Christine Silverstein
ABEONA THERAPEUTICSAbout Christine Silverstein
Christine Silverstein, 42, has served as an independent director of Abeona Therapeutics (ABEO) since March 2020. She is currently Chief Financial Officer of Artios Pharma Ltd (since February 2024) and previously served as CFO of Excision Biotherapeutics (May 2021–January 2024) and Emendo Biotherapeutics (July 2020–January 2021). Silverstein’s background spans corporate finance, capital markets, strategy, compliance, and crisis management; she holds a B.S. from St. John’s University (Peter Tobin College of Business) and has various FINRA accreditations. She is a member of CHIEF, Deloitte’s CFO Program, Women in Bio, and NIRI, and serves on the Board of Directors of Marinus Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: MRNS) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abeona Therapeutics | Chief Financial Officer | Jan 2019–Mar 2020 | Led finance and capital markets; prior SVP Finance & Strategy and VP Finance & IR |
| Abeona Therapeutics | SVP, Finance & Strategy | May 2018–Dec 2018 | Corporate finance and strategic planning |
| Abeona Therapeutics | VP, Finance & Investor Relations | Apr 2016–May 2018 | Investor relations and finance leadership |
| Emendo Biotherapeutics | Chief Financial Officer | Jul 2020–Jan 2021 | CFO through acquisition by AnGes |
| Excision Biotherapeutics | Chief Financial Officer | May 2021–Jan 2024 | CRISPR-based therapies; capital and operations oversight |
| Relmada Therapeutics | Head of Investor Relations | 2014–2016 | Late-stage CNS biotech IR leadership |
| Biotechnology Venture Fund / Capital Markets Advisory | Senior roles | Various | Capital markets and advisory experience |
| Royal Alliance Associates | Investment Advisor | Early career | Financial services foundation |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marinus Pharmaceuticals (MRNS) | Director | Ongoing | Board member; company focused on seizure disorders |
| Artios Pharma Ltd | Chief Financial Officer | Since Feb 2024 | Clinical-stage DDR-focused biotech; CFO |
| Excision Biotherapeutics | Chief Financial Officer | May 2021–Jan 2024 | CFO; CRISPR-based therapies |
| Emendo Biotherapeutics | Chief Financial Officer | Jul 2020–Jan 2021 | CFO through acquisition by AnGes |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: In 2024, Silverstein chaired the Audit Committee, which included Mark J. Alvino and Donald A. Wuchterl; both Silverstein and Alvino were designated “audit committee financial experts” and all three were independent under SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Committee transitions: As of 2025, the Audit Committee is chaired by Alvino and comprised of Alvino, Leila Alland, M.D., and Wuchterl; Silverstein is not listed on 2025 committees. Notes reflect Silverstein’s audit committee service in 2024 was prorated through July 5, 2024, with Alland joining thereafter .
- Independence: The board determined audit committee members (including Silverstein in 2024) were independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules .
- Attendance: The board met 14 times in 2024; each director attended 85%+ of board and applicable committee meetings. Audit Committee met 4 times (full attendance), Compensation Committee once (full attendance), and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee 4 times (full attendance). Five directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Insider trading policy: Directors and employees are prohibited from hedging, short sales, holding in margin accounts, or pledging company stock, supporting alignment and risk control .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Policy | Amounts for Silverstein (2024) | 2023 Policy | Amounts for Silverstein (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Fee (cash) | $50,000 per non-employee director | $50,000 included within $53,832 total cash fees (prorated audit committee fee detail below) | $50,000 per non-employee director | Included within $53,750 total cash fees |
| Committee Fee (cash, per committee) | $7,500 per committee; no extra chair fees (except Chair of Board +$30,000) | Prorated audit committee fee: $3,832 (service from Jan 1–Jul 5, 2024) | $7,500 per committee; no extra chair fees (except Chair of Board +$30,000) | Included within cash fees; specific committee count not itemized |
| Meeting Fees | None disclosed | N/A | None disclosed | N/A |
| Chairman of Board Premium | $30,000 (paid to Chairman, not Silverstein) | N/A | $30,000 (paid to Chairman, not Silverstein) | N/A |
| Reimbursements | Travel/meeting expenses reimbursed | N/A | Travel/meeting expenses reimbursed | N/A |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Instrument | Shares Granted | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2024 | Restricted Stock | 23,611 | $113,333 ($4.80/share) | One year after grant | Part of annual equity; time-based RS, no options/PSUs |
| Aug 26, 2024 | Restricted Stock | 11,797 | $67,715 ($5.74/share) | One year after grant | Remainder of 2024 annual grant; timing coordinated with employee allocations/onboarding of new directors |
| Jun 14, 2023 | Restricted Stock | 58,689 | $271,143 ($4.62/share) | One year after grant | Director annual equity for 2023; time-based RS |
| Outstanding Stock Awards (12/31/2024) | Restricted Stock | 35,408 | N/A | As of year-end 2024 | Outstanding awards for continuing directors, including Silverstein |
- Director equity compensation is time-based restricted stock with one-year vesting; no options, PSUs, or performance-linked metrics disclosed for directors in 2023–2024 .
