Paul Mintz
About Paul D. Mintz
Independent director since April 7, 2017; age 77. Consultant in transfusion medicine and biotherapies; prior roles include Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Verax Biomedical (most recently), Director of Hematology Clinical Review at FDA’s CBER (2011–2016), and over 30 years on faculty at the University of Virginia School of Medicine (Professor of Pathology and Internal Medicine; Vice-Chair of Pathology; Medical Director of Clinical Laboratories and Transfusion Medicine) . Education: BA with High Distinction in Philosophy (University of Rochester) and MD with Honors (University of Rochester School of Medicine) . Board has determined Mintz is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. FDA, CBER (Office of Blood Research & Review) | Director, Division of Hematology Clinical Review | 2011–2016 | Regulatory leadership over transfusion-related clinical reviews |
| University of Virginia School of Medicine / Health System | Professor (Pathology & Internal Medicine); Vice-Chair of Pathology; Medical Director (Clinical Laboratories & Transfusion Medicine) | “More than 30 years” (prior to 2011) | Led clinical labs and transfusion services; designed and led numerous clinical trials |
| Verax Biomedical, Inc. | Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer | Joined early 2016 (most recent role prior to current consulting) | Led medical/clinical strategy for transfusion technology company |
| Virginia Blood Services | Co-Medical Director | Not disclosed | Oversight of blood services operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) | Former President; 9-year Board member; chaired/numerous committees | Not disclosed | National leadership; policy and standards influence |
| National Blood Foundation | Board of Trustees | Not disclosed | Governance of blood research funding; Hall of Fame inductee |
| CMS Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee | Member | Not disclosed | Advisory input on coverage decisions |
| Academic/Editorial | Sole editor of “Transfusion Therapy: Clinical Principles and Practice” (first three editions); multiple journal editorial boards | Not disclosed | Thought leadership in transfusion medicine |
| Immucor, Inc. (BLUD) | Director (public company) | 2009–2011 | Industry interlock—blood testing; prior public board experience |
Board Governance
- Committees: Audit Committee member; Compensation, Nominating & Governance (CNG) Committee member. Audit: Mintz, Winzer (Chair), Pittman; CNG: Mintz, Pittman (Chair), Winzer .
- Independence: Board applies Nasdaq standards; Mintz is independent (only CEO/CFO Jorden is non-independent) .
- Attendance: Board met 8x (2022), 4x (2023), 7x (2024); each director attended ≥75% of meetings in 2022–2024 .
- Board leadership: No Chairman or Lead Independent Director; small board size cited for cohesive functioning .
Fixed Compensation
Director cash compensation resumed in 2025 as a one-time fee; prior years had no cash fees.
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned/Paid in Cash (USD) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $15,000 (one-time, Aug 2025) |
Notes:
- Board compensation ceased May 1, 2019; non-exec directors received no cash or non-cash comp until awards resumed in 2024 .
Performance Compensation
Equity awards for non-executive directors resumed in July 2024.
| Grant Date | Instrument | Options Granted (shares) | Exercise Price | Vesting Schedule | Grant-Date Fair Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 2024 | Stock options | 25,000 | $0.33 | Fully vests at 1-year anniversary (Jul 17, 2025) | $5,418 (Mintz, 2024) |
- Chairs received additional 15,000 options each (40,000 total for chairs Pittman and Winzer), but Mintz is not a chair .
- No performance metrics tied to director compensation (e.g., TSR, EBITDA) are disclosed; awards are service-based options .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Type | Role | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immucor, Inc. (BLUD) | Public company (blood diagnostics) | Director | 2009–2011 |
- No current public-company directorships disclosed beyond AURX; no disclosed interlocks with AURX’s principal customers/suppliers .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Clinical and regulatory expertise in transfusion medicine; principal investigator for numerous clinical trials; >100 publications/editorials .
- Recognitions: Transfusion Medicine Academic Award; National Blood Foundation Hall of Fame inaugural inductee .
- Education: BA with High Distinction (Philosophy), University of Rochester; MD with Honors, University of Rochester School of Medicine .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Shares | % of Class | Notes (within 60 days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul D. Mintz | 262,801 | <1% | Includes 195,416 shares issuable via options |
- Shares outstanding at record date: 48,077,745 (context for % ownership) .
- Company states no known pledging arrangements that could lead to change of control; Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging/monetization transactions for officers/directors .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Mintz brings deep clinical/regulatory expertise aligned with AURX’s domain; serves on both Audit and CNG committees, supporting oversight breadth .
- Independence & attendance: Independent status and ≥75% attendance over 2022–2024 support engagement; absence of a lead independent director is a structural gap to monitor in a small board context .
- Pay and alignment: After a multi-year pay freeze, equity options granted in 2024 (service-based) and a modest one-time cash fee in 2025 align director incentives with stockholder value without aggressive guaranteed pay; Mintz’s ownership is <1%, with a material portion in options—moderate alignment but not a large personal stake .
- Conflicts/related parties: No related-party transactions disclosed for Mintz in 2023–2025; several insider financings involved other insiders (Pittman, Clausen, Sheedy), but not Mintz—reduced conflict risk for Mintz personally .
- Risk indicators: Company disclosed prior material weaknesses in internal controls and auditor transition in 2024—places added importance on Audit Committee oversight where Mintz serves; not a Mintz-specific red flag but relevant to board accountability .
RED FLAGS to watch:
- No Lead Independent Director; concentrated leadership in CEO/CFO dual role—monitor independence safeguards and executive session practices .
- Historical internal control material weaknesses and auditor change—track remediation progress and Audit Committee reporting where Mintz participates .
Policy safeguards:
- Hedging prohibited for directors; Code of Conduct in place; committee charters published; nomination processes described in bylaws—all supportive of governance hygiene .