Scott Brun
About Scott Brun
Scott Brun, M.D., age 57, has served as an independent director of Jasper Therapeutics since June 2023. He is a physician-executive with two decades at Abbott/AbbVie, including senior R&D leadership and corporate venture roles, and today operates an advisory practice (Gold Mast Consulting) alongside venture and medical advisory posts. He holds a B.S. in Biochemistry (University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign) and an M.D. (Johns Hopkins), with ophthalmology residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. | Corporate VP, Scientific Affairs & Head of AbbVie Ventures | Mar 2016 – Mar 2019 | Led corporate venture investments aligned to R&D areas; senior scientific affairs leadership |
| AbbVie Inc. | Corporate VP & Head of Pharmaceutical Development | Nov 2013 – Mar 2016 | Oversaw global early/late-stage clinical pipeline and marketed compounds across multiple TAs |
| Abbott Laboratories | Various R&D leadership roles | ~1998–2013 (15+ years pre‑AbbVie) | Increasing responsibility in drug development within R&D |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Mast Consulting, LLC | President (founder) | 2019–present |
| Abingworth LLP | Venture Partner | Current |
| Launch Therapeutics | Senior Medical Advisor | Current |
| Forte Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: FBRX) | Director | Current |
| Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: CABA) | Director | Current |
| Axial Biotherapeutics, Inc. (private) | Director | Current |
| Trishula Therapeutics, Inc. (private) | Director | Current |
| Horizon Therapeutics plc | Senior Advisor, BD team | 2020–2023 (prior) |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board class/tenure | Class I; director since 2023; standing for re‑election in 2025 to a term ending 2028 |
| Independence | Independent under Nasdaq rules (Board review) |
| Committees | Compensation Committee – Member; Research & Development Committee – Chair |
| Meeting cadence/attendance | Board held 6 meetings in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings; Comp Committee met 4 times (6 written consents); R&D Committee met 4 times |
| Executive sessions | Independent directors generally meet in executive session after each regular Board meeting |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy/Actual | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer (non‑Chair) | Policy | $40,000 per year |
| Compensation Committee (member) | Policy | $5,000 per year |
| Research & Development Committee (member) | Policy | $6,300 per year |
| 2024 cash fees earned (Scott Brun) | Actual | $56,300 |
Notes: Cash retainers are paid quarterly and prorated if applicable; Jasper reimburses reasonable meeting expenses .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Grant/Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 director option award (aggregate grant-date fair value) | Actual | $161,489 (ASC 718 fair value) |
| Options outstanding (as of 12/31/2024) | Status | 16,900 shares underlying options |
| Standard vesting – annual director grant | Policy | Vests in full on the first anniversary of grant |
| Standard vesting – new director initial grant | Policy | 25% at 1-year anniversary; remainder monthly (1/48) thereafter |
| Policy size (effective 4/19/2024) – initial grant | Policy | 15,000 options at appointment |
| Policy size (effective 4/19/2024) – annual grant | Policy | 7,500 options at each annual meeting |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public boards: Forte Biosciences (FBRX), Cabaletta Bio (CABA) .
- Venture/affiliation overlap: Dr. Brun is a Venture Partner at Abingworth LLP. An Abingworth-affiliated fund (Abingworth Bioventures VII LP) is part of an investor group tied to The Carlyle Group that beneficially owns ~7.1% of Jasper; another Jasper director (Kurt von Emster) is an Abingworth Managing Partner. This creates a potential influence network to monitor, though the Board has determined Dr. Brun is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None; no member has served as an officer, and no executive officer at Jasper served on another entity’s comp committee/board with reciprocal overlap in 2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep R&D leadership across autoimmune, neurology, renal, oncology; led global pharmaceutical development and corporate venture at AbbVie .
- Medical training and clinical background (M.D.; ophthalmology residency at MEEI, Harvard) .
- Current advisory and venture roles support pipeline strategy, portfolio management, and clinical translation expertise; Chairs Jasper’s R&D Committee, providing subject-matter oversight .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | As of | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (options exercisable within 60 days) | Apr 30, 2025 | 12,200 shares; <1% of outstanding (footnote 11) |
| Options outstanding (vested + unvested) | Dec 31, 2024 | 16,900 shares underlying options |
| Pledging/hedging | Policy | Company prohibits director hedging and pledging of company stock |
Governance Assessment
Key findings
- Committee leverage and independence: Dr. Brun sits on Compensation and chairs the R&D Committee—aligning his scientific and development expertise to board oversight; he is deemed independent under Nasdaq standards and met the company’s attendance expectations (≥75%) in 2024. R&D Committee composition includes a non‑independent director (Dr. Shizuru) due to a legacy consulting arrangement, suggesting attention to potential perceived conflicts in R&D deliberations is prudent .
- Ownership alignment: Direct beneficial stake is modest (<1%); alignment relies primarily on annual option grants. Company policy bans hedging/pledging, which supports shareholder alignment and risk control .
- Pay structure for directors: Cash/equity mix is standard for small-cap biotech; in 2024, Brun’s mix skewed toward options (cash $56.3k, equity grant-date value $161.5k), keeping most pay at-risk via equity value. No meeting fees; retainers and equity grants follow disclosed policy .
- Potential interlocks/related parties: Abingworth affiliations (Brun and von Emster) and Carlyle/Abingworth’s shareholder presence (~7.1%) are notable; while Jasper’s board independence determinations stand, investors may monitor for any transactions requiring related‑party review. Compensation Committee reports no interlocks; a related‑party consulting agreement exists with director Dr. Shizuru (separate from Brun) .
- Risk indicators: No director hedging/pledging permitted; board holds executive sessions; Compensation Committee uses an independent consultant (Alpine) with no conflicts found. These are positive governance signals .
RED FLAGS to monitor
- Influence network: Abingworth/Carlyle ownership and multiple touchpoints (venture partner/director links) may concentrate influence; ensure robust recusals and Related Person Transaction policy enforcement if matters involve affiliated entities .
- R&D Committee composition: Inclusion of a non‑independent director with a paid consulting agreement (Dr. Shizuru) could create perception risk; ensure committee processes and board oversight mitigate conflicts in scientific prioritization .
Supporting references
- Board structure, independence, committees, attendance and executive sessions .
- Director biography, external boards/roles, education .
- Director compensation policy and 2024 director compensation table .
- Beneficial ownership and significant holders .
- Insider trading policy (pledging/hedging prohibition) .
- Related‑party transaction disclosure and policy .
