeting.

What vote is required to approve each item and how are votes counted?

Votes cast by proxy or online at the Annual Meeting will be counted by the persons appointed by the Company to act as tabulators for the meeting. The tabulators will count all votes FOR and AGAINST, abstentions and broker non-votes, as applicable, for each matter to be voted on at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted as votes cast and, therefore, do not have the effect of votes in opposition to such proposals. A broker non-vote occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on a particular proposal because the nominee does not have discretionary voting power with respect to that item and has not received instructions from the beneficial owner.

The nominees for director to receive the highest number of votes FOR election will be elected as a director. This is called a plurality. Proposal 1 is a non-routine matter. Therefore, if your shares are held by your brokerage firm in street name and you do not timely provide voting instructions with respect to your shares, your brokerage firm cannot vote your shares on Proposal 1. Shares held in street name by banks, brokerage firms or other nominees who indicate on their proxies that they do not have authority to vote the shares on Proposal 1 will not be counted as votes FOR or WITHHELD from any nominee. As a result, such “broker non-votes” will have no effect on the voting on Proposal 1. You may:

 

Votes that are withheld will not be included in the vote tally for the election of the director and will not affect the results of the vote.

To approve Proposal 2, holders of a majority of the votes cast on the matter must vote FOR the proposal. For the ratification of the selection of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab as our independent registered public accounting firm for our 2021 fiscal year, the votes cast FOR must exceed the votes cast AGAINST. Only FOR and AGAINST votes will affect the outcome. Abstentions will have no effect on the voting of Proposal 2. Proposal 2 is a routine matter. Therefore, if your shares are held by your bank, broker or other nominee in street name and you do not vote your shares, your bank, broker or other nominee may vote your shares on Proposal 2.

If there are insufficient votes to approve Proposals 1 or 2, your proxy may be voted by the persons named in the proxy to adjourn the Annual Meeting in order to solicit additional proxies in favor of the approval of such proposal. If the Annual Meeting is adjourned or postponed for any purpose, at any subsequent reconvening of the meeting, your proxy will be voted in the same manner as it would have been voted at the original convening of the Annual Meeting unless you withdraw or revoke your proxy. Your proxy may be voted in this manner even though it may have been voted on the same or any other matter at a previous session of the Annual Meeting.

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Could other matters be decided at the Annual Meeting?

The Company does not know of any other matters that may be presented for action at the Annual Meeting. Should any other business come before the meeting, the persons named on the enclosed proxy will have discretionary authority to vote the shares represented by such proxies in accordance with their best judgment. If you hold shares through a broker, bank or other nominee as described above, they will not be able to vote your shares on any other business that comes before the Annual Meeting unless they receive instructions from you with respect to such matter.

What happens if the meeting is postponed or adjourned?

Your proxy may be voted at the postponed or adjourned meeting. You will still be able to change your proxy until it is voted.

How can I find out the results of the voting at the Annual Meeting?

Preliminary voting results will be announced at the Annual Meeting. Final voting results will be published in a Current Report on Form 8-K, or Form 8-K, that we expect to file with the SEC within four business days after the Annual Meeting. If final voting results are not available to us in time to file a Form 8-K within four business days after the Annual Meeting, we intend to file a Form 8-K to publish preliminary results and, within four business days after the final results are known to us, file an additional Form 8-K to publish the final results.

What does it mean if I receive more than one proxy card or voting instruction form?

It means that you have multiple accounts at the transfer agent or with brokers. Please complete and return all proxy cards or voting instruction forms to ensure that all of your shares are voted.

What if I have technical difficulties or trouble accessing the Annual Meeting?

If you encounter any technical difficulties with the virtual meeting platform on the meeting day, please call the technical support number that will be posted on the virtual shareholder meeting log-in page. Technical support will be available starting at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time on May 26, 2021 and will remain available until the Annual Meeting has ended.

 

Implications of being an “emerging growth company” and smaller reporting company.

We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We will remain an emerging growth company until December 31, 2025, or until the earliest of (1) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue exceeds $1.07 billion, (2) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (3) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three-year period.

We are also a “smaller reporting company,” meaning that the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates was less than $700 million and our annual revenue was less than $100 million during our most recently completed fiscal year as of the end of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company if either (i) the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. If we are a smaller reporting company at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company, we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to smaller reporting companies. For so long as we remain a smaller reporting company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure and other requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies.

Who should I call if I have any additional questions?

If you hold your shares directly, please call Jonathan Freve of the Company, at +45 70 70 52 10. If your shares are held in street name, please contact the telephone number provided on your voting instruction form or contact your broker or nominee holder directly.

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PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Our board of directors currently consists of nine directors and is divided into three classes, with one class of our directors standing for election each year. The members of each class are elected to serve a three-year term with the term of office of each class ending in successive years. The terms of the Class I directors are scheduled to expire on the date of the upcoming 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or Annual Meeting. Stephan Christgau, Ph.D., who is currently a Class I director, will not continue as a director after our upcoming Annual Meeting. Based on the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the board of directors, the board of directors’ nominees for election by the stockholders are Chau Q. Khuong, Søren Møller, Ph.D. and Anne Prener, M.D. If elected, each nominee will serve as a Class I director of the Company until the Annual Meeting in 2024 and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. The board of directors has also determined to reduce its size from nine members to eight members, and to reduce the number of Class I directors from four to three, in each case effective immediately following the Annual Meeting.

