Eric Benevich
About Eric Benevich
Eric Benevich (age 59) is a Class II independent director of aTyr Pharma, Inc., serving since December 2024. He is Chief Commercial Officer of Neurocrine Biosciences (since May 2015) with 30+ years of biopharma commercial experience; education: B.B.A. in International Business, Washington State University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurocrine Biosciences | Chief Commercial Officer | May 2015–present | Responsible for commercial development, marketing and sales for INGREZZA and CRENESSITY |
| AstraZeneca | Commercial roles | Not disclosed | Sales and marketing experience (e.g., Prilosec) |
| Amgen | Commercial roles | Not disclosed | Sales and marketing experience (e.g., Epogen, Enbrel) |
| Peninsula Pharmaceuticals | Commercial roles | Not disclosed | Sales and marketing roles |
| Avanir Pharmaceuticals | Commercial roles | Not disclosed | Sales and marketing experience (e.g., Nuedexta) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurocrine Biosciences | Chief Commercial Officer | 2015–present | Ongoing operating role (not a board directorship) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Member, Compensation Committee (effective March 6, 2025; Chair: Dr. Jane Gross) .
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO are independent under Nasdaq/SEC rules (Benevich is independent) .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 6 meetings in 2024; all directors other than Mr. Clarke attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met in executive session 3 times in 2024 .
- Board leadership: Separate Chair and CEO; Chair is independent .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Policy | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 cash fees earned (prorated) | $2,391 | Director Compensation Table |
| Annual retainer (non-employee director) | $40,000 (policy amended Dec 2024) | Director compensation policy |
| Additional retainer – Chairperson | $30,000 (post-Dec 2024 policy) | Director compensation policy |
| Committee fees – Audit | Chair $20,000; member $9,000 (post-Dec 2024) | Director compensation policy |
| Committee fees – Compensation | Chair $15,000; member $7,000 (post-Dec 2024) | Director compensation policy |
| Committee fees – Nominating & Governance | Chair $10,000; member $5,000 (post-Dec 2024) | Director compensation policy |
Performance Compensation
| Award | Shares | Grant Date | Vesting | Exercise Price Basis | Grant FV (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial director stock option | 100,000 | Dec 10, 2024 | Equal monthly over 36 months | Fair market value at grant date | $224,910 (grant-date fair value) |
| Annual director stock option (policy) | Up to 50,000 per annual meeting (continuing directors) | At annual meeting | Vest in full by 1-year or next annual meeting | Fair market value at grant date | Not disclosed (policy) |
- Change-of-control treatment for awards: Plan contemplates assumption/continuation or termination of awards at sale event; cash settlement possible; max term up to 10 years; no repricing without stockholder approval .
- No director performance metrics tied to equity disclosed; time-based vesting only per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No other public company board service disclosed for Benevich . |
| Neurocrine prior/ current affiliations on aTyr board | Management/experience linkage | Network ties: Benevich is Neurocrine CCO; Timothy Coughlin is former Neurocrine CFO (now aTyr Chair) | Not a related-party transaction; no Item 404(a) transactions disclosed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30+ years in biopharma commercial operations; led portfolios including INGREZZA and CRENESSITY .
- Sales/marketing experience at AstraZeneca, Amgen, Peninsula, Avanir with products such as Prilosec, Epogen, Enbrel, Nuedexta .
- Education: B.B.A. in International Business (Washington State University) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Common stock owned (direct/indirect) | — (none disclosed) |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 11,111 shares |
| Total beneficial ownership | 11,111 shares (<1% of outstanding) |
| Total director options held (Dec 31, 2024) | 100,000 options |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None disclosed in proxy |
| Hedging policy | Hedging/derivative transactions prohibited without Compliance Officer approval |
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Date (filed) | Form | Transaction | Shares | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2024 (transaction date Dec 10, 2024) | Form 4 | Initial director option grant | 100,000 | Appointment as Class II director; grant consistent with amended director policy |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and attendance: Independent director with at least 75% attendance in 2024 alongside most directors; independent executive sessions held regularly—supports board effectiveness .
- Committee role: Added to Compensation Committee in March 2025; committee uses independent advisors and evaluated consultant independence (Radford) in recent cycles—positive for governance rigor .
- Compensation alignment: Low 2024 cash (prorated) with significant equity grant (100,000 options, time-vested), and ongoing annual option eligibility—aligns incentives to long-term shareholder value; no repricing permitted without stockholder approval .
- Conflicts/related parties: Company discloses no related-party transactions; 8‑K confirms none requiring Item 404(a) for Benevich. Network ties to Neurocrine (with Chair’s prior role) are notable but not related-party transactions by disclosure .
- Risk indicators: Hedging restricted; no pledging disclosed; company has Dodd‑Frank compliant clawback policy adopted in 2023 (company-wide) .