Diane Parks
About Diane Parks
Diane Parks, age 72, has served as an independent director of Celularity since June 2022. She is a seasoned biopharma commercial leader, previously SVP/Head of U.S. Commercial at Kite Pharma where she led the launch of Yescarta; VP/Head of Global Marketing at Pharmacyclics for Imbruvica; VP Sales at Amgen; and SVP Specialty Biotherapeutics & Managed Care at Genentech. She holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a BS from Kansas State University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kite Pharma, Inc. | SVP, Head of U.S. Commercial; led Yescarta launch | Feb 2016 – Jul 2018 | Led strategic commercial launch of first CAR-T for LBCL |
| Pharmacyclics, Inc. | VP, Head of Global Marketing; Imbruvica | Oct 2014 – Oct 2015 | Set marketing strategy and launch |
| Amgen | Vice President, Sales | 2007 – 2014 | Led hospital and nephrology sales teams |
| Genentech, Inc. | SVP, Specialty Biotherapeutics & Managed Care | 1999 – 2002 | Senior commercial leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Status | Committees/Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calliditas Therapeutics AB | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| CTI BioPharma Corp. | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| Kura Oncology, Inc. | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| Soligenix, Inc. | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| TriSalus Life Sciences | Director | Current | Not disclosed |
| Lymphoma Research Foundation | Board member | Current | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined all directors except the CEO (Hariri) are independent; Parks is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Committee assignments (current): Compensation Committee—member, serving as Chair; Audit Committee—member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee is currently LeVien, Diamandis, Ling (Parks served previously) .
- Attendance: In 2024 the board met 7 times; each director attended in person or participated in at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings .
- Audit Committee continuity: 2024 audit committee included Dean Kehler (Chair), Diane Parks; in 2025 the audit committee consists of LeVien (Chair) and Parks .
- Board leadership context: Combined CEO/Chair structure; independent directors oversee risk including cybersecurity via committees .
Fixed Compensation
Director compensation policy and Parks’s actual 2024 pay:
| Component | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | 45,000 | Policy rate |
| Committee membership fees (Audit / Compensation / Nominating) | 10,000 / 8,000 / 5,000 | Policy rates |
| Committee chair fees (Audit / Compensation / Nominating) | 20,000 / 16,000 / 10,000 | Policy rates |
| 2024 Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (Parks) | 65,000 | Actual cash received |
| Non-employee director annual equity award | 300,000 | Half options, half RSUs; policy |
Performance Compensation
Annual equity and 2024 grant mechanics:
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual equity award value ($) | 300,000 | 300,000 |
| Options granted (shares) | 27,778 | 84,746 |
| RSUs granted (units) | 19,992 | 67,416 |
| 2024 Stock Awards ($) (grant-date fair value) | — | 150,001 |
| 2024 Option Awards ($) (grant-date fair value) | — | 150,000 |
- Vesting: Initial director option grants vest ratably over three years; annual grants comprise a 50/50 split of options and RSUs at grant-date value; grants follow equity plan rules and timing policies (e.g., restrictions on granting near material disclosures) .
- Performance metrics: No director-specific performance metrics disclosed for equity; the 2021 Plan allows performance awards generally but director equity is time-based; change-in-control treatment provides acceleration per plan terms if awards are not assumed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Parks’s public company boards are in biopharma; Celularity’s related-party transactions primarily involve Genting affiliates (Dragasac, RWI) and CV Starr—no disclosed transactions involve Parks personally .
- Potential network overlap: No shared directorships disclosed between Parks’s boards and Celularity’s identified counterparties in related-party transactions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Oncology and cell therapy commercialization (Yescarta; Imbruvica) .
- Senior sales and managed care leadership at Amgen/Genentech .
- Academic credentials: MBA (Georgia State), BS (Kansas State) .
- Committee leadership: Compensation Committee Chair; audit literacy affirmed for members .
Equity Ownership
As of October 30, 2025:
| Category | Shares/Units | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 213,203 | <1% |
| Directly held | 23,607 | — |
| Options (exercisable within 60 days) | 122,180 | — |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days | 67,416 | — |
| Unvested holdings disclosed (12/31/2024 snapshot) | Options: 122,180; RSUs: 67,416 | — |
Policy guardrails:
- Insider trading policy prohibits short sales and derivative transactions without audit committee approval; pledging is restricted to protect alignment .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep oncology commercialization expertise; active committee leadership as Compensation Chair; member of Audit; attendance above the 75% threshold supports engagement .
- Alignment: Meaningful equity exposure via annual grants and outstanding options/RSUs; 2024 director compensation balanced between cash ($65k) and equity (~$300k) .
- Controls: Board has adopted a Clawback Policy compliant with SEC/Nasdaq for executives; equity grant timing policies reduce risk of opportunistic awards; audit committee oversees related-party transactions .
- Watch items: Multiple external public boards may create time-commitment risk; monitor attendance/engagement (2024 participation met thresholds). Broader governance environment includes significant related-party financings with Genting and CV Starr—no personal involvement by Parks, but oversight demands remain high .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Parks—no related-party transactions, no pledging/hedging noted, and no adverse legal proceedings involving directors; board states no material legal proceedings adverse to the company for any director .