It is intended that, unless you give contrary instructions, shares represented by proxies solicited by the board of directors will be voted for the election of the director nominee listed below. We have no reason to believe that the director nominee will be unavailable for election at the Annual Meeting. In the event that the director nominee is unexpectedly not available to serve, proxies may be voted for another person nominated as a substitute by the board of directors, or the board of directors may reduce the number of directors to be elected at the Annual Meeting. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Company, the board of directors has determined to fix the number of directors at eight as of the date of this year’s Annual Meeting. Vacancies on the board of directors, if any, are filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors, even if less than a quorum is present, and not by the stockholders. Your proxy cannot be voted for persons other than the director nominees named in this proxy statement.

Information relating to the director nominees and each continuing director, including his or her period of service as a director of the Company, principal occupation and other biographical material is shown below.

Voting Requirement to Approve Proposal

Directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on this proposal at the Annual Meeting. Broker non-votes and proxies marked to withhold authority with respect to one or more Class I directors will not be treated as votes cast for this purpose, and therefore, will not affect the outcome of the election.

This proposal for the election of directors relates solely to the election of Class I directors nominated by the board of directors.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE

FOR

THESE DIRECTOR NOMINEES FOR CLASS I DIRECTOR:

CHAU Q. KHUONG

SØREN MØLLER, PH.D.

ANNE PRENER, M.D.

(PROPOSAL 1 ON YOUR PROXY CARD)

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DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHIES

 

The following table sets forth information concerning our directors as of April 14, 2021. The biographical description of each director includes the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that the board of directors would expect to consider if it were making a conclusion currently as to whether such person should serve as a director.

 

 

 

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers, as of April 14, 2021:

 

 

Anders Pedersen has served as Chief Operating Officer of the Galecto group since April 2013, including as Chief Operating Officer of Galecto, Inc. since 2020. Prior to joining us, Mr. Pedersen served as senior vice president of development at CMC Biologics A/S, a Danish biotechnology company, from February 2010 to March 2013. Before CMC, Mr. Pedersen worked at ReceptIcon A/S, a Danish biotechnology company, as Chief Operating Officer from December 2006 to November 2009. Earlier in his career, Mr. Pedersen served as Vice President of Project and Portfolio Management at Lifecycle Pharma A/S, a Danish biotechnology company, from March 2005 to November 2006 and spent 13 years at Novo Nordisk A/S, a Danish biopharmaceutical company. Additionally, Mr. Pedersen co-founded ProFound Pharma A/S, a Danish biotechnology company, which was acquired by Maxygen Inc. Mr. Pedersen holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Danish Technical University in Copenhagen.

Bertil Lindmark, M.D., Ph.D. has served as our Chief Medical Officer since February 2020. Prior to joining us, Dr. Lindmark served as Chief Medical Officer of eTheRNA Immunotherapies, a Belgian biotechnology company, from February 2019 to January 2020. Before eTheRNA, Dr. Lindmark worked at ASLAN Pharmaceuticals Pts Ltd, a Singapore biopharmaceutical company, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Medical Officer from February 2015 to January 2019. Earlier in his career, Dr. Lindmark served as Global Executive Director of R&D and Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of Almirall SA, a Spanish biopharmaceutical company, from January 2011 to January 2015 and for 19 years at AstraZenecaPLC, a British-Swedish biopharmaceutical company, in globally leading roles in the respiratory and inflammation therapy area, and as Head of Clinical Development at AstraZeneca Japan, a Japanese biopharmaceutical company. Dr. Lindmark holds specialties in internal medicine and gastroenterology, an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Molecular Epidemiology from Lund University, and a guest professorship at Gothenburg University in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Jonathan Freve has served as our Chief Financial Officer since April 2020. Prior to joining us, Mr. Freve served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware biopharmaceutical company, from December 2014 to April 2020. Earlier in his career, Mr. Freve worked at Santaris Pharma, a Danish biotechnology company, as Sr. Director of Finance, and at the FASB and at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, where he worked in audit and transaction services. Mr. Freve holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

 

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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES

Board Composition

We currently have nine directors and the terms of office of the directors are divided into three classes:

 

 

Class I consists of Chau Q. Khuong, Anne Prener, M.D., Søren Møller, Ph.D. and Stephan Christgau, Ph.D., Class II consists of David Shapiro, M.D. and Carl Goldfischer, M.D., and Class III consists of Jayson Dallas, M.D., Hans T. Schambye, M.D., Ph.D. and Amit D. Munshi. At each Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or the Annual Meeting, the successors to directors whose terms will then expire shall serve from the time of election and qualification until the third Annual Meeting following election and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. A resolution of the board of directors may change the authorized number of directors. This classification of the board of directors may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control or management of our company.

Board Independence

Our board of directors has determined, upon the recommendation of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, that each of our directors, except for Hans T. Schambye, M.D., Ph.D., who serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer, is independent within the meaning of the director independence standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market, or Nasdaq, rules and the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers. Dr. Schambye is not an independent director under these rules because he is an executive officer of the Company.

In making such determination, our board of directors evaluated, and will continue to evaluate at least on an annual basis, all relationships between us and each director in light of relevant facts and circumstances for the purposes of determining whether a material relationship exists that might signal a potential conflict of interest or otherwise interfere with such director’s ability to satisfy his or her responsibilities as an independent director.

