Yong Ben
Corbus Pharmaceuticals HoldingsAbout Yong Ben
Yong Ben, M.D., age 51, is an independent director of Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (CRBP) who has served on the Board since March 1, 2023. He brings 20+ years of oncology clinical development experience, including strategic planning, trial design/execution, and successful BLA/NDA submissions; he holds a medical degree from Norman Bethune College of Medicine and an MBA from the University of California, San Diego, and practiced as a surgical oncologist at Peking Union Medical College Hospital with a post-doctoral fellowship at California Pacific Medical Center .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics | Chief Medical and Development Officer | Since Sep 2024 | Clinical development leadership; oncology focus |
| Eight Roads Venture (Fidelity Ventures) | Venture Partner | Since Aug 2022 | Strategic investment/advisory in biopharma |
| BeiGene, Ltd. (Nasdaq: BGNE) | Chief Medical Officer; Clinical Advisor | CMO Feb 2019–Feb 2022; Advisor until Jul 2022 | Global oncology drug development leadership |
| BioAtla, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCAB) | Chief Medical Officer | May 2017–Feb 2019 | Immunotherapy development leadership |
| AstraZeneca PLC (Nasdaq: AZN) | Global Clinical Leader, Immuno-Oncology Clinical Development | Aug 2014–May 2017 | Immuno-oncology portfolio leadership |
| Peking Union Medical College Hospital | Surgical Oncologist | Prior to U.S. posts | Oncology practice |
| California Pacific Medical Center | Post-doctoral Fellowship | Prior to MBA | Surgical/oncology training |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics | Chief Medical and Development Officer | Private (unit of BridgeBio) | Appointed Sep 2024 |
| Eight Roads Venture | Venture Partner | Private | Since Aug 2022 |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. Ben is independent under Nasdaq Listing Rules and SEC criteria .
- Committees: Member, Compensation Committee; Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (Chairs: Compensation—Dr. Jenkins; Nominating—Ms. Jacques) .
- Attendance: The Board met 5 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings during 2024. Compensation Committee met 9 times; Nominating & Corporate Governance met 6; Audit Committee met 8 .
- Board leadership: CEO and Chairman roles are separated; Board oversees risk via full Board and committee reports .
- Policies: Anti-hedging policy prohibits hedging/monetization transactions (e.g., collars, forwards) for directors and related parties .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash (2024) | $47,833 | Actual 2024 cash compensation |
| Annual Non-Employee Director Retainer (Policy) | $40,000 | Baseline annual cash fee |
| Compensation Committee Member Fee (Policy) | $7,500 | Non-chair member annual fee |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Member Fee (Policy) | $5,000 | Non-chair member annual fee |
| Chair Fees (if applicable) | $0 | Dr. Ben is not a committee chair |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Value/Terms | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Awards (2024 grant-date fair value) | $115,495 | RSUs awarded in 2024; aggregate fair value |
| Option Awards (2024 grant-date fair value) | $113,329 | Options awarded in 2024; aggregate fair value |
| RSUs held at 12/31/2024 | 2,783 units | Year-end outstanding RSUs |
| Options held at 12/31/2024 | 13,390 options | Year-end outstanding director options |
| Director Equity Program Terms | Annual grants; initial grants equal 2× annual grant value and vest one year from grant; 100% acceleration upon change of control | Compensation Committee sets annual grant amounts/vesting; change-in-control acceleration in plan |
| Performance Metrics | None disclosed/applicable for director equity | Director equity not tied to performance metrics in proxy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Exchange/Ticker | Role | Committee Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | — | Proxy does not list other public company directorships for Dr. Ben |
- Related-party transactions: None identified since January 1, 2023 for directors/officers; Audit Committee reviews/approves any related-party transactions per policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Oncology clinical development; immuno-oncology leadership; BLA/NDA submissions and regulatory strategy experience .
- Medical degree (Norman Bethune College of Medicine); surgical oncology practice; post-doctoral fellowship at California Pacific Medical Center; MBA (UC San Diego) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (as of 3/21/2025) | 13,390 shares | Less than 1% of outstanding; comprises options exercisable within 60 days |
| Options Exercisable within 60 days | 13,390 | Included in beneficial ownership per SEC rules |
| RSUs Outstanding (12/31/2024) | 2,783 | RSUs do not carry voting rights until vest |
| Anti-Hedging Policy | Prohibits hedging/monetization transactions for directors and related parties | Alignment protection |
| Pledging | Not disclosed | No pledging language disclosed in proxy |
Insider Trades
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) Compliance (2024) | All required director/officer ownership reports were filed on a timely basis in 2024 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep oncology development/regulatory credentials; active committee service (Compensation; Nominating & Corporate Governance); attendance ≥75% in 2024; separation of CEO/Chair roles; anti-hedging policy; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Dr. Ben .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay mix includes cash and meaningful equity grants; RSUs and options outstanding support long-term alignment; change-in-control provisions accelerate director equity 100% (standard for plan) .
- Watch items: Personal beneficial ownership is less than 1% (typical for small-cap biotech directors, but still modest); concurrent executive role at BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics may create time demands—no conflicts or related-party transactions disclosed by CRBP .
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