Hila Karah
DarioHealthAbout Hila Karah
Independent director at DarioHealth since November 23, 2014, age 56 as of the 2025 record date. Background spans public-market life sciences investing and hedge fund research: Partner & Chief Investment Officer at Eurotrust Ltd. (2006–2013), research analyst at Perceptive Life Sciences (2002–2005), and earlier research analyst at Oracle Partners. Education: B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley; studied in the UC Berkeley–UCSF Joint Medical Program. Core credentials: long-tenured independent director with buy-side investment and biotech/high-tech advisory experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eurotrust Ltd. | Partner & Chief Investment Officer | 2006–2013 | Family office CIO overseeing investments |
| Perceptive Life Sciences | Research Analyst | 2002–2005 | Life sciences hedge fund research |
| Oracle Partners Ltd. | Research Analyst | Not disclosed | Healthcare-focused hedge fund research |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intec Pharma | Director | Since 2009 | Public company directorship noted in biography |
| Cyren Ltd. | Director | Since 2008 | Public company directorship noted in biography |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Karah is independent under Nasdaq rules and Exchange Act Rule 10A‑3 .
- Committees: Member, Compensation Committee; committee chaired by Dennis M. McGrath. Not a member of Audit or Nominating & Corporate Governance committees .
- Board attendance: Board met 8 times in FY 2024; each member attended at least 88% of meetings .
- Committee activity cadence: Compensation Committee met telephonically once and acted by unanimous written consent 14 times in FY 2024 (demonstrates ongoing engagement through written actions) .
- Audit Committee benchmark (for overall board rigor): 4 meetings and 8 unanimous consents; 100% attendance by its members (Karah not on Audit Committee) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Fees (retainer + committee service) | $70,000 | $17,500 (reflects partial-year cash before waiver) |
| Cash policy (non-employee directors) | $50,000 annual retainer + $20,000 for committee service; quarterly in arrears | |
| Cash waiver | Not disclosed | Commencing Q2 2024, Ms. Karah (among others) waived cash compensation |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Detail | Grant Date | Shares | Grant Date Fair Value | Vesting/Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted shares (non-employee director annual grant) | March 6, 2024 | 70,000 | $117,600 (FY 2024 director stock awards total) | Performance metrics not disclosed for director equity; plan-administered restricted stock |
No options outstanding for Ms. Karah as of Dec 31, 2024 . The Compensation Committee re-evaluates director pay annually and has authority to engage independent compensation consultants .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intec Pharma | Public | Director | No related-party transactions disclosed at DarioHealth involving Ms. Karah |
| Cyren Ltd. | Public | Director | No related-party transactions disclosed at DarioHealth involving Ms. Karah |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Buy-side investment and life sciences research expertise; advisory experience across high-tech, biotech, and internet sectors .
- Academic grounding in molecular and cell biology (UC Berkeley); exposure to medical program training (Berkeley–UCSF JMP) .
- Long-tenured independent director (since 2014), contributing continuity and investor perspective to compensation oversight .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Apr 16, 2024 | Oct 22, 2024 | May 29, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 161,999 | 184,083 | 210,540 |
| Percent of Outstanding | <1% | <1% | <1% (based on 44,463,781 shares outstanding) |
| Vested vs. Unvested Detail | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Includes 161,397 vested restricted shares |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | None disclosed | None disclosed | None outstanding; director has no option awards as of 12/31/2024 |
No pledging or hedging disclosures for Ms. Karah; no loans or related-party arrangements disclosed for her .
Governance Assessment
- Alignment signal: Voluntary waiver of cash compensation from Q2 2024 reduces fixed pay and emphasizes equity, supporting shareholder-aligned posture .
- Compensation oversight: As a Compensation Committee member, participates in decisions on executive and director pay structures; committee has authority to engage independent consultants, suggesting process rigor .
- Independence and attendance: Formally independent with strong board attendance benchmarks; committee activity handled through frequent unanimous consents (standard for small-cap boards) .
- RED FLAGS: None specifically tied to Ms. Karah—no related-party transactions or legal proceedings disclosed for her. Note: Board-level consulting arrangement with NearWater Growth, LLC related to another director (Leisure) is a governance sensitivity but not attributable to Karah; continued monitoring of committee oversight is warranted .