Board Meetings and Attendance

Our board of directors held seven meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. Each of the directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the board of directors and the committees of the board of directors on which he or she served during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, in each case, which were held during the period for which he or she was a director and/or a member of the applicable committee. The Company encourages its directors to attend the Annual Meeting.

Board Committees

Our board of directors has established three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, each of which is comprised solely of independent directors, and is described more fully below. Each of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee operates pursuant to a written charter and each committee reviews and assesses the adequacy of its charter and submits its charter to the board of directors for approval. The charters for the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are all available on our website at www.galecto.com under “Investors” at “Corporate Governance.”

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Audit Committee

Our Audit Committee is currently composed of Carl Goldfischer, M.D., Stephan Christgau, Ph.D. and Amit D. Munshi, with Dr. Goldfischer serving as chair of the committee. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the Audit Committee meets the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and the applicable listing standards of Nasdaq. Our board of directors has determined that Dr. Goldfischer is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the SEC regulations and applicable listing standards of Nasdaq. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Audit Committee met two times. The report of the Audit Committee is included in this Proxy Statement under “Report of the Audit Committee.” The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compensation Committee

Our Compensation Committee (formerly called the Remuneration Committee) is currently composed of David Shapiro, M.D. and Søren Møller, Ph.D., with Dr. Shapiro serving as chair of the committee. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is “independent” as defined under the applicable listing standards of Nasdaq. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Compensation Committee met three times. The Compensation Committee’s responsibilities include:

 

 

 

 

 

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Our Compensation Committee makes adjustments to annual compensation, determines bonuses and equity awards, and establishes (with input from the board of directors) new performance objectives. Our Compensation Committee will consider matters related to individual compensation, such as compensation for new executive hires, as well as high-level strategic issues, such as the efficacy of the Company’s compensation strategy, potential modifications to that strategy and new trends, plans or approaches to compensation. Generally, the Compensation Committee’s process comprises two related elements: the determination of compensation levels and the establishment of performance objectives for the current year. For executives other than the Chief Executive Officer, our Compensation Committee solicits and considers evaluations and recommendations submitted to the Compensation Committee by the Chief Executive Officer. In the case of the Chief Executive Officer, the evaluation of his performance is conducted by the Compensation Committee, which determines any adjustments to his compensation as well as awards to be granted. For all executives and directors, as part of its deliberations, the Compensation Committee may review and consider, as appropriate, materials such as financial reports and projections, operational data, tax and accounting information, tally sheets that set forth the total compensation that may become payable to executives in various hypothetical scenarios, executive and director stock ownership information, company stock performance data, analyses of historical executive compensation levels and current Company-wide compensation levels and analyses of executive and director compensation paid at a peer group of other companies approved by our Compensation Committee. In 2020, the Compensation Committee also retained the services of Frederic W. Cook, as its external compensation consultant and considered Frederic W. Cook’s input on certain compensation matters as they deemed appropriate. The Compensation Committee may delegate its authority to grant certain equity awards to one or more officers of the Company, including our Chief Executive Officer, and in 2020 it has delegated such authority to Dr. Schambye.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is composed of Chau Q. Khuong, Jayson Dallas, M.D., and Søren Møller, Ph.D. with Mr. Khuong serving as chair of the committee. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is “independent” as defined under the applicable listing standards of Nasdaq. During fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met one time. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s responsibilities include:

 

 

 

 

 

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We believe that the composition and functioning of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee complies with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and all applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules and regulations. We intend to comply with future requirements to the extent they become applicable to us.

Our board of directors may from time to time establish other committees.

Identifying and Evaluating Director Nominees

Our board of directors is responsible for identifying and recommending qualified board members. The board of directors delegates the selection process to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, with the expectation that other members of the board of directors will take part in the process as appropriate.

Generally, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies candidates for director nominees in consultation with other directors, through the use of search firms or other advisors, through the recommendations submitted by stockholders or through such other methods as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee deems to be helpful to identify candidates. Once candidates have been identified, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee confirms that the candidates meet all of the minimum qualifications for director nominees established by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may gather information about the candidates through interviews, detailed questionnaires, background checks or any other means that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee deems to be appropriate in the evaluation process. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee then discusses and evaluates the qualities and skills of each candidate, both on an individual basis and taking into account the overall composition and needs of our board of directors. Based on the results of the evaluation process, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recommends candidates for the board of directors’ approval as director nominees for election to the board of directors.

Minimum Qualifications

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider, among other things, the following when recommending candidates for the Board’s selection as director nominees for the Board and as candidates for appointment to the Board’s committees: the current size and composition of the Board, the needs of the Board and its respective committees, such factors as character, integrity, judgment, diversity, reputation, the skills of the proposed director candidate, the ability to devote sufficient time, his or her depth and breadth of professional experience, education or other background characteristics, his or her independence and understanding of the Company’s business and industry, length of service, and other relevant criteria. We have no formal policy regarding board diversity. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider candidates recommended by stockholders. The policy adopted by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee provides that candidates recommended by stockholders are given appropriate consideration in a similar manner as other candidates.

Non-Management Director Meetings

Our independent directors meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions without management. These executive sessions occur in conjunction with regularly scheduled meetings of our board of directors and its standing committees and otherwise as needed.

