Alan Yu
About Alan Yu
Alan Yu (age 69) has served on Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc.’s board since October 2024; he was designated for appointment by Sealbond Limited, an affiliate of CK Life Sciences Int’l., (Holdings) Inc. . He is currently Deputy Chairman of CK Life Sciences and previously served as Vice President & CEO and Vice President & COO; he also chaired WEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He holds a BA in Philosophy & Comparative Literature (University of Hong Kong) and an MBA (Chinese University of Hong Kong) and is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CK Life Sciences Int’l., (Holdings) Inc. | Deputy Chairman; previously Vice President & CEO; Vice President & COO | VP/COO since 2002; CEO since Sept 2020; Deputy Chairman currently | Senior leadership in pharma/nutraceuticals; governance at HK-listed company |
| WEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Chairman | Not specified | Oversight of subsidiary operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CK Life Sciences Int’l., (Holdings) Inc. | Deputy Chairman | Current | Parent entity of Sealbond Limited and Conjoint, Inc., DWTX’s controlling shareholders post-conversion |
| WEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Chairman | Prior | Pharmaceutical subsidiary leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence: Not independent under Nasdaq rules (Board lists independent directors; Yu is not among them) .
- Committee assignments: None; not on Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in 2024 .
- Tenure: Director since October 2024 .
- Lead Independent Director: Not currently in place; board may introduce in future .
- Executive sessions: Board meets periodically, at least annually, in executive session without management .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount / Policy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (cash) | Not paid | Company policy: directors who are employees or employees affiliated with CK Life Sciences do not receive compensation for Board service . |
| Committee membership fees | Not applicable | Yu is not a committee member . |
| Committee chair fees | Not applicable | Yu is not a committee chair . |
| Equity compensation (options/RSUs) | None disclosed for Yu | Aggregated past grants show no options for Alan Yu . |
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based metrics or incentive structures are disclosed for directors; director compensation consists of cash retainers and periodic option grants for non-employee directors (Yu does not receive these under CKLS affiliation policy) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Nature of Interlock | Governance/Conflict Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sealbond Limited (BVI) | Designated Yu to DWTX Board | Sealbond and affiliates were issued preferred and common stock in transactions requiring shareholder approvals; Yu and Melvin Toh were designated for Board seats by Sealbond . |
| Conjoint, Inc. | Indirect subsidiary of CK Life Sciences | Received DWTX Series A-1 Preferred in debt exchange; post-conversion would hold ~9.6% of DWTX . |
| CK Life Sciences Int’l., (Holdings) Inc. | Ultimate parent of Sealbond & Conjoint | Post-conversion, CKLS subsidiaries expected to control ~83% (73.4% via Sealbond; 9.6% via Conjoint) of DWTX . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior operating and governance experience in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals across Asia and North America .
- Board leadership roles (Deputy Chairman; Chairman) at CK Life Sciences and WEX Pharmaceuticals .
- MBA and governance credential (FHKIoD) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned (current) | % Outstanding (current) | Post-Conversion Shares (pro forma) | Post-Conversion % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Yu | – | – | – | – |
| Sealbond Limited | 211,383 | 9.2% | 21,822,333 | 73.4% |
| Conjoint, Inc. | – | – | 2,842,638 | 9.6% |
| Serpin Pharma Inc. | 191,017 | 8.3% | 1,086,956 | 3.7% |
| Rejuvenation Labs, Inc. | 191,017 | 8.3% | 1,086,956 | 3.7% |
Notes:
- Current common shares outstanding at Apr 15/Oct 15 2025: 1,911,128/2,293,162; Yu individually reports no beneficial ownership .
- Pro forma shares outstanding post-conversion: 29,727,866 .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating), with qualified audit committee financial expert; Yu does not sit on these committees, reducing risk of direct influence on key oversight bodies .
- Board conducts executive sessions and maintains an insider trading policy prohibiting short sales, derivatives, and requires pre-clearance for certain insiders .
- Equity plan features appropriate shareholder protections (no option/SAR repricing without shareholder approval; 10-year term limits) .
-
Concerns / RED FLAGS:
- Non-independence and designation by Sealbond Limited (affiliate of CK Life Sciences), which is expected to become controlling shareholder post-conversion; potential for principal–agent conflicts and reduced minority shareholder protections .
- Board-level support agreements committing directors and officers to vote in favor of conversion and related proposals, which may constrain independent deliberation on capital structure changes .
- Minimal direct “skin-in-the-game” by Yu (no disclosed DWTX share ownership or option grants), relying instead on affiliation with controlling shareholder; alignment for minority holders is indirect .
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Overall implication: Yu represents the strategic interests of CK Life Sciences and its affiliates at DWTX. While committee independence and governance policies provide checks, his non-independence and the controlling shareholder dynamic warrant heightened monitoring of related-party transactions, capital structure decisions, and board actions affecting minority shareholders .