Linda Park
About Linda Park
Linda Park (age 47) has served as an independent director of BioLargo, Inc. since November 2022. She is Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Edwards Lifesciences, with prior legal roles at Western Digital and in private practice at Latham & Watkins and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and is recognized for ESG and corporate governance expertise .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Digital Corporation | Assistant General Counsel | Jun 2013 – Oct 2017 | Corporate/securities, M&A, financings; governance advisory |
| Latham & Watkins; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | Associate (Corporate/Securities) | Sep 2003 – Jun 2013 | Advised issuers/banks on IPOs, capital markets, M&A |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | SVP, Associate GC & Corporate Secretary | Current | Member of Senior Leadership Team; governance, compliance, investigations |
| Edwards Lifesciences Foundation | Director | Since Jan 2022 | Board member of corporate foundation |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Linda Park is independent under Nasdaq standards .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee Chair; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member .
- Board activity/attendance: Board held four meetings in 2024; Audit Committee met four times. The proxy reported isolated absences at the August and November 2024 board meetings and the August and November 2024 audit committee meetings, with otherwise full attendance by incumbent directors .
- Audit Committee oversight: Audit Committee comprised of independent directors; Park is a member and signatory to the Audit Committee report .
- Nominating & Governance Committee activity: Committee did not meet in 2024 (Park is a member; Bray is Chair) .
- Leadership structure: CEO also serves as Board Chair; no Lead Independent Director (Board cites four independent directors providing oversight) .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount | Payment Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterly Board Retainer | $15,000 per quarter ($60,000 annual) | Options in lieu of cash | Options issued each quarter at closing price; shares = dollar amount ÷ exercise price |
| Committee Chair Fee (Compensation) | $3,750 per quarter ($15,000 annual) | Options in lieu of cash | As Compensation Committee Chair |
| Cash Paid | $0 | — | All fees settled via stock options |
| Option Awards (Aggregate Fair Value) | $51,273 | — | 2024 reported fair value of director option awards |
| 2024 Total Director Fees (Nominal) | $75,000 | Options | $18,750 each quarter (retainer + chair fee), paid via options |
Performance Compensation (Director Equity Grants, 2024)
| Grant Date | Shares Under Option | Exercise Price | Quarter Funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2024 | 53,571 | $0.35 | Q1 retainer + chair fee ($18,750) |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 73,529 | $0.26 | Q2 retainer + chair fee ($18,750) |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 81,522 | $0.23 | Q3 retainer + chair fee ($18,750) |
| Dec 30, 2024 | 98,684 | $0.19 | Q4 retainer + chair fee ($18,750) |
No director PSUs/RSUs, performance metrics, or meeting fees are disclosed for directors; director compensation is retainer- and chair-fee based, settled through quarterly option grants .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Role | Public Company? | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioLargo, Inc. | Director; Compensation Chair; Audit & Nominating/Gov member | Yes | Independent; no Item 404 transactions; Compensation Committee comprised entirely of independent directors |
| Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | SVP, Assoc. GC & Corporate Secretary | Yes | No BioLargo-related transactions disclosed; no related-party transactions >$120k reported |
| Edwards Lifesciences Foundation | Director | No | Philanthropic role; no BioLargo-related transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 20 years counseling public companies; corporate governance, securities, M&A, regulatory/compliance; active ESG thought leader .
- Education: B.A. Johns Hopkins; J.D. Duke Law .
- Board qualifications: Governance, securities, sustainability, and M&A expertise cited by the Company .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | Percent of Class | Components / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linda Park | 1,337,843 | 0.4% | Includes 959,981 shares underlying options and 187,500 shares underlying warrants |
No pledging or hedging of company stock is disclosed for Park; Section 16(a) reports were timely for directors in 2024 per the proxy .
Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback (Context for Comp Committee Chair)
| Year | Votes For | Votes Against | Abstain | Broker Non-Vote | Approval (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 103,880,414 | 7,883,192 | 6,719,295 | 71,345,958 | 54.7% (of votes present) |
| 2024 | 94,165,357 | 3,453,224 | 885,913 | 75,196,191 | — (counts provided; % not explicitly reported) |
| 2023 | 76,470,107 | 5,477,240 | 2,816,330 | 74,462,248 | — |
| 2022 | 84,305,241 | 9,841,157 | 2,175,747 | 57,328,090 | — |
| 2021 | 87,066,389 | 3,646,737 | 2,462,756 | 43,453,003 | — |
| 2020 | 72,180,828 | 2,950,599 | 1,752,675 | 47,142,003 | — |
2025’s 54.7% support signals mixed investor sentiment; as Compensation Committee Chair, Park oversees the program and signed the compensation committee report recommending inclusion of CD&A in the proxy .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with deep governance/legal background; chairs Compensation Committee and serves on Audit and Nominating/Gov .
- Audit Committee composed of independent directors; met four times in 2024; Park is a signatory to the Audit Committee report .
- Director fees paid via equity (options), and Park holds options/warrants; alignment through ownership (0.4% of class) .
- No related-party transactions requiring disclosure; Compensation Committee interlocks/insider participation are clean .
-
Concerns/RED FLAGS
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee did not meet in 2024 despite responsibilities for board evaluations, governance guidelines, and related-party oversight; potential governance process gap .
- Combined CEO/Chair and no Lead Independent Director; independence mechanisms rely on committee structure and independent directors .
- 2025 say-on-pay support at 54.7% (of votes present) indicates investor reservations about executive pay; warrants enhanced engagement and responsiveness from the Compensation Committee .
- Director compensation fully in options can be dilutive, though it conserves cash; monitoring of equity plan overhang and grant pace is prudent .
-
Additional context
- All directors encouraged to attend annual meetings; proxy notes isolated absences at specific 2024 meetings but otherwise full attendance by incumbents .
- Reverse stock split authority approved in 2025 at 51.8% of shares outstanding; board stated no immediate intent absent uplisting; governance sensitivity to shareholder dilution/perception remains relevant .
Overall, Park’s independent status, legal/governance expertise, and committee leadership are positives for board effectiveness. The lack of Nominating/Gov committee activity and modest say-on-pay support in 2025 suggest areas where stronger governance process and investor engagement could enhance confidence .