Communication with the Directors

Any interested party with concerns about our company may report such concerns or otherwise communicate to the board of directors, as a whole or to committees or individual directors, by submitting a written communication to the attention of the board of directors, committee or individual directors, as applicable, at the following address:

c/o Galecto, Inc.

Ole Maaloes Vej 3

DK-2200 Copenhagen N

Denmark

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You may submit your concern anonymously or confidentially by postal mail. You may also indicate whether you are a stockholder, supplier, or other interested party.

A copy of any such written communication may also be forwarded to the Company’s legal counsel and a copy of such communication may be retained for a reasonable period of time. The directors may discuss the matter with the Company’s legal counsel, with independent advisors, with other directors, or with the Company’s management, or may take other action or no action as the director determines in good faith, using reasonable judgment, and applying his or her own discretion.

In general, communications relating to corporate governance and long-term corporate strategy are more likely to be forwarded than communications relating to ordinary business affairs, personal grievances, and matters as to which we receive repetitive or duplicative communications.

The Audit Committee oversees the procedures for the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or audit matters, and the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.

Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

Our board of directors is currently chaired by our Chairman, Amit D. Munshi. The board of directors has determined that Mr. Munshi is an independent director. However, our corporate governance guidelines provide that the chair of the board of directors may be filled based upon the board of director’s view of what is in the best interest of the company, and that such person could be the Company’s chief executive officer or another member of the board who is not an independent director.

Risk is inherent with every business, and how well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. We face a number of risks, including risks relating to our financial condition, research and development activities, operations, strategic direction and intellectual property, as more fully discussed under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of risks we face, while our board of directors, as a whole and through its committees, including as disclosed in the descriptions of the standing committees and in the charters of each of such committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management.

 

The full board of directors (or the appropriate board committee in the case of risks that are under the purview of a particular committee) discusses with management our major risk exposures, their potential impact on us, and the steps we take to manage them. When a board committee is responsible for evaluating and overseeing the management of a particular risk or risks, the chairman of the relevant committee reports on the discussion to the full board of directors during the committee reports portion of the next board meeting. This enables the board of directors and its committees to coordinate the risk oversight role, particularly with respect to risk interrelationships.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

The following discussion contains forward looking statements that are based on our current plans, considerations, expectations and determinations regarding future compensation programs. The actual amount and form of compensation and the compensation policies and practices that we adopt in the future may differ materially from currently planned programs as summarized in this discussion.

As an emerging growth company, we have opted to comply with the executive compensation disclosure rules applicable to “smaller reporting companies,” as such term is defined in the rules promulgated under the Securities Act. The compensation provided to our named executive officers for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 is detailed in the 2020 Summary Compensation Table and accompanying footnotes and narrative that follow. Our named executive officers are:

To date, the compensation of our named executive officers has consisted of a combination of base salary, cash incentive compensation and long-term incentive compensation, as more fully described below. Our named executive officers, like all full-time employees, are eligible to participate in our health and welfare benefit plans.

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to each of our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table

The amounts provided above were paid pursuant to the terms of each named executive officer’s letter agreement, in each case, as described below. Any salary determinations made for non-U.S. employees of the Corporation in U.S. Dollars shall be converted into and paid in such employee’s local currency based on the exchange rate prevailing as of the effective date the salary increase or start date, as applicable, unless otherwise determined by the board of directors.

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Cash Bonus

Our annual bonus program is intended to reward our named executive officers for meeting objective or subjective performance goals for a fiscal year. Our board of directors or compensation committee may approve annual bonuses for our named executive officers based on individual performance, company performance, or as otherwise determined appropriate. The target bonus, as a percent of base salary, for each of our named executive officers is listed below and the amounts ultimately earned are set forth in the Summary Compensation Table, above.

Service Agreement with Hans T. Schambye, M.D., Ph.D.

In connection with our initial hiring of Dr. Schambye as our chief executive officer, we entered into a service agreement with him dated March 2013. Under the service agreement, Dr. Schambye’s employment with us can be terminated at any time and for any reason by him with three months’ written notice or us with nine months’ written notice of termination on the last day of a month. The service agreement provides that Dr. Schambye is entitled to an annualized base salary of 1,500,000 DKK, subject to adjustment in accordance with normal business practices and at our sole discretion, during his employment with us and that he is eligible, at our sole discretion, to earn an annual bonus targeted at up to 40% of his base salary.

In January 2020, we increased Dr. Schambye’s annual base salary to $369,000 and again in September 2020, we increased Dr. Schambye’s annual base salary to $425,000 and further determined that he is eligible, at our sole discretion, to earn an annual bonus targeted at up to 50% of his base salary. Pursuant to such increases in 2020, Dr. Schambye earned a base salary of $387,493, and we awarded him a bonus of $257,489, which bonus amount was determined by the board of directors in its discretion based on the achievement of predetermined Company performance metrics.

Employment Contract with Anders Pedersen

In connection with our initial hiring of Mr. Pedersen as our chief operating officer, we entered into an employment contract with him dated December 2012. Under the employment contract, Mr. Pedersen’s employment with us can be terminated at any time and for any reason by him with three months’ written notice or us with nine months’ written notice. The required notice period upon termination by us will be extended to seven months beginning in October 2021. The employment contract provides that Mr. Pedersen is entitled to an annualized base salary of 1,140,000 DKK, subject to adjustment in accordance with normal business practices and at our sole discretion, during his employment with us and that he is eligible, at our sole discretion, to earn an annual bonus targeted at up to 25% of his base salary.

