Jiangwen Majeti
About Jiangwen (Jen) Majeti
Independent director of BeyondSpring Inc. since August 2022; age 56 as of April 1, 2024. Ph.D. in molecular genetics (University of Wisconsin–Madison), postdoctoral training at HHMI/UCSF, and MBA from Santa Clara University (Beta Gamma Sigma). Career spans senior roles in R&D, business development, and external alliances at Amgen, BioDuro, Roche (Global Category Leader, External Alliance), and Erasca (Head of Global Collaborations & GM, China) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erasca (NASDAQ: ERAS) | Head of Global Collaborations; General Manager, China | Not disclosed | Oversaw CROs to increase productivity and minimize costs |
| Roche | Global Category Leader, External Alliance | Not disclosed | Alliance/supplier management across external partners |
| BioDuro | Senior Director, Business Development | Not disclosed | BD leadership |
| Amgen | Senior Scientist | Not disclosed | R&D experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Nature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese-American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS) | Past President; current Board member | Non-profit | 3,000+ members; US–China biopharma community |
| BayHelix Group | Member | Non-profit professional org | Life sciences business leadership network |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Dr. Majeti independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committees: Compensation Committee member ; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair .
- Board size/diversity: Six directors; board diversity matrix disclosed (2 female/4 male) .
- Attendance: Not disclosed in FY2023 20-F or 2025 proxy reviewed .
- Term/rotation: Directors serve until term expiration; directors may be appointed/removed by ordinary resolution; director agreements provide no termination benefits .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee director) | $40,000 | Pro-rated for partial year |
| Committee cash retainers | Compensation: $6,000 (Chair $12,000); Nominating & Governance: $4,000 (Chair $8,000); Audit: $8,000 (Chair $16,000) | Pro-rated for partial year |
Dr. Majeti’s roles imply eligibility for Compensation Committee member fee and Nominating & Governance Chair fee per policy .
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Instrument | Quantity | Exercise Price | Expiration | Vesting | Source/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/23/2022 | Initial nonqualified stock options | 20,000 | $1.50 | 08/23/2032 | 3 equal annual installments | Initial grant per Director Agreement; holdings show 6,666 vested/13,334 unvested as of 4/1/2024 |
| 02/10/2023 | Annual director options (pro-rated FY2023) | 5,625 | $2.68 | 02/10/2033 | 1-year vest | Annual grant terms; shown vested by 4/1/2024 |
| 05/08/2023 | One-time nonqualified options (director program) | 10,000 | $0.9835 | 05/08/2033 | Not specified | Company-wide one-time director grants on 5/8/2023 |
| 12/18/2023 | Options in lieu of partial 2023 cash comp | 16,770 | $0.99 | 12/18/2033 | Unvested as of 4/1/2024 | Awarded “in respect of partial 2023 cash compensation” |
| 01/01/2024 | Annual director options (FY2024) | 10,000 | $0.90 | 01/01/2034 | 1-year vest | FY2024 annual entitlement; unvested as of 4/1/2024 |
- Director equity framework: initial 20,000 options at appointment (FMV strike, 3-year vest); annual 10,000 options at fiscal year start (1-year vest); grants under 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan .
- No performance-metric-based director equity; vesting is service-based; some 2023 cash retainer settled in options (alignment signal) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No public-company directorships disclosed for Dr. Majeti |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Scientific/industry: >20 years in biotech/pharma spanning R&D, BD, supplier/outsourcing, and global collaborations .
- Education: Ph.D. (UW–Madison), Postdoc (HHMI/UCSF), MBA (Santa Clara), B.S. Biochemistry (Fudan) .
- Governance: Independent director; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance; member, Compensation Committee .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Ordinary Shares) | % of Outstanding | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jiangwen Majeti | 73,205 | <1% | Includes options exercisable within 60 days; based on 39,029,163 shares outstanding as of 4/1/2024 |
| Options Held (as of 4/1/2024) | Vested | Unvested | Exercise Price | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial 8/23/2022 grant | 6,666 | 13,334 | $1.50 | 08/23/2032 |
| 2/10/2023 annual grant | 5,625 | — | $2.68 | 02/10/2033 |
| 5/8/2023 one-time grant | 10,000 | — | $0.9835 | 05/08/2033 |
| 12/18/2023 cash-in-lieu grant | — | 16,770 | $0.99 | 12/18/2033 |
| 1/1/2024 annual grant | — | 10,000 | $0.90 | 01/01/2034 |
- Pledging/Hedging: No pledging disclosed; no hedging disclosure noted for directors .
- Ownership guidelines: Not disclosed for directors in the sections reviewed .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with biotech partnering/sourcing expertise; chairs Nominating & Governance and serves on Compensation—positions central to board effectiveness .
- Pay structure emphasizes at-risk equity via options, including election to take part of 2023 cash fees in equity (16,770 options), aligning incentives with shareholders .
- No material related-party transactions involving directors since Jan 1, 2023 beyond standard agreements (director agreements, indemnification), reducing conflict risk .
-
Watch items
- Limited disclosure of board/committee attendance; engagement level cannot be independently verified from FY2023 20-F and 2025 proxy reviewed .
- Company-level going concern language in auditor change context (Marcum 2023 report) is a firm risk, though not director-specific; underscores need for robust audit oversight (Majeti is not on Audit) .
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Insider filings (reference)
- Initial beneficial ownership (Form 3) filed Dec 31, 2024 for Majeti .
- Subsequent Form 4s exist in 2025; see example filing index .
Overall: Independent, governance-active director with strong industry network; compensation is equity-heavy with recent cash-in-lieu equity grant supporting alignment; no disclosed related-party conflicts. Continued monitoring of attendance disclosure and any insider transactions advisable .