Anula Jayasuriya
Jaguar HealthAbout Anula Jayasuriya
Independent Class III director at Jaguar Health (JAGX), age 67 as of May 13, 2024; joined the board in July 2022. Founder & Managing Director of EXXclaim Capital; extensive healthcare investing and operating background; current public company directorship at Lineage Cell Therapeutics (NYSE: LCTX) since May 2021. Education: BA Harvard (summa cum laude), M.Phil. Pharmacology (Cambridge), MD/PhD (Harvard Medical School), MBA (Harvard Business School, with distinction). Independence affirmed by JAGX board under Nasdaq standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXXclaim Capital | Founder & Managing Director | 2013–present | Healthcare investing leadership |
| Lineage Cell Therapeutics (NYSE: LCTX) | Director | May 2021–present | Public company board experience |
| Evolvence India Life Science Fund | Co-founder; Fund Manager | 2006–Jul 2017 | Life sciences VC leadership |
| Skyline Ventures | Partner | 2001–2002 | Venture investing |
| TVM (German/US VC) | Partner | Prior to 2001 | Venture investing |
| Genomics Collaborative, Inc. | VP, Business Development | 1999–2000 | BD leadership |
| Hoffmann-La Roche | VP, Global Drug Development | 1994–1998 | Global drug development leadership |
| Syntex Laboratories | Director, Outcomes Research | Prior to 1994 | Outcomes research |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lineage Cell Therapeutics (NYSE: LCTX) | Director | May 2021 | Current public company board |
| EXXclaim Capital | Founder & Managing Director | 2013 | Healthcare-focused venture platform |
Board Governance
- Board classification: Class III director (staggered board); term cycles: 2024 (Class III), 2025 (Class I), 2026 (Class II) .
- Committee assignments (as of March 31, 2024): Not listed on Audit, Compensation, or Nominating committees; committee members are Bochnowski, Micek, Siegel (Audit); Bochnowski, Siegel (Compensation); Bochnowski, Micek (Nominating) .
- Independence: Board determined that Jayasuriya (and Bochnowski, Micek, Siegel) are independent under Nasdaq rules; audit, compensation, and nominating committees comprised of independent directors .
- Attendance: Board held 28 meetings in 2023; each director participated in 75% or more of board and committee meetings during their service period .
- Policy: Company prohibits hedging and pledging of JAGX securities without pre-approval; no exceptions approved in the last fiscal year .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | — | 20,000 | 40,000 |
| Stock Awards ($) | — | — | 37,605 |
| Option Awards ($) | — | — | — |
| Total ($) | — | 20,000 | 77,605 |
Notes:
- Company discloses director compensation annually; CEO receives no additional director pay .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Vesting | Grant-Date/Exercise Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSU | Jul 2, 2022 | 1,718 | Vests 1 year from grant, contingent on sufficient authorized shares | |
| RSU | Apr 2023 | 1,718 | Fully vested Jul 2023 | |
| RSU | Aug 2023 | 68,568 | Vests annually over next two years | |
| Stock Awards (2023) | — | — | — | $37,605 aggregate grant-date market value |
| Stock Options (beneficially exercisable within 60 days) | — | 840 | Exercisable or becomes exercisable within 60 days of Oct 31, 2025 | Weighted avg exercise price $32.25 |
Notes:
- No option awards disclosed for Jayasuriya in 2021–2023; RSUs granted under the 2014 Plan with time-based vesting .
- The 2014 Plan includes an evergreen provision; equity awards administered by the Compensation Committee; no consultant retained in 2023 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Lineage Cell Therapeutics (NYSE: LCTX) | Director | None disclosed by JAGX; independence affirmed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep healthcare and life sciences expertise across global drug development (Roche), outcomes research (Syntex), business development (Genomics Collaborative), and venture capital leadership (TVM, Skyline, Evolvence India, EXXclaim) .
- Strong academic credentials: Harvard College BA (summa), Cambridge M.Phil. Pharmacology, Harvard MD/PhD, Harvard MBA (with distinction) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Feb 18, 2025 | Oct 31, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Common Stock Beneficially Owned (shares) | 1,170; no options exercisable within 60 days | |
| Common Stock Beneficially Owned (table line) | 1,170; “*” denotes <1% | |
| Direct Common Shares (footnote detail) | — | 46 |
| Options/derivatives exercisable within 60 days | — | 840; weighted avg exercise price $32.25 |
| Beneficial Ownership % (table) | “*” (less than 1%) | “*” (less than 1%) |
Notes:
- Share counts reflect significant corporate actions (reverse splits, financing) across periods; director ownership remains below 1% .
- Company policy prohibits pledging/hedging without pre-approval; no exceptions approved last fiscal year .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and attendance: Independent status under Nasdaq rules and ≥75% meeting participation in 2023 support baseline governance quality; however, lack of committee assignments limits direct influence over audit/compensation/nominating oversight .
- Compensation mix: Director pay balanced between cash ($40k in 2023) and equity RSUs ($37.6k), primarily time-based vesting—reasonable alignment, but absence of performance-linked metrics (typical for directors) means alignment relies on share price exposure rather than KPIs .
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership remains de minimis (<1%); presence of small, high-strike options and time-vested RSUs provides exposure but limited “skin-in-the-game” signal versus large holders; hedging/pledging restrictions are a positive governance control .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Board independence determination and lack of disclosed exceptions under insider policies mitigate conflict risk; no specific related-party transactions tied to Jayasuriya are highlighted in the proxy sections referenced .
- RED FLAGS: Limited committee participation reduces oversight leverage; very low ownership percentage amid frequent capital structure changes may weaken perceived alignment. Counterweights include strong credentials and external public company board experience .