In January 2020, we increased Mr. Pedersen’s annual base salary to $277,000 and again in September 2020, we increased Mr. Pedersen’s annual base salary to $325,000 and further determined that he is eligible, at our sole discretion, to earn an annual bonus targeted at up to 40% of his base salary. In 2020, Mr. Pedersen earned base salary of $292,136, and we awarded him a bonus of $157,523, which bonus amount was determined by the board of directors in its discretion based on the achievement of predetermined Company performance metrics.

Employment Agreement with Bertil Lindmark, M.D., Ph.D.

In connection with our initial hiring of Dr. Lindmark as our chief medical officer, we entered into an employment contract with him on November 28, 2019 and an addendum to such employment contract on January 15, 2020, commencing employment on February 1, 2020. Under the employment contract, Dr. Lindmark’s employment with us can be terminated at any time and for any reason by him with two months’ notice or us with six months’ notice of termination on the last day of a month. In addition, and upon a termination of employment, Dr. Lindmark is entitled continued compensation and benefits for a minimum of two months and up to six months, in each case equal to 60% of the aggregate amount then in effect. The employment contract provides that Dr. Lindmark is entitled to a

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monthly base salary of 225,000 DKK, subject to adjustment in accordance with normal business practices and at our sole discretion, during his employment with us and that he is eligible, at our sole discretion, to earn an annual bonus targeted at up to 22% of his base salary. In September 2020, we increased Dr. Lindmark’s bonus target to 40% of his base salary.

Dr. Lindmark earned a base salary of $378,772, and we awarded him a bonus of $189,386, which bonus amount was determined by the board of directors in its discretion based on the achievement of predetermined Company performance metrics.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

The following table sets forth information regarding outstanding stock options held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2020:

 

Additional Narrative Description

Change in Control and other Severance Arrangements

Except as set forth above, we do not provide severance payments in connection with a termination of employment of our named executive officers. However, the grants of options to acquire our common stock made pursuant to our 2020 Stock Option and Grant Plan, or the Spring 2020 Plan, provide for full accelerated vesting upon a termination of our named executive officers without Cause or resignation for Good Reason, in each case, as defined in the 2020 Plan, upon or during the 12-month period following a Sale Event, as defined in the 2020 Plan.

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The following table presents the total compensation for each person who served as a non-employee member of our board of directors during the year ended December 31, 2020. Other than as set forth in the table and described more fully below, we did not pay any compensation, make any equity awards or non-equity awards to, or pay any other compensation to any of the non-employee members of our board of directors in 2020 for their services as members of the board of directors.

 

Under our director compensation program, we pay our non-employee directors a cash retainer for service on the board of directors and for service on each committee on which the director is a member. The chairman of the board of directors and of each committee receive higher retainers for such service. Such fees are payable in arrears in four equal quarterly installments. The fees paid to non-employee directors for service on the board of directors and for service on each committee of the board of directors on which the director is a member are as follows:

We reimburse our non-employee directors for reasonable travel and other expenses incurred in connection with attending meetings of our board of directors and any committee of our board of directors on which he or she serves.

Upon his or her initial election or appointment to our board of directors, each such non-employee director is granted an option to purchase shares of our common stock under the 2020 plan. Each such option vest as to 2.778% of the shares of our common stock underlying such option at the end of each successive one-month period following the grant date until the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the non-employee director’s continued service as a director. All options issued to our non-employee directors under our director compensation program are issued at exercise prices equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and become exercisable in full upon specified change in control events.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The following table sets forth the amount of common stock of the Company beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, as of March 29, 2021, by (i) each current director of the Company, (ii) each named executive officer of the Company, (iii) all directors and executive officers of the Company as a group, and (iv) each person who is known to the Company to beneficially own more than five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, as determined through filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and the percentage of the common stock outstanding represented by each such amount. All shares of common stock shown in the table reflect sole voting and investment power except as otherwise noted. This table is based on information supplied by our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders and Schedules 13D, 13G and other filings made with the SEC on or before March 29, 2021.

Beneficial ownership is determined by the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power of the securities. As of March 29, 2021, the Company had 25,261,832 shares of common stock outstanding. Shares of common stock subject to options that are currently exercisable or are exercisable within 60 days after March 29, 2021 are considered to be outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of the persons holding these options but are not to be considered outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Beneficial ownership representing less than one percent of our outstanding common stock is denoted with an “*.” Unless otherwise indicated, the address for each person listed below is c/o Galecto, Inc., Ole Maaloes Vej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.

