Arphing (Tommy) Lee
About Arphing (Tommy) Lee
Arphing (Tommy) Lee, 34, was appointed an independent director of iSpecimen Inc. on November 7, 2025. He is a professional engineer (P.Eng) with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mining and Mineral Processing Engineering from the University of British Columbia and a background in operational excellence, mining engineering, and management consulting across technology, energy, and resources sectors .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuse Advisors (Canada) | Project Manager / Senior Technical Consultant – Management Operating Systems | Mar 2025 – Present | Designs/implements integrated management operating systems |
| Accenture | Mining & Natural Resources Manager | May 2024 – Mar 2025 | Led large-scale transformation engagements |
| Accenture | Mining & Natural Resources Consultant | Aug 2022 – May 2024 | Operations and strategy consulting |
| AMC Consultants | Senior Mining Engineer | Sep 2021 – Aug 2022 | Technical mining advisory |
| ABH Engineering | Senior Mining Engineer | Mar 2021 – Sep 2021 | Mine engineering services |
| Baffinland Iron Mines | Short- & Mid-Range Mine Planner | Nov 2018 – Sep 2021 | Mine planning |
| Imperial Oil; Barrick Gold | Engineering roles | Not disclosed | Early career mining/energy roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UBC Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering | Advisor, Mining Industry Advisory Council (IAC) | May 2023 – Present | Academic/industry advisory role |
Board Governance
- Independence: Appointed as an independent director on Nov 7, 2025 .
- Committees: Member, Audit Committee; Member, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Board structure: Classified board (three classes) .
- Class/Term: Class I nominee with term running to the 2028 annual meeting if elected (company disclosure enumerates Class I term through 2028) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Registered professional engineer (P.Eng); B.A.Sc. Mining & Mineral Processing Engineering (UBC) .
- Expertise in operational excellence, management operating systems, mining engineering, and corporate strategy; experience leading multidisciplinary transformation initiatives .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned | 0 (Nil) |
| Percent of class | 0.00% |
| Initial Section 16 filing | Form 3 filed 11/19/2025 states “No securities are beneficially owned.” |
| Hedging policy | Directors, officers, employees prohibited from hedging company stock |
| Related-party/pledging | Company reports no related-party transactions (see below); no pledging policy disclosed in filings reviewed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- The company’s director biography lists consulting and engineering roles and an academic advisory seat; it does not list any other current public company directorships for Mr. Lee .
Related-Party Transactions and Independence
- Company policy and disclosures state no related-party transactions since Jan 1, 2022 (special meeting proxy) and none for fiscal years 2023–2024 (annual meeting preliminary proxy); audit committee is responsible for related-party review under charter .
- Mr. Lee’s appointment as an “independent director” is explicitly stated in the 8-K .
Governance Assessment
- Positives:
- Independence and immediate placement on Audit and Nominating/Governance committees bolster board oversight capacity .
- No related-party transactions disclosed; formal prohibition on director/officer/employee hedging supports alignment with shareholders .
- Technical and operational systems expertise may improve process rigor and cost discipline in oversight .
- Watch items / potential red flags:
- New appointee with no equity ownership as of Form 3 and beneficial ownership table; low “skin in the game” until equity is granted or purchased, which may limit alignment signals in near term .
- Classified board structure can entrench directors and may be viewed unfavorably by some investors from a governance perspective .
Board and Committee Snapshot
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent Director |
| Committees | Audit; Nominating & Corporate Governance |
| Committee chair roles | None disclosed for Mr. Lee |
| Years of service | Appointed Nov 7, 2025 (new director) |
| Attendance | Not disclosed (recent appointment) |
| Board classification | Classified (three classes) |
Notes on Compensation Disclosures
- Recent ISPC filings reviewed (Nov 7, 2025 8-K; Nov 10, 2025 PRER14A; Oct 14, 2025 special meeting DEF 14A) do not provide director-specific compensation details for Mr. Lee (e.g., cash retainer, committee fees, equity grant amounts). The PRER14A does propose a 2025 Stock Incentive Plan for broader equity awards but does not enumerate Mr. Lee’s award amounts . Accordingly, fixed and performance compensation details for Mr. Lee are not disclosed in the cited documents.
Source Citations
- Appointment/Independence/Committees: 8-K (Nov 7, 2025)
- Biographical details and education: PRER14A (Nov 10, 2025)
- Age and roster: PRER14A (Nov 10, 2025)
- Class/Term and board structure: PRER14A (Nov 10, 2025)
- Beneficial ownership: PRER14A (Nov 10, 2025) ; Form 3 (Nov 19, 2025)
- Hedging policy: DEF 14A (Oct 14, 2025, special meeting)
- Related-party transactions: DEF 14A (Oct 14, 2025) ; PRER14A (Nov 10, 2025)
- Stock plan proposal reference: PRER14A (Nov 10, 2025)