Maykin Ho
BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICALAbout Maykin Ho
Maykin Ho, Ph.D. (age 72) has served on BioMarin’s Board since February 2021. She is a former Goldman Sachs partner (senior biotechnology analyst; co-head of Global Healthcare Investment Research; advisory director in Healthcare Investment Banking) and a venture partner at Qiming Venture Partners. Dr. Ho holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology (SUNY Downstate), completed postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School, and completed Duke’s Fuqua Advanced Management Program .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldman Sachs | Senior biotechnology analyst; co-head Global Healthcare Investment Research; advisory director, Healthcare Investment Banking | 1992–2015 | Led healthcare equity research; advised on healthcare banking mandates |
| DuPont‑Merck / DuPont | Managerial roles in licensing, strategic planning, marketing, research | N/A | Cross-functional pharma and corporate roles |
| Harvard Medical School | Postdoctoral fellow | N/A | Scientific training |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qiming Venture Partners | Venture Partner | Private | Based in China/Hong Kong; HKEX Biotech Advisory Panel member |
| Agios Pharmaceuticals | Director | Public | Current board |
| FibroGen, Inc. | Director | Public | Current board |
| Neumora Therapeutics | Director | Public | Current board |
| Parexel | Director | Private | Biopharma services company |
| Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (Columbia) | Board member | Non‑profit | Current |
| Institute for Protein Innovation | Board member | Non‑profit | Current |
| GRAIL (acquired by Illumina in 2021) | Former Director | Private | Prior role |
Board Governance
- Independence: BioMarin’s Board determined all current directors other than the CEO are independent; this includes Dr. Ho .
- Board and committee attendance: The Board met 10 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings. All 11 director nominees attended the 2024 Annual Meeting. Independent directors held regular executive sessions .
- Voting standard: In Feb 2025, BioMarin adopted majority voting in uncontested elections with a director resignation policy .
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | 8 |
| Science & Technology | Member | 4 |
| Transactions & Strategy | Member | 0 (formed Oct 2024) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash (Director/Committee retainers) | $102,000 |
- Cash fee schedule for 2024 (non-employee directors): Audit (Chair $26,500; Member $13,500), Compensation (Chair $24,000; Member $12,000), Corporate Governance & Nominating (Chair $20,000; Member $10,000), Science & Technology (Chair $20,000; Member $10,000), Transactions & Strategy (Chair $26,500; Member $13,500); Independent Chair incremental $80,000. No meeting fees; compensation is position-based .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Compensation Policy | Details | 2024 Value for Dr. Ho |
|---|---|---|
| Annual equity grant (RSUs) | Fixed value $400,000 for re‑elected directors; converts using 30‑day trailing average; vests in full immediately prior to next Annual Meeting; new directors receive prorated RSUs; options are no longer granted to directors | $365,045 (grant date fair value) |
| RSUs outstanding at 12/31/2024 | Director-level RSUs reported in proxy | 4,720 RSUs |
| Deferral | Directors may defer fees and RSUs under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan | Available |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: Agios, FibroGen, Neumora .
- The proxy discloses no related-party transactions since Jan 1, 2024 involving directors, officers, >5% holders or their immediate family members; Audit Committee oversees related-party approvals .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: none disclosed for 2024 (Dr. Ho is not on Compensation Committee) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Healthcare finance and capital markets expertise from 20+ years at Goldman Sachs covering biotechnology and healthcare .
- Operating experience across licensing, strategy, marketing and research at DuPont‑Merck and DuPont .
- Global governance/biotech ecosystem roles (Qiming venture partner; HKEX Biotech Advisory Panel) .
- Academic credentials in microbiology/immunology; postdoc Harvard Medical School .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount/Status |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (common shares) | 16,639 shares (as of March 14, 2025) |
| Shares subject to options/RSUs vesting within 60 days | 0 (as reported in beneficial ownership table) |
| Shares outstanding (for % calc) | 190,803,610 (as of March 14, 2025) |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | ~0.0087% (16,639 / 190,803,610) |
| Pledging/Hedging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock by directors and employees |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors must hold stock/RSUs equal to 5x cash retainer; except for directors who joined since Dec 2023, all directors and NEOs were in compliance as of Dec 31, 2024 |
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent director with significant healthcare finance and biotech expertise; serves on Audit, Science & Technology, and Transactions & Strategy Committees, supporting financial oversight and R&D/BD strategy .
- Board governance improvements (majority voting; independent Chair; regular executive sessions) support accountability; all directors met attendance thresholds and attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Director pay design emphasizes equity (fixed-value RSUs; no director stock options), aligning incentives with shareholders; anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging and ownership guidelines (5x retainer) further align interests .
- No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Dr. Ho; Audit Committee pre-approves related-party dealings, reducing conflict risk .
-
Watch items
- Multiple concurrent public company directorships (Agios, FibroGen, Neumora) may increase time commitments; continued monitoring of attendance and committee workload is advisable (Board reported all directors met 75%+ attendance in 2024) .
- Beneficial ownership is modest in % terms (0.0087%), though the program requires and reports guideline compliance and equity is the dominant component of director compensation .
-
Shareholder context
- 2024 Say‑on‑Pay support was 93%, and the company reports ongoing engagement and governance enhancements (e.g., majority voting), supporting investor confidence in governance practices .
Reference Tables
Director compensation (2024)
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash fees | $102,000 |
| Stock awards (grant date fair value) | $365,045 |
| Total | $467,045 |
Committee assignments and meetings (2024)
| Committee | Role | Meetings |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member | 8 |
| Science & Technology | Member | 4 |
| Transactions & Strategy | Member | 0 |
Board independence and attendance
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Director independence | All directors other than CEO deemed independent (includes Dr. Ho) |
| Board meetings (2024) | 10; each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings |
| Annual Meeting attendance (2024) | All 11 nominees attended |