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EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

The following table presents aggregate summary information as of December 31, 2020, regarding the common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of options and rights under all of our existing equity compensation plans:

 

 

    (1) These plans consist of our 2020 Stock Option Plan and 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

    (2) Represents shares of common stock available for future issuance under our 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS

Related Person Transactions

Other than the compensation agreements and other arrangements described in “Executive Compensation” and elsewhere in this Proxy Statement and the relationships and transactions described below, since January 1, 2020, there was no transaction or series of transactions to which we were or will be a party in which:

Series D Preferred Stock Financing

In September 2020, we sold 2,368,118 shares of our Series D preferred stock, or the Series D Preferred Stock, at a purchase price of $27.11 per shares for an aggregate amount of $64.2 million. The following table summarizes purchases of our Series D Preferred Stock by related persons:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Initial Public Offering

On November 2, 2020, we closed our initial public offering, pursuant to which we issued and sold 5,666,667 shares of our common stock, and granted the underwriters an over-allotment option to purchase an additional 850,000 shares, at a public offering price of $15.00 per share. The following table sets forth the aggregate cash purchase price of the common stock purchased by our current and then current directors, executive officers and 5% stockholders and their affiliates and the number of shares of our common stock issued in consideration of such amounts. Such purchases were made through the underwriters at the initial public offering price of $15.00 per share.

Investors’ Rights Agreement

We are a party to an amended and restated investors’ rights agreement, dated as of September 25, 2020, with holders of our preferred stock, including some of our directors, and 5% stockholders and entities affiliated with our directors. Such directors consisted of Amit Munshi and Carl Goldfischer, M.D. and such holders consisted of entities affiliated with OrbiMed, Sunstone Life Science Ventures Fund III K/S, Ysios BioFund II Innvierte FCR, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, HBM Healthcare Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Eir Ventures I AB and Cormorant, each a 5% stockholder. Each of Ysios, OrbiMed, HBM, Novo, Sunstone and Bay City had appointed representatives to our board of directors. The investor rights agreement provides these holders the right to demand that we file a registration statement or request that their shares be covered by a registration statement that we are otherwise filing.

Voting Agreement

We were a party to an amended and restated voting agreement, dated as of September 25, 2020, with holders of our preferred stock, including some of our directors, and 5% stockholders and entities affiliated with our directors. Such directors consisted of Amit Munshi and Carl Goldfischer, M.D. and such holders consisted of entities affiliated with OrbiMed, Sunstone Life Science Ventures Fund III K/S, Ysios BioFund II Innvierte FCR, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, HBM Healthcare Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Eir Ventures I AB and Cormorant, each a 5% stockholder. Each of Ysios, OrbiMed, HBM, Novo, Sunstone and Bay City had appointed representatives to our board of directors. The voting agreement terminated upon completion of our initial public offering.

Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement

We were a party to an amended and restated right of first refusal and co-sale agreement, September 25, 2020, with holders of our preferred stock, including some of our directors, and 5% stockholders and entities affiliated with our directors. Such directors consisted of Amit Munshi and Carl Goldfischer, M.D. and such holders consisted of entities affiliated with OrbiMed, Sunstone Life Science Ventures Fund III K/S, Ysios BioFund II Innvierte FCR, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, HBM Healthcare Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Eir Ventures I AB and Cormorant, each a 5% stockholder. The right of first refusal and co-sale agreement provided the key holders the right to purchase all or any portion of transfer stock, as well as the right of co-sale and participate in any proposed transfers. The agreement terminated upon completion of our initial public offering.

Executive Officer and Director Compensation

See the section entitled “Executive Compensation” for information regarding compensation of our executive officers and directors.

 

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Indemnification Agreements

We have entered into agreements to indemnify our directors and executive officers. These agreements will, among other things, require us to indemnify these individuals for certain expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and settlement amounts reasonably incurred by such person in any action or proceeding, including any action by or in our right, on account of any services undertaken by such person on behalf of our Company or that person’s status as a member of our board of directors, to the maximum extent allowed under Delaware law.

Policies and Procedures for Related Person Transactions

Prior to our initial public offering, our board of directors was responsible for reviewing and approving transactions with directors, officers and holders of 5% or more of our voting securities and their affiliates, each a related party.

In connection with our initial public offering, we adopted a written related party transactions policy that such transactions must be approved by our audit committee. Pursuant to this policy, the audit committee has the primary responsibility for reviewing and approving or disapproving “related party transactions,” which are transactions between us and related persons in which the aggregate amount involved exceeds or may be expected to exceed $120,000 and in which a related person has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. For purposes of this policy, a related person will be defined as a director, executive officer, nominee for director, or greater than 5% beneficial owner of our common stock, in each case since the beginning of the most recently completed year, and their immediate family members. Our audit committee charter provides that the audit committee shall review and approve any related party transactions.

 

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SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Company's directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of the Company common stock to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, reports of ownership and changes in ownership of Company common stock. Such persons are required by regulations of the SEC to furnish the Company with copies of all such filings. Based on our review of the reports we have received, the Company believes that all Section 16(a) filing requirements were complied with during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

This report is submitted by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee currently consists of the three directors whose names appear below. None of the members of the Audit Committee is an officer or employee of the Company, and the Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is “independent” for audit committee purposes as that term is defined under Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules of Nasdaq. Each member of the Audit Committee meets the requirements for financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq. The Board has designated Dr. Goldfischer as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined under the applicable rules of the SEC. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board.

The Audit Committee’s general role is to assist the Board in monitoring our financial reporting process and related matters. Its specific responsibilities are set forth in its charter.

The Audit Committee has reviewed the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and met with management, as well as with representatives of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, to discuss the consolidated financial statements. The Audit Committee also discussed with members of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab the matters required to be discussed by the Auditing Standard No. 1301, “Communication with Audit Committees,” as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

In addition, the Audit Committee received the written disclosures and the letter from EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and discussed with members of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab its independence.

