Mary Szela
About Mary Szela
Mary Szela is a veteran biopharma operator and board member with more than three decades of commercial and clinical leadership, currently CEO, President, and Director of TriSalus Life Sciences; she joined Absci’s Board on July 7, 2025 as a Class III director with a term through the 2027 annual meeting . Her education includes a B.S. in Nursing and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago . She is credited with guiding Humira’s U.S. launch and global expansion during her Abbott tenure and brings extensive board-level experience across public biopharma firms .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TriSalus Life Sciences (Nasdaq: TLSI) | CEO, President, Director | Jan 2018 – Present | Leads commercialization and clinical strategy across interventional oncology; frequent public company disclosures and earnings remarks as PEO |
| Novelion Therapeutics | CEO and Director | 2016–2017 | Led merger of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals and QLT Therapeutics |
| Melinta Therapeutics | CEO | Prior to Novelion | Revitalization and accelerated MRSA asset development |
| Abbott Laboratories | President, U.S. Pharmaceuticals; SVP Global Strategic Marketing & Services | Prior roles pre-2015 | Led Humira® U.S. launch and global expansion |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kura Oncology (Nasdaq: KURA) | Director | Current (confirmed Nov 4, 2025) | Signed S-8 as Director |
| TriSalus Life Sciences (Nasdaq: TLSI) | CEO, President, Director | Current | PEO and Director; multiple earnings and filings |
| Prometheus Biosciences (acquired by Merck) | Director | Prior | Highlighted in Absci announcement; acquisition for $10.8B |
| Novo Nordisk | Director | Prior | Board service noted in Absci announcement |
| Omega Therapeutics | Director | Current per Absci IR bio | Listed on Absci IR biography |
| Senda Biosciences | Director | Current per Absci IR bio | Listed on Absci IR biography |
| Coherus BioSciences (Nasdaq: CHRS) | Director; Chair, Compensation Committee (historical) | 2014–Aug 2021 | Chaired Compensation Committee; resigned Aug 2021 |
Board Governance
- Appointment and class: Appointed July 7, 2025 as Class III director; Board expanded from six to seven; term through 2027 annual meeting .
- Independence and related parties: Company disclosed no arrangements, family relationships, or transactions reportable under Item 404(a), supporting independence; indemnification agreement to be executed .
- Committee assignments: Not specified at appointment; Absci’s 2025 proxy lists existing committee memberships but predates Szela’s appointment . The IR committee composition page as of early 2025 does not list Szela (pre-appointment) .
- Attendance: Not disclosed for 2025 proxy (pre-appointment) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (non-employee directors) | $40,000 | Policy; explicitly applied to Szela’s appointment |
| Lead independent director / non-executive chair additional retainer | $35,000 | Policy |
| Audit Committee member retainer | $10,000 | Policy |
| Audit Committee chair retainer | $20,000 | Policy |
| Compensation Committee member retainer | $7,500 | Policy |
| Compensation Committee chair retainer | $15,000 | Policy |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member retainer | $5,000 | Policy |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee chair retainer | $10,000 | Policy |
Performance Compensation
| Grant | Type | Grant Value/Size | Vesting | Strike/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial director grant (policy, from Mar 28, 2024) | Option | Value = $350,000 | 36 equal monthly installments | Black-Scholes fair value for options; RSU value uses closing price | Accelerated vesting on sale of Company |
| Annual director grant (policy) | 75% Option / 25% RSU | Value = $175,000 | Vests in full at 1-year or next annual meeting | Standard plan definitions | Prorated if service <12 months; accelerated on sale |
| Mary Szela Initial Grant (7/7/2025) | Option | 178,400 shares | Equal monthly over 3 years | Exercise price = closing price on grant date | Becomes fully vested/exercisable upon “Sale Event” per 2021 Plan |
- Clawback/Recovery: Compensation Committee administers the compensation recovery policy; governance in Compensation Committee charter .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to Absci | Potential Interlock/Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| TriSalus Life Sciences (TLSI) | No disclosed transactions with Absci | CEO role indicates significant external time commitments; no Item 404(a) related-party transactions with Absci |
| Kura Oncology (KURA) | Potential downstream biologics consumer (general industry) | Active board role confirmed; no disclosed conflicts with Absci |
| Prometheus Biosciences (prior) | TL1A program referenced by Absci | Historical role; no current conflict post acquisition |
| Coherus BioSciences (prior) | Historical comp committee chair | Past service; resigned Aug 2021 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Commercial and clinical leadership, including Humira launch/expansion at Abbott; deep operating experience across commercialization and pipeline development .
- Multi-board governance experience across public therapeutics firms; current CEO experience ensures operational insight into clinical development and commercial strategy .
Equity Ownership
| Category | Amount/Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial option grant | 178,400 options, vest monthly over 3 years; strike price set at market close on 7/7/2025; fully accelerates upon Sale Event |
| RSUs | Not disclosed for Szela at appointment (annual grant structure applies at next annual meeting) |
| Beneficial ownership | Form 3 filed post-appointment not accessible in our document system; company’s 8-K states no related-party transactions |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent appointment with no Item 404(a) related-party transactions; significant commercial and R&D leadership (Humira; multiple CEO roles); adds enterprise-scale commercialization insight to Absci’s AI-biologics pipeline .
- Compensation alignment: Standard non-employee director cash retainer and time-based equity with reasonable vesting and sale-event acceleration; policy caps total annual director compensation ($1.25M first year; $1.0M thereafter), limiting pay inflation risk .
- Committees and engagement: Committee assignment not yet disclosed; 2025 proxy predates appointment; Compensation Committee met five times in 2024 (demonstrates active oversight culture) .
- Potential risks/RED FLAGS: Overboarding/time commitment risk due to concurrent CEO role and multiple board positions; however, no disclosed conflicts or related-party transactions with Absci; independence affirmed by lack of Item 404(a) relationships .
- Overall: Appointment signals emphasis on commercialization and late-stage value capture; compensation structure is conventional and equity-heavy, aligning director incentives with long-term shareholder outcomes .
Notes:
- 2025 DEF 14A director compensation tables and committee matrix reflect the Board immediately prior to Szela’s appointment and therefore do not include her committee roles .
- Absci’s IR pages confirm Szela’s board membership and background; Kura Oncology filings confirm concurrent directorship as of Nov 2025 .