John P. Butler has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2013 and was appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Akebia in September 2013. Prior to joining Akebia, from 2011 until 2013, Mr. Butler served as the Chief Executive Officer of Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. where he led the transactions that resulted in the sale of its hemophilia assets to Cangene Corporation and Baxter International in early 2013. From 1997 to 2011, Mr. Butler held various positions at Genzyme Corporation, now Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company, most recently serving as President of the company's rare genetic diseases business. From 2002 until 2010, Mr. Butler led Genzyme Corporation's renal division. Prior to his work at Genzyme Corporation, Mr. Butler held sales and marketing positions at Amgen Inc. and Hoffmann-La Roche. From 2018 to 2023, Mr. Butler served on the board of directors of Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now part of Harmony Biosciences). From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Butler served on the board of directors of Relypsa, Inc. (now part of CSL Vifor). From 2015 to 2017, Mr. Butler served on the Board of Directors of Keryx, and was Chairman of Keryx's Board of Directors from 2016 to 2017. In July 2023, Mr. Butler was appointed to the board of directors of WaveBreak Therapeutics, Inc. In 2024, Mr. Butler began serving on the Health Section Governing Board of Biotechnology Innovation Organization and was appointed to the board of trustees of the American Kidney Fund. Mr. Butler served as Chairperson of Kidney Care Partners from 2020 to 2024, and formerly served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Kidney Fund. Mr. Butler received a B.A. in chemistry from Manhattan University, where he currently serves as a member of the advisory committee for the School of Arts and Science, and a M.B.A. from Baruch College, City University of New York. We believe that Mr. Butler is qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his industry experience in the biotechnology sector, particularly his experience working in the kidney disease area.