Based on these discussions, the financial statement review and other matters it deemed relevant, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 be included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 2020.

The information contained in this Audit Committee report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material,” “filed” or incorporated by reference into any past or future filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, unless and only to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference.

 

 

 

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PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The firm of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab, independent registered public accounting firm, has been selected by the Audit Committee as auditors for the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab has served as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company since 2019. A representative of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab is expected to virtually attend the Annual Meeting with the opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires and to respond to appropriate questions.

The Company’s organizational documents do not require that the stockholders ratify the selection of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Company requests such ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. The selection of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab as our independent registered public accounting firm will be ratified if the votes cast FOR exceed the votes cast AGAINST the proposal. Brokers, bankers and other nominees have discretionary voting power on this routine matter. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the ratification. If the stockholders do not ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether to retain EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab, but still may retain this firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion, may change the appointment at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees

The following is a summary and description of fees incurred by EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:

 

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The Company’s Audit Committee has adopted procedures requiring the pre-approval of all non-audit services performed by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm in order to assure that these services do not impair the auditor’s independence. These procedures generally approve the performance of specific services and the cost for such services. This general approval is to be reviewed, and if necessary modified, at least annually. Management must obtain the specific prior approval of the audit committee for each engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm to perform other audit-related or other non-audit services. The Audit Committee does not delegate its responsibility to approve services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm to any member of management.

A standard applied by the Audit Committee in determining whether to grant approval of any type of non-audit service, or of any specific engagement to perform a non-audit service, is whether the services to be performed, the compensation to be paid for such services and other related factors are consistent with the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence under guidelines of the SEC and applicable professional standards. Relevant considerations may include whether the work product is likely to be subject to, or implicated in, audit procedures during the audit of our financial statements, whether the independent registered public accounting firm would be functioning in the role of management or in an advocacy role, whether the independent registered public accounting firm’s performance of the service would enhance our ability to manage or control risk or improve audit quality, whether such performance would increase efficiency because of the independent registered public accounting firm’s familiarity with our business, personnel, culture, systems, risk profile and other factors, and whether the amount of fees involved, or the non-audit services portion of the total fees payable to the independent registered public accounting firm in the period would tend to reduce the independent registered public accounting firm’s ability to exercise independent judgment in performing the audit.

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Voting Requirement to Approve Proposal

For Proposal 2, a majority of the votes properly cast is required to ratify the appointment of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE

FOR

THE RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF EY GODKENDT REVISIONSPARTNERSELSKAB AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

(PROPOSAL 2 ON YOUR PROXY CARD)

 

 

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We are committed to high standards of integrity and ethics in the way we conduct our business. In 2020, our board of directors adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics establishes our policies and expectations with respect to a wide range of business conduct, including the preparation and maintenance of our financial and accounting information, our compliance with laws, and possible conflicts of interest.

Under our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, each of our directors and employees is required to report suspected or actual violations to the extent permitted by law. In addition, we have adopted separate procedures concerning the receipt and investigations of complaints relating to accounting or audit matters. These procedures have been adopted by the board of directors and are administered by our Audit Committee.

A current copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted on our website at www.galecto.com. If we make any substantive amendments to, or grant any waivers from, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for any officer or director, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website or in a current report on Form 8-K.

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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

Stockholder Proposals

Our amended and restated by-laws, or by-laws, establish an advance notice procedure for stockholders who wish to nominate a person for election to our board of directors or present a proposal to be considered at an Annual Meeting of Stockholder, or Annual Meeting, but who do not intend for the nomination or proposal to be included in our proxy statement. To make a nomination or proposal, the stockholder must be of record at the time the notice is made and must provide certain information regarding itself (and the beneficial owner), including the name and address, as they appear on our books, of the stockholder proposing such business, the number of shares of our capital stock which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially or of record by the stockholder proposing such business or its affiliates or associates (as defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act) and certain additional information. The stockholder must deliver timely written notice by mailing any nomination or proposal to: Corporate Secretary, Galecto, Inc., Ole Maaloes Vej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.

To be timely for our 2021 Annual Meeting, our corporate secretary must receive the written notice at our principal executive offices no later than April 24, 2021.

To be timely for our 2022 Annual Meeting, our corporate secretary must receive the written notice at our principal executive offices

 

In the event that we hold our 2022 Annual Meeting more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after the first anniversary of the date of our 2021 Annual Meeting, then notice of a stockholder proposal that is not intended to be included in our proxy statement must be received no later than the close of business on the later of the following two dates:

 

Our by-laws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices with respect to nominations of director candidates and proposals for other business. These requirements may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting. Any stockholder wishing to make a nomination must also include all information relating to the nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in election contests or is otherwise required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, the person’s written consent to be named in the Proxy Statement and to serve as a director if elected, and such information as we might reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the person to serve as a director.

As to proposals for other business, the notice must include a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting, and any material interest of such stockholder (and the beneficial owner) in the proposal. The proposal must be a proper subject for stockholder action.