- Equity award values for 2024 totaled $181,048 for Silverstein; 2023 equity award value was $271,143, indicating a lower equity grant value year-over-year, while cash fees remained broadly similar .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Marinus Pharmaceuticals (MRNS) | Director | No ABEO-disclosed business relationships with MRNS; standard biopharma overlap but no related-party transactions in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit committee financial expert designation (2024), reflecting deep finance and controls expertise .
- Corporate strategic planning, capital markets, capital raising, business development, compliance, and crisis management experience across multiple biotech organizations .
- Educational credentials: B.S., Peter Tobin College of Business, St. John’s University; FINRA accreditations; member of CHIEF, Deloitte CFO Program, Women in Bio, NIRI .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Common Stock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 2023 | 36,524 | <1% | Includes shares exercisable/issuable within 60 days |
| Mar 1, 2024 | 90,415 | <1% | Includes RSUs/options exercisable within 60 days |
| Nov 7, 2024 | 117,986 | <1% | Includes RSUs/options exercisable within 60 days |
| Mar 24, 2025 | 154,087 | <1% | Includes RSUs/options exercisable within 60 days |
- Stock ownership guidelines: Not explicitly disclosed in the proxy; however, hedging and pledging are prohibited under ABEO’s insider trading policy, supporting alignment .
- Shares pledged as collateral: Prohibited by policy; no pledging disclosed for Silverstein .
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership and effectiveness: Silverstein’s role as Audit Committee Chair in 2024, with financial expert designation, supports strong oversight of financial reporting and audit quality. Full committee attendance and regular audit interactions (e.g., PCAOB-required communications and independence reviews) indicate robust governance processes .
- Independence and conflicts: The board determined independence for audit committee members including Silverstein in 2024. While she is a former Abeona CFO (Jan 2019–Mar 2020), current independence status was affirmed at least through her 2024 committee service; 2025 committee membership excludes her from audit, which may reflect board refresh rather than a concern. No related-party transactions were reported in 2024, and insider policy prohibits hedging/pledging—reducing alignment risks .
- Engagement: Board-level attendance at or above 85% and full committee attendance in 2024 demonstrate engagement. The board met frequently (14 times), consistent with a proactive governance posture during regulatory and corporate milestones .
- Incentives and alignment: Director compensation emphasizes modest cash retainers and time-based restricted stock with one-year vesting. Year-over-year equity value decreased (2023: $271,143 vs. 2024: $181,048), suggesting discipline amid broader share allocations and onboarding considerations; absence of options/PSUs indicates lower explicit performance linkage for directors but reduces risk of option repricing .
- Compensation governance: The Compensation Committee employs an independent consultant (Radford) annually for executive and director pay, with no conflicts reported for 2024—supporting pay-for-performance credibility and market benchmarking .
RED FLAGS
- No material red flags disclosed for Silverstein. The only Section 16(a) delinquencies noted in 2024 pertained to other insiders (one Form 4 for Alvino; two for O’Malley), not Silverstein .
- Related-party transactions: None in 2024, per Audit Committee oversight .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited by policy; no exceptions disclosed .
Signals for Investors
- Financial and audit expertise as a former Abeona CFO and current CFO at Artios strengthens oversight credibility; her 2024 audit chair role and financial expert designation are positives for investor confidence .
- Ownership has increased over time (36,524 in 2023 to 154,087 in 2025), supporting alignment, while policy bans on hedging/pledging reduce misalignment risk .
- Transition off the Audit Committee in mid-2024 and absence from 2025 committee rosters reflect governance evolution; the presence of other qualified financial experts and full committee attendance mitigates risk .