Shari Lisa Piré
About Shari Lisa Piré
Shari Lisa Piré, 60, is an independent director of Precision BioSciences (DTIL) serving since November 2021. She is Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer and Chief Privacy Officer at Plume Design, Inc., with more than 20 years advising public and private companies; she holds a B.A. in French Literature (UC Irvine) and a J.D., magna cum laude (New York Law School), and is admitted to the NY and D.C. Bars . The Board determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognate BioServices, Inc. | Chief Legal Officer | Apr 2015 – Apr 2021 | Led and negotiated transactions culminating in sale to Charles River Laboratories |
| Cobra Biologics Ltd. | Board Member | Jan 2020 – Apr 2021 | Board service at gene therapy-focused CDMO acquired under her leadership at Cognate |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plume Design, Inc. | Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer; Chief Privacy Officer | May 2021 – Present | Serves on privacy governance committee overseeing cybersecurity |
Board Governance
- Board independence: Piré is one of five independent directors (out of six); Board leadership separated (independent Chair fulfills Lead Director functions) .
- Committee assignments:
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Chair
- Compensation Committee: Member
- Meetings and attendance (FY2024):
- Board met 7 times; committees: Audit (4), Compensation (3), Nominating & Gov (2), Science & Tech (6). Each incumbent director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: independent directors hold regular executive sessions; at least twice yearly exclude management/non-independent directors .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Detail / Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Fee | $40,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer |
| Committee Chair Fee (Nominating & Corporate Governance) | $8,250 | Annual chair fee |
| Committee Member Fee (Compensation) | $6,000 | Annual member fee |
| Total Fees Earned (2024) | $54,250 | Reported fees for 2024 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Size | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs (2024) | 9,826 | $129,998 | Annual RSUs vest in a single installment on the earlier of the day before the next annual meeting or first anniversary of grant; all unvested RSUs vest upon change of control |
No performance-conditioned director awards (e.g., PSUs) disclosed; RSUs are time-based .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobra Biologics Ltd. | Private | Director (2020–2021) | None disclosed with DTIL |
| Plume Design, Inc. | Private | Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer; Chief Privacy Officer | No disclosed commercial relationship with DTIL |
No current public company directorships for Piré disclosed in the past five years .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal, compliance, M&A execution (CDMO/cell and gene therapy transactions at Cognate; board service at Cobra Biologics) .
- Privacy and cybersecurity governance (Chief Privacy Officer; privacy governance committee at Plume) .
- Education: BA (UC Irvine), JD magna cum laude (NYLS), Editor of Law Review; admitted to NY and D.C. Bars .
Equity Ownership
| Category | Shares | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares (beneficially owned) | 4,202 | As of March 20, 2025 |
| Options exercisable ≤60 days | 7,076 | As of March 20, 2025 |
| Unvested RSUs (as of 12/31/2024) | 9,826 | Annual 2024 grant |
| Total beneficial ownership | 11,278 | <1% of outstanding shares |
| Shares pledged | None disclosed | — |
| Hedging policy | Prohibits hedging and similar instruments by directors/officers/employees |
Insider Trades (Form 4 Summary)
| Filing Date | Transaction Date | Description | Notes/Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2024 | May 4, 2024 | RSU vesting and settlement | Annual director RSUs vesting event |
| June 6, 2024 | June 4, 2024 | Form 4 filed | RSU-related reporting; standard director equity |
| June 4, 2025 | May 27, 2025 | RSU vesting | Annual RSU vesting reported |
No open-market buys/sells by Piré disclosed; transactions reflect routine RSU settlement/vesting typical for DTIL non-employee director compensation .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent director with legal, compliance, and transaction execution experience relevant to biotech/CDMO sectors .
- Active governance roles: Chair of Nominating & Corporate Governance; member of Compensation; Board and committee attendance met thresholds; presence at annual meeting .
- Anti-hedging policy in place; Board-level clawback policy for executives supports broader governance discipline .
- Alignment and Incentives
- Director pay structure mixes cash retainer plus equity RSUs; 2024 fees totaled $54,250 and annual RSUs valued at $129,998, aligning director compensation with shareholder outcomes via equity exposure .
- Beneficial ownership is <1%; unvested RSUs and vested options increase exposure, but absolute shareholding remains modest for “skin in the game” analysis .
- Conflicts/Red Flags
- No related-party transactions involving Piré disclosed; no pledging or hedging permitted by policy .
- Compensation consultant Aon also served as broker for D&O insurance (fees: $45,442 for comp consulting; $225,000 insurance brokerage), evaluated for conflicts by the committee, which found none—still a potential perception risk but mitigated by independence review and Board approval .
- No public-company interlocks or supplier/customer ties disclosed for Piré; low attendance or pay anomalies not indicated .
Overall, Piré’s independence, committee leadership, and consistent attendance support board effectiveness; equity grants provide alignment, though direct share ownership is limited. Monitoring consultant relationships (Aon dual roles) and continued disclosure on director ownership guidelines would further enhance investor confidence .