Anthony Lau
About Anthony Lau
Anthony Lau is an independent director at iSpecimen Inc. (ISPC), appointed in June 2025, and currently serves as Audit Committee Chair; he is also a member of the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules and that he qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert.” He received his undergraduate degree from the British Columbia Institute of Technology and brings executive leadership and financial management experience from his roles at Remington Resources, Inc. .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remington Resources, Inc. | Director, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer | 2021–present | Oversight of corporate strategy, operations, and capital markets activities; public company executive experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remington Resources, Inc. | Director, CEO, CFO | 2021–present | Canadian resource company; senior executive experience cited as relevant to governance and finance |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and roles:
- Audit Committee: Chair (members include Lau; other members listed as Dhaliwal, Yang, and Lee), with the board determining all members financially literate and Lau as an “audit committee financial expert” .
- Compensation Committee: Member; chaired by Siyun Yang .
- Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee: Member; chaired by Avtar Dhaliwal .
- Independence: Board affirmatively determined Lau is independent under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2); audit committee independence affirmed under Rule 10A‑3 .
- Board meetings and attendance: The board “met from time to time informally and acted by written consent” during FY2024; no specific attendance percentages disclosed .
- Key audit committee responsibilities include financial reporting oversight, auditor independence, approval of related-party transactions, and compliance monitoring .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $20,000 | Payable quarterly |
| Committee chair fee | $7,500 per committee chaired | Lau is Audit Committee Chair |
| Committee membership fee | $3,500 per committee (non-chair) | Compensation and Nominating committees membership |
| Travel expense reimbursement | Standard policy | — |
Eligibility implications: Based on roles, Lau is eligible for one chair fee (audit) and two member fees (compensation, nominating), in addition to the annual retainer; actual 2025 payments not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Size | Exercise Price | Vesting Schedule | Term | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial non-qualified stock options | 834 shares × months of service in first calendar year | 100% of FMV at grant | Four equal quarterly installments; subject to adjustments | 10 years | None disclosed; time-based vesting |
| Annual non-qualified stock options (each Jan 2) | 10,000 shares | 100% of FMV at grant | Four equal quarterly installments; subject to adjustments | 10 years | None disclosed; time-based vesting |
| Prior policy RSUs (superseded) | Annual RSUs with quarterly time-based vesting | N/A | Time-based | N/A | No performance metrics disclosed |
Committee practice: The Compensation Committee charter allows engagement of independent compensation advisors and oversight of equity-based plans; director remuneration is reviewed for appropriateness .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remington Resources, Inc. | Director, CEO, CFO | Not disclosed | No ISPC-related party transactions in 2024–2023; independence affirmed; audit committee reviews related-party transactions |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise: Board determined Lau is an “audit committee financial expert” with accounting or related financial management expertise .
- Executive leadership: Experience overseeing corporate strategy, operations, and capital markets activities as CEO/CFO .
- Education: Undergraduate degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology .
- Independence: Affirmed under Nasdaq rules; audit committee independence under Rule 10A‑3 .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Approx. % of Class | As-of Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Lau | Nil | 0.00% | November 3, 2025 | Beneficial ownership per Rule 13d‑3 |
| Vested vs. unvested shares | Not disclosed | — | — | Lau was not in 2024 year-end awards table; joined June 2025 |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | Not disclosed for Lau as of 12/31/2024 | — | — | Outstanding awards table lists others; Lau appointed 2025 |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None reported; Nil ownership | — | — | Insider policy prohibits hedging transactions; pledging not specifically disclosed |
Insider Trades
| Date Range | Insider | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-01 to 2025-11-20 | Anthony Lau | No Form 4 transactions found (insider-trades skill run) |
Section 16 compliance: Company indicates Section 16 insiders filed timely for 2024 .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independence formally affirmed; audit committee fully independent per Nasdaq and Rule 10A‑3; Lau designated audit committee financial expert, supporting robust financial oversight .
- Clear committee charters: Audit pre-approves related-party transactions; Compensation can retain independent advisors; Nominating articulates director qualification standards .
- Hedging prohibition for directors, officers, employees strengthens alignment and reduces risk-taking via derivatives .
-
Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Nil beneficial ownership as of Nov 3, 2025 may indicate limited immediate “skin-in-the-game”; monitor 2025–2026 equity grants and any accumulation to assess alignment trajectory .
- Multiple external executive roles (CEO/CFO) at Remington Resources could create time-commitment strain; however, independence is affirmed and no related-party transactions reported for 2024–2023; continue oversight via audit committee related-party review .
- Attendance metrics not disclosed; rely on written-consent actions during 2024—monitor future proxies for attendance rates .
-
Compensation structure signals:
- Director pay mix skews to time-based stock options (10-year term, quarterly vesting) with fixed cash retainers and committee fees; absence of performance metrics lowers pay-for-performance sensitivity for directors but is typical for small-cap boards .
- Policy evolution: RSUs in initial policy, amended policy emphasizes options—track if company shifts back to RSUs or introduces performance-conditioned awards .
-
Related-party and conflicts controls:
- No related-party transactions reported for 2024–2023; audit committee responsible for reviewing/approving any such transactions; directors complete D&O questionnaires to elicit conflicts .
Overall: Lau’s independence, audit chair role, and financial expertise support board effectiveness in financial oversight. Key monitoring items include his future equity accumulation (to enhance alignment) and workload balance given external CEO/CFO duties, with existing governance controls mitigating conflict risk .