Yvonne Linney
Bionano GenomicsAbout Yvonne Linney
Independent director at Bionano Genomics (BNGO) since May 2020; age 63. B.S. in Microbiology & Virology (Warwick University, UK) and Ph.D. in Genetics (Leicester University, UK). Over 30 years in life sciences leadership, including EVP/GM Life Science Solutions at Agilent Technologies (2006–2015), CEO/COO roles at Transcriptic/Strateos, and senior positions at Bayer Diagnostics, Caliper Life Sciences, and Amersham International (now GE Healthcare).
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agilent Technologies (public) | EVP & GM, Life Science Solutions | 2006–2015 | Led life sciences and diagnostics businesses |
| Transcriptic (now Strateos) | COO → CEO; Board member | COO Oct 2015; CEO 2017–2018; Board 2016–2018 | Drove robotic/cloud lab platform commercialization |
| Bayer Diagnostics (now Siemens Healthcare) | Director, Molecular Diagnostics & Global Strategic Marketing | 2005–2006 | Global marketing and diagnostics strategy |
| Caliper Life Sciences | Senior Director, Marketing & Product Management | 2003–2005 | Product management in life sciences tools |
| Amersham International (now GE Healthcare) | Director of Genomics | 1993–2003 | Genomics portfolio leadership |
| Artificial, Inc. (private) | COO and Board member | Jan 2021–Sept 2022 | Laboratory automation optimization software |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linney BioConsulting | Principal | Since Jan 2019 | Strategy development in life sciences |
| Sengenics Corporation (private; acquired by Standard BioTools) | Board member | Jan 2023–Dec 2024 | Immunoprofiling tools; ended at acquisition |
| California Life Sciences Institute | Strategic Advisor | Since Mar 2019 | Industry membership organization |
| Women in Bio | Boardroom Ready Member | Since Jul 2019 | Professional network membership |
| Tag.bio | Strategic Advisor | Jan 2019–Dec 2020 | Data science platform |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. Linney is independent under Nasdaq standards; BNGO’s Board has seven independent directors of eight total.
- Committees: Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (not Chair).
- Committee meetings (2024): Audit 4; Compensation 6; Nominating & Corporate Governance 1; Science & Technology 4.
- Attendance: Board met 6 times in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings during their service period. Independent directors held 5 executive sessions.
- Board leadership: Independent Chairman (Albert Luderer) since June 18, 2024; no Lead Independent Director disclosed.
- Hedging/Pledging: Company policy prohibits officers, directors, employees, and consultants from hedging, short sales, options, or pledging/margining company stock.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (cash) | $40,000 | Non‑employee director cash retainer per policy |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member fee (cash) | $5,000 | Committee membership fee (non‑chair) |
| Total cash fees (2024) | $45,000 | Fees earned/paid in cash in 2024 for Dr. Linney |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Award Type | Shares/Units | Exercise Price | Vesting/Term | Grant Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2024 | Stock Options | 30,000 (pre‑split) | $0.7752 (pre‑split) | Options vest subject to continuous service; vest in full upon change in control; 10‑year term; 12‑month post‑termination exercise (except for cause) | $16,857 (2024 option award value) |
- Director equity grant practice: Annual option grant per policy (Black‑Scholes value target), with vesting contingent on board service; change‑in‑control full vesting. 2024 grants capped at 30,000 options per director.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Tenure | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current public company boards | — | — | — | None disclosed in biography |
| Sengenics Corporation | Private (acquired by Standard BioTools) | Director | Jan 2023–Dec 2024 | No related‑party transactions disclosed at BNGO |
| Artificial, Inc. | Private | Director; later COO | Sept 2020–Jan 2021 (advisor); Jan 2021–Sept 2022 (COO & director) | No related‑party transactions disclosed at BNGO |
- Related‑party review: BNGO disclosed no related‑person transactions since Jan 1, 2023 meeting SEC thresholds; Audit Committee oversees related‑party approvals.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep operating leadership in life sciences tools and diagnostics; genomics domain expertise from Amersham/GE and Agilent.
- Executive experience in scaling automation platforms (Transcriptic/Strateos; Artificial).
- Strategic advisory roles across industry bodies; governance experience through committee membership.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Owned Directly | Securities Exercisable within 60 Days | Warrants | Total Beneficially Owned | Ownership % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yvonne Linney, Ph.D. | — | 1,402 | — | 1,402 | <1% (asterisk per table) |
- Pledging/Hedging: Prohibited by company policy for directors.
- Section 16 compliance: Company believes executive officers and directors complied with Section 16(a) in 2024; late filings noted for certain officers, not including Dr. Linney.
Governance Assessment
- Alignment and independence: Independent director with relevant industry expertise; serves on Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, supporting board refreshment, qualifications, and governance principles.
- Engagement: Attendance at or above 75% threshold and participation in governance processes; Board held six meetings with five independent executive sessions in 2024.
- Compensation structure: Mix favors fixed cash retainer plus annual options; 2024 cash $45,000 and option value $16,857; committee membership fee aligns with governance workload.
- Ownership “skin in the game”: Beneficial ownership is modest (1,402 shares via exercisable securities; <1%), typical for small‑cap life science boards but offers limited direct equity alignment versus executives.
- Conflicts/RED FLAGS: No related‑party transactions disclosed; hedging/pledging prohibited; no disclosed public company interlocks; no Section 16(a) delinquency for Dr. Linney.
- Broader investor sentiment: BNGO’s 2024 say‑on‑pay approval rose to ~83.4%, reflecting improved shareholder support for compensation practices (context for governance climate).