Requirements for Stockholder Proposals to be Considered for Inclusion in the Company’s Proxy Materials

In addition to the requirements stated above, any stockholder who wishes to submit a proposal for inclusion in our proxy materials must comply with the procedures prescribed in Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and in our by-laws. Our corporate secretary must receive stockholder proposals intended to be included in our proxy statement and form of proxy relating to our 2022 Annual Meeting made under Rule 14a-8 no later than December 15, 2021, unless the date of the 2022 Annual Meeting is held more than 30 days before or after May 26, 2022, in which case the proposal must be received a reasonable time before we begin to print and send proxy materials for the 2022 Annual Meeting.

Any proposal of business or nomination should be mailed to: Corporate Secretary, Galecto, Inc., Ole Maaloes Vej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

The Company files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. You may read and copy any reports, statements, or other information that the Company files at the SEC’s public reference room at the following location: 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

Please call the SEC at 1-800-732-0330 for further information on the public reference room. The Company’s SEC filings are also available to the public from commercial document retrieval services and at the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document the Company files with the SEC on our website at www.galecto.com under the “Investors” menu.

You should rely on the information contained in this document to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting. The Company has not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from what is contained in this document. This document is dated April 14, 2021. You should not assume that the information contained in this document is accurate as of any date other than that date, and the mailing of this document to stockholders at any time after that date does not create an implication to the contrary. This Proxy Statement does not constitute a solicitation of a proxy in any jurisdiction where, or to or from any person to whom, it is unlawful to make such proxy solicitations in such jurisdiction.

FORM 10-K

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, in accordance therewith, file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Reports, proxy statements and other information filed by us may be inspected without charge and copies obtained upon payment of prescribed fees from the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, or by way of the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov.

We will provide without charge to each person to whom a copy of the proxy statement is delivered, upon the written or oral request of any such persons, additional copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the SEC. Requests for such copies should be addressed to:

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING DELIVERY OF STOCKHOLDER DOCUMENTS

We have adopted a procedure called “householding,” which the SEC has approved. Under this procedure, we deliver a single copy of the Notice of Internet Availability and, if applicable, our proxy materials to multiple stockholders who share the same address, unless we have received contrary instructions from one or more of such stockholders. This procedure reduces our printing costs, mailing costs and fees. Stockholders who participate in householding will continue to be able to access and receive separate proxy cards. Upon written or oral request, we will deliver promptly a separate copy of the Notice of Internet Availability and, if applicable, our proxy materials to any stockholder at a shared address to which we delivered a single copy of any of these materials. This request may be submitted by contacting Galecto, Inc., Ole Maaloes Vej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark, (+45) 70 70 52 10, Attention: Hans T. Schambye. The Company will deliver those documents to such stockholder promptly upon receiving the request. Any such stockholder may also contact our Corporate Secretary using the above contact information if he or she would like to receive separate proxy statements, notice of internet availability and annual reports in the future. If you are receiving multiple copies of our annual reports, notice of internet availability and proxy statements, you may request householding in the future by contacting our Corporate Secretary.

OTHER BUSINESS

The board of directors knows of no business to be brought before the 2021 Annual Meeting which is not referred to in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting. Should any such matters be presented, the persons named in the proxy shall have the authority to take such action in regard to such matters as in their judgment seems advisable. If you hold shares through a broker, bank or other nominee as described above, they will not be able to vote your shares on any other business that comes before the 2021 Annual Meeting unless they receive instructions from you with respect to such matter.

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VOTE BY INTERNET   Before The Meeting - Go to www.proxyvote.com  Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery  of information up until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date  or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site  and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic  voting instruction form.  During The Meeting - Go to www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GLTO2021  You may attend the meeting via the Internet and vote during the meeting. Have  the information that is printed in the box marked by the arrow available and  follow the instructions.  VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903  Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have  your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions.  VOTE BY MAIL  Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717.  BROADRIDGE CORPORATE ISSUER SOLUTIONS   C/O GALECTO, INC.  P.O. BOX 1342   BRENTWOOD, NY 11717  D49083-P50292  For  All   Withhold  All  For All  Except  To withhold authority to vote for any individual  nominee(s), mark "For All Except" and write the  number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below.  GALECTO, INC.  The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR  the following:  !  !  !  1. Election of Directors   Nominees:   01) Chau Q. Khuong   02) Søren Møller, Ph.D.    03) Anne Prener, M.D.  For   Against  Abstain  The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposal:  !  !  !  2. Ratification of the appointment of EY Godkendt Revisionspartnerselskab as the independent registered public accounting firm.  NOTE: Such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof.  Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full  title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate  or partnership name by authorized officer. Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting: The Notice and Proxy Statement, Annual Report and Form 10-K are available at www.proxyvote.com.  D49084-P50292  GALECTO, INC.  THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS  ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS  May 26, 2021  The shareholder(s) hereby appoint(s) Hans T. Schambye and Jonathan Freve, or either of them, as proxies, each with the  power to appoint his substitute, and hereby authorize(s) them to represent and to vote, as designated on the reverse side  of this ballot, all of the shares of (Common/Preferred) Stock of Galecto, Inc. that the shareholder(s) is/are entitled to vote  at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held virtually at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GLTO2021, and any adjournment or postponement thereof.  THIS PROXY, WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED BY THE SHAREHOLDER(S). IF NO SUCH  DIRECTIONS ARE MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES LISTED ON THE REVERSE  SIDE FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND FOR PROPOSAL 2.  PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED REPLY ENVELOPE  CONTINUED AND TO BE SIGNED ON REVERSE SIDE