Elizabeth Barrett
About Elizabeth Barrett
Elizabeth Barrett (age 62) is an independent director of Allogene Therapeutics, serving since July 2021. She is President and CEO of UroGen Pharma and previously led Novartis Oncology (including the launch of CAR‑T Kymriah) and Pfizer’s Global Oncology unit; she holds a BS in Business Administration (University of Louisiana) and an MBA in Marketing (St. Joseph’s University). Her tenure at ALLO is within a classified board structure, and she is affirmed independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; she attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings in 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novartis Oncology | Chief Executive Officer; Executive Committee member | Feb–Dec 2018 | Led development/launch of Kymriah (autologous CAR‑T), relevant commercialization and cell therapy expertise |
| Pfizer | Global President of Oncology; Regional President US Oncology | 2009 onward (US Oncology from Mar 2009) | Oversaw global oncology strategy and operations; significant BD and market execution experience |
| Cephalon | VP & GM, Oncology Business Unit | Prior to Pfizer | Commercial leadership in oncology |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UroGen Pharma (URGN) | President & CEO; Director | Since 2020–present (CEO); Board service current | Spearheaded 2020 approval of Jelmyto for LG‑UTUC; interlock risk as ALLO Executive Chair (Belldegrun) is UroGen Chair |
| Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) | Director | Since Feb 2019 | Public biotech board with neuro focus |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (with Deborah Messemer as Chair and Stephen Mayo as member) and Compensation Committee member (with Franz Humer as Chair and John DeYoung as member) .
- Independence: Barrett is independent; Audit and Compensation Committees meet enhanced independence criteria (Rule 10A‑3 and 10C‑1) .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met six times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings; Audit and Compensation Committees each met five times in 2024 .
- Lead Independent Director and executive sessions: Board has a Lead Independent Director (Franz Humer) and independent directors meet at least twice per year in executive session .
- Classified board and responsiveness: Board reaffirmed classified structure but added governance enhancements (director resignation policy, annual reviews) after investor outreach .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash fees | $54,890 | Base retainer + committee retainers per policy (Audit member $12,500; Compensation member $7,500) |
| Stock awards (RSUs) | $0 | No RSUs granted to Barrett in 2024; her outstanding RSUs = 0 as of year‑end |
| Option awards (grant‑date fair value) | $298,650 | Annual director option grant per policy; vest monthly over one year |
| Total | $353,540 |
Policy context:
- Non‑employee director annual cash retainer $40,000; committee member retainers and chair premiums as specified; annual equity grant value $300,000 (reduced from $425,000 in 2023) at the 2024 meeting; share caps adopted in 2025 (e.g., annual options cap 144,400 shares if 100% options) .
Performance Compensation
- Directors do not receive performance‑conditioned pay; annual equity for non‑employee directors is time‑based and structured as options and/or RSUs per policy. No director PSUs or cash bonuses tied to performance metrics are disclosed for Barrett .
| Performance Metric | Weight | Target | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not applicable to non‑employee director compensation | — | — | — |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship to ALLO | Interlock/Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| UroGen Pharma | Barrett is CEO/director; ALLO’s Executive Chair Belldegrun is UroGen Chair | Potential information flow/interlock; no ALLO–UroGen transactions disclosed; independence affirmed |
| Sage Therapeutics | Barrett is director | No disclosed related‑party transactions with ALLO |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep commercialization and oncology leadership (Pfizer, Cephalon, Novartis Oncology; UroGen CEO) .
- Board financial oversight (Audit Committee service), compensation governance (Compensation Committee service) .
- Education: BS Business Administration; MBA Marketing .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (March 31, 2025) | 425,736 shares issuable upon exercise of options within 60 days; no common shares reported separately |
| Outstanding options (Dec 31, 2024) | 441,657 total option shares outstanding |
| Ownership % of outstanding shares | ~0.19% (425,736 / 218,598,262) |
| RSUs outstanding | 0 RSUs outstanding for Barrett as of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited for directors under Insider Trading Policy |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Directors: 5x annual retainer; compliance monitored annually; all directors currently in compliance |
Insider Trades (Form 4 filings)
| Date Filed | Effective/Txn Date | Summary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 23, 2025 | June 18, 2025 | Reported annual director equity grant aligned with the annual meeting schedule; Rule 16b‑3 grant context consistent with policy | |
| June 7, 2024 | June 2024 | Statement of changes in beneficial ownership (Form 4) | |
| Prior example (historical) | June 16, 2022 | Historical Form 4 reference |
Note: Director grants are made on annual meeting dates per the Non‑Employee Director Compensation Policy; ALLO’s 2025 annual meeting was June 18, 2025 .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Barrett strengthens audit and compensation oversight; committee independence complies with SEC/Nasdaq; meeting cadence indicates engagement (Audit and Compensation met five times) .
- Independence and conflicts: Barrett is independent; no ALLO‑related party transactions involving her are disclosed. The UroGen interlock with ALLO’s Executive Chair warrants ongoing monitoring but no transactions or conflicts are reported; related‑party procedures and Audit Committee oversight are in place .
- Ownership alignment: Barrett’s compensation is predominantly in options (no 2024 RSUs), creating equity alignment; directors must meet 5x retainer ownership guidelines and are in compliance; pledging/hedging prohibited—positive alignment signals .
- Compensation structure quality: Director equity levels were reduced to peer‑median; share caps added in 2025—a governance‑friendly move. Broader governance enhancements (director resignation policy, Lead Independent Director) address investor feedback .
- RED FLAGS
- Interlock: UroGen Chair (Belldegrun) and UroGen CEO/director (Barrett) overlap—monitor for any future transactions or competitive overlaps; currently no related‑party transactions disclosed .
- Classified board: While mitigated by enhanced practices and annual reviews, declassification preferences from investors persist; Board continues to review annually .