Sri Kosuri
About Sri Kosuri
Sri Kosuri is an independent director at Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA). He is 45 years old, joined the board on November 6, 2024, and currently serves without committee assignments, with an expected appointment to the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee after the 2025 Annual Meeting . Kosuri is CEO of Octant, Inc. (since 2019), and holds a Doctor of Science in Biological Engineering from MIT and a B.S. in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley; prior roles include academic and translational work in synthetic biology, genomics, and gene synthesis technologies .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA, Chemistry & Biochemistry | Associate Professor | Prior to 2019 | Led lab developing technologies in synthetic biology, genomics, biochemistry |
| Wyss Institute, Harvard University | Researcher/Technologist | Prior | Built technologies in gene synthesis, DNA storage, gene editing, multiplexed assays |
| Gen9 (acquired by Ginkgo in 2017) | Scientific Advisory Board Member | Prior | Contributed to gene synthesis; links to Ginkgo acquisition |
| Joule Unlimited | Co-founder/early team | Prior | Engineered algae-to-biofuel venture |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public Company? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octant, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 2019–present | No (private) |
| Other public boards | — | — | None |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined Kosuri and a majority of nominees are independent under SEC/NYSE rules .
- Committees: None currently; expected post-Annual Meeting appointment to Nominating & Corporate Governance alongside Shyam Sankar and Harry Sloan .
- Attendance: In 2024, the board met 12 times; all incumbent directors attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings they served on .
- Committee meeting cadence (2024): Audit (7), Compensation (5), Nominating & Corporate Governance (4) .
- Annual Meeting attendance: All nine directors then serving attended the 2024 Annual Meeting; attendance is strongly encouraged by policy .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | 2024 | 2025 Policy (effective after June 12, 2025 AGM) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Cash Fee | $50,000 (program level) | $45,000 (program level) |
| Chair of the Board | $36,000 | $32,500 |
| Lead Independent Director | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Audit Chair | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Compensation Chair | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Nominating & Gov Chair | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Audit Member (non-chair) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Compensation Member (non-chair) | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Nominating & Gov Member (non-chair) | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Director (2024 Actual) | Cash Fees ($) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Kosuri | 7,473 | 199,997 | 599,988 | 807,458 |
Notes:
- Directors may elect equity in lieu of cash; fees paid quarterly and prorated for partial service .
Performance Compensation
| Director (2024 Grants) | Equity Type | Grant Value ($) | Shares Outstanding at FY-end (#) | Vest/Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Kosuri | RSUs | 199,997 | 24,067 | Initial RSUs vest day before next AGM; subsequent RSUs vest by earlier of 1-year or day before next AGM; full vesting on change-in-control |
| Sri Kosuri | Stock Options | 599,988 | 91,151 | 2024 program: Initial options vest in 3 annual installments; Additional initial options vest before next AGM; 10-year expiry; strike = prior day’s close; full vesting on change-in-control |
Program structure changes (effective 2025 AGM):
- Initial director option grant value $500,000; annual subsequent option $275,000; 3-year ratable vest; 10-year term; strike set to prior day close; minimum FMV for share count calculation $8.00 per share .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Details/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Octant, Inc. | Kosuri CEO; Jason Kelly (DNA CEO) is Octant director | Ginkgo received ~$340,000 revenue in 2024 from supplying automation carts, software, support to Octant under a commercial contract . Compensation Committee interlocks disclosure references Jason Kelly’s Octant directorship; Audit Committee oversees related person transactions per policy . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technical expertise in synthetic biology tools, genomics, gene synthesis, DNA information storage, gene editing, high-throughput assays; industry awards include Searle Scholar (2015) and NIH New Innovator (2014) .
- Board qualifications highlighted by deep knowledge of life sciences tools and platform technologies relevant to Ginkgo’s business .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares | % of Class A | Class B Shares | % Voting Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Kosuri | 24,067 | <1% | 0 | <1% |
| Director (FY-end 2024) | Options Outstanding (#) | RSUs Outstanding (#) | Restricted Stock Outstanding (#) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Kosuri | 91,151 | 24,067 | 0 |
Ownership alignment policies:
- Corporate Governance Guidelines include director stock ownership guidelines (policy exists, specific multiples not disclosed in proxy) .
- Insider Trading Compliance Policy prohibits hedging; pledging requires Board-approved exception .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee trajectory: Kosuri is board-designated independent and slated for governance committee duty, supporting board oversight of governance, CEO succession, and AI strategy/compliance .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met 12 times in 2024; all incumbents achieved ≥75% attendance; directors strongly encouraged to attend Annual Meetings and did so in 2024 .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is heavily equity-based—Kosuri’s 2024 mix was ~99% equity by grant-date value ($799,985 of $807,458), reinforcing alignment; 2025 policy shifts to options-only annual grants with three-year vesting and a lower cash retainer, consistent with peer alignment and long-term value focus .
- Potential conflicts (RED FLAG to monitor): Commercial relationship with Octant where Kosuri is CEO and DNA’s CEO sits on Octant’s board; ~$340,000 revenue to DNA in 2024. While modest in size and subject to Audit Committee related-party review, this interlock warrants ongoing monitoring for independence in oversight of Octant-related matters .
- Risk controls: Related person transaction policy assigns Audit Committee review; anti-hedging/pledging policy in place; majority independent board; committees composed entirely of independent directors, with financial expert on Audit .
Overall, Kosuri brings domain depth in synthetic biology and platform tools with independence affirmed; equity-heavy director compensation and future governance committee service support investor alignment, with a manageable but notable Octant interlock to monitor under established related-party policies .