Abigail Jenkins
About Abigail L. Jenkins
Abigail L. Jenkins, 49, is an independent Class II director of Aquestive Therapeutics (AQST), appointed in April 2024. She brings 20+ years of leadership in biotech and pharma focused on commercial launches and corporate strategy; current board director at XORTX Therapeutics and former President & CEO and board member of Gamida Cell. Education: M.S. in Biotechnology & Biotechnology Business Enterprise (Johns Hopkins), B.A. in Psychology & Biology (Indiana University), Kellogg Executive Scholar certificate; recognized by PharmaVoice 100 in 2022 (Disruptor category). Independence status: the Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamida Cell Ltd. (NASDAQ:GMDA) | President & CEO; Board Member | — | Oversaw FDA approval of Omisirge (allogeneic HSCT donor source) |
| Lyndra Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Commercial & Business Officer | — | Led global commercial, BD, corporate strategy and portfolio management |
| Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE:EBS) | SVP, Business Unit Head – Vaccines | — | Led largest therapeutic division from discovery through commercialization |
| Aquinox Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AQXP) | Chief Commercial Officer; U.S. Business Head | — | Commercial leadership |
| Relypsa (NASDAQ:RLYP); Actavis (now Teva) (NASDAQ:TEVA); Pfizer (NYSE:PFE); MedImmune (now AstraZeneca) (NASDAQ:AZN) | Senior commercial and BD roles (various) | — | Multiple therapeutic areas; commercialization experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| XORTX Therapeutics (NASDAQ:XRTX) | Director | Current | — |
| Gamida Cell Ltd. (NASDAQ:GMDA) | President & CEO; Board Member | Prior | Led to FDA approval of Omisirge |
Board Governance
- Board composition: 7 directors, 6 independent; Jenkins is a Class II director with term expiring at 2026 annual meeting. Chair is Gregory B. Brown, M.D.; CEO Daniel Barber is the sole non-independent director.
- Committee assignments (2024): Jenkins is a Member (M) of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (4 meetings in 2024). Committee matrix shows other committees’ meeting counts: Compensation (5), Audit (8), Science & Technology (4).
- Attendance: The Board held 7 meetings in 2024; all directors then serving attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings. All directors attended the 2024 annual meeting except Dr. Taglietti (excused), implying Jenkins attended.
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session periodically without management.
- Board leadership: Independent Chair (Dr. Brown); roles of Chair and CEO separated to reinforce oversight and independence.
- Independence determination: Board found all directors other than the CEO independent; audit and compensation committee members meet heightened independence standards.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board Annual Cash Retainer | $50,000 | Paid quarterly, prorated for partial service |
| Committee Membership Retainers | Audit: $10,000; Compensation: $8,750; Nominating & Corporate Governance: $5,000; Science & Technology: $8,750 | Additional chair retainers: Audit $20,000; Compensation $17,500; Nominating $10,000; S&T $17,500 |
| Jenkins – Fees Earned (2024) | $41,250 | Reflects partial-year service starting April 2024 |
| Jenkins – All Other Compensation (2024) | $2,068 | Reimbursable travel expense |
2024 Non‑Employee Director Compensation Summary (Jenkins):
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Options Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail L. Jenkins | $41,250 | $146,912 | $2,068 | $190,230 |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant | Shares/Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting | Terms/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options (appointment grant) | April 2024 | 57,000 | — | Vest in equal one-third annually starting first anniversary of grant | Granted upon appointment to Board |
| Annual Director Stock Options (2024) | June 20, 2024 | 38,000 | $2.50 per share | 1-year cliff vest from grant date | Company annual director grant policy |
| Jenkins – 2024 Options Awards (comp value) | 2024 | — | $146,912 | — | Aggregate grant-date fair value per FASB ASC 718 |
Performance metrics tied to director compensation: None disclosed; non-employee director equity is time-based options, not PSU/TSR-based for directors.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to AQST | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| XORTX Therapeutics (NASDAQ:XRTX) | Unrelated | No AQST-related party transactions disclosed involving Jenkins |
| Gamida Cell Ltd. (NASDAQ:GMDA) | Unrelated | No AQST-related party transactions disclosed involving Jenkins |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Commercialization leadership across multiple therapeutic areas; strategic BD and portfolio management expertise.
- FDA approval experience (Omisirge at Gamida Cell).
- Education: M.S. (Johns Hopkins), B.A. (Indiana), Kellogg Executive Scholar certificate.
- Industry recognition: PharmaVoice 100 (2022) Disruptor category.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Common Shares) | — (less than 1%) | As of March 21, 2025; 99,317,153 shares outstanding; no shares shown for Jenkins |
| Options Outstanding (12/31/2024) | 57,000 | As of year-end 2024 outstanding options per director table |
| Ownership Pledged as Collateral | None | Company policy prohibits holding in margin accounts or pledging securities |
| Hedging/Hedging Instruments | Prohibited | Company Insider Trading Policy restricts hedging and monetization transactions |
| Insider Trading Controls | Pre-clearance for certain persons; blackout periods | Insider Trading Policy details and Exhibit reference |
Insider Filings / Trades
| Date/Item | Detail | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Form 3 (Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership) | Filed late upon Jenkins’ appointment due to inability to timely obtain EDGAR codes | Company disclosed one late Form 3 for Jenkins; administrative issue |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee fit: Jenkins is independent and serves on the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, aligning with her corporate strategy and commercialization background to oversee governance, succession, and sustainability matters.
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 7 times in 2024, all directors then serving met at least 75% attendance; Jenkins attended the 2024 annual meeting (with only Dr. Taglietti excused). Strong engagement signal.
- Alignment via equity and policy safeguards: Director pay combines cash retainers and time-based options; hedging/pledging prohibited, supporting alignment with shareholders and reducing risk of misaligned incentives.
- Compensation reasonableness: Jenkins’ 2024 total director compensation of $190,230 reflects partial-year service and standard program terms; no meeting fees; equity grants follow established policy and annual cadence.
- Conflicts/related-party: No related-party transactions involving Jenkins are disclosed; registration rights listed do not include Jenkins, reducing potential conflict exposure.
- RED FLAGS: Minor administrative lapse—a late Form 3 at appointment due to EDGAR code issues; mitigated by prompt disclosure and context. No hedging/pledging, no related-party dealings, and strong attendance reduce governance risk.
