Tony Hunt
BIOLIFE SOLUTIONSAbout Tony Hunt
Tony J. Hunt, age 61, is an independent director of BioLife Solutions (BLFS) appointed effective January 2, 2025; he joined the Audit Committee in January 2025 and the Compensation Committee in March 2025 . He is Executive Chairman of Repligen (NASDAQ: RGEN) since September 2024 and serves on the board of 908 Devices (NASDAQ: MASS), bringing deep bioprocessing market expertise; his education includes a B.S. in Microbiology and an M.S. in Biotechnology (University College Galway), and an MBA from Boston University . The Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repligen Corporation (RGEN) | Executive Chairman | Sep 2024–present | Led strategy and governance after serving as CEO and director (2015–2024); prior COO (2014) |
| Repligen Corporation (RGEN) | Chief Executive Officer; Director | May 2015–Sep 2024 | Drove industry-leading growth via disciplined M&A and product development |
| Repligen Corporation (RGEN) | Chief Operating Officer | May 2014–May 2015 | Operational leadership pre-CEO transition |
| Life Technologies (acquired by Thermo Fisher, 2014) | President, Bioproduction | 2011–2014 | Led bioproduction; earlier GM roles in Chromatography and Pharma Analytics (from 2008) |
| Applied Biosystems | Senior Director, Pharma Programs | 2000–2008 | Launched Pharma Analytics business (later part of Life Technologies’ Bioproduction platform) |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repligen Corporation (RGEN) | Executive Chairman | Sep 2024–present | Public company executive role in bioprocessing; potential industry overlap with BLFS |
| 908 Devices Inc. (MASS) | Director | Ongoing | Public company director; devices for chemical analysis |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined Tony Hunt is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments: Member, Audit Committee (since Jan 2025); Member, Compensation Committee (since Mar 2025) .
- Chair roles: None disclosed for Hunt; Audit chaired by Cathy Coste; Compensation chaired by Amy DuRoss; Governance & Nominating chaired by Joydeep Goswami .
- Lead Independent Director: Amy DuRoss serves as Lead Independent Director .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held 14 meetings; Audit 5, Compensation 2, Governance 2; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of meetings (Hunt joined in 2025, so no 2024 attendance data for him) .
- Compensation Committee engagement: Hunt is listed on the Compensation Committee report (2025 proxy) .
Committee Memberships
| Committee | Membership | Start Date | Chair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | Jan 2025 | Cathy Coste |
| Compensation | Member | Mar 2025 | Amy DuRoss |
| Governance & Nominating | Not listed | — | Joydeep Goswami |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Program Terms (FY2024) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee director) | $60,000 | FY2024 program referenced; Hunt to receive same compensation as other non-employee directors, prorated per appointment |
| Chair fees | Lead Independent Director: $40,000; Audit Chair: $13,750; Compensation Chair: $12,500; Governance Chair: $10,000 | No chair roles for Hunt |
| Cash totals (illustrative FY2024) | Example totals for other directors ranged $60,000–$112,500 | Timing/proration impacted FY2024 totals |
| Policy update (effective Jan 1, 2026) | Annual retainer $70,000; Audit Chair $20,000; Compensation Chair $15,000; Governance Chair $10,000; Lead Independent $40,000; option to take retainer in stock | Adopted in early 2025; effective 2026 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Terms | FY2024 Mechanics | Policy Update (effective 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Award type | RSUs (restricted stock units) to non-employee directors | RSUs annually |
| Nominal value | $180,000 | $180,000 (divided by closing price at grant) |
| Grant timing | 2024: value based on $15.98 as of Jan 2, 2024; shares granted effective Mar 8, 2024; fair value recognized at $17.36 ($195,543) with 11,264 RSUs for each director | First trading day following Jan 1 each year |
| Vesting | One-year cliff, service-based | One-year cliff; accelerated on death, disability, or change in control |
| Performance metrics | None disclosed for directors; awards are time-based (no revenue/EBITDA/TSR metrics for directors) |
Note: Hunt’s 2025 RSU grant specifics (shares/fair value) are not separately disclosed; he is to receive the same non-employee director compensation as others per the 2024 proxy program, subject to proration .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Overlap/Interlock Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Repligen (RGEN) | Executive Chairman | Operates in bioprocessing; potential strategic overlap with BLFS’s CGT tools business; no related-party transactions disclosed since Jan 1, 2024 |
| 908 Devices (MASS) | Director | Supplier/customer ecosystem adjacency; no interlocking compensation committee relationships disclosed for 2024 (Hunt joined comp committee in 2025) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Bioprocessing leadership: Senior roles at Life Technologies and Applied Biosystems; CEO and Executive Chair at Repligen; deep understanding of bioprocess markets .
- Education: B.S. Microbiology; M.S. Biotechnology (University College Galway); MBA (Boston University School of Management) .
- Public company governance: Director at 908 Devices; prior experience as public company director and executive .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Common Stock Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Hunt (Director) | 6,876 | <1% (based on 47,835,214 shares outstanding as of June 23, 2025) | No pledging disclosed; beneficial ownership table shows director-level holdings |
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent director with relevant bioprocessing domain expertise; early participation on Audit and Compensation Committees enhances board capacity in financial oversight and pay governance .
- Alignment: Director equity grants are material ($180,000 nominal value) with one-year vesting; cash retainer and RSU mix aligns director interests with shareholders; updated policy modestly increases cash retainer beginning 2026 .
- Attendance/Engagement: 2024 attendance disclosures confirm board rigor (14 meetings; committees active), though Hunt’s attendance data will be available in future proxies as his tenure began in 2025 .
- Shareholder signals: Prior say-on-pay approval was 82.4% for FY2023, indicating acceptable pay program design; Compensation Committee continues to use independent consultants and targets market median for executives (broader governance context) .
- Conflicts/Related-party: Company reports no related-party transactions >$120,000 since Jan 1, 2024; Hunt’s appointment 8-K states no related-party transactions and independence; Audit Committee reviews any related-party transactions .
- RED FLAGS (to monitor): Industry overlap with Repligen (bioprocessing supplier) and broader CGT ecosystem could present potential competitive or commercial conflicts in future—no current transactions disclosed; monitor Audit Committee oversight and disclosures over time .