Barry Greene
Karyopharm TherapeuticsAbout Barry E. Greene
Barry E. Greene (age 61) has served on Karyopharm’s Board since 2013 and as Lead Independent Director since 2015. He is currently CEO of Sage Therapeutics (since December 2020) and previously served as President of Alnylam (2007–September 2020) and COO (2003–2016). Greene holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and was a Senior Scholar at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals | President; COO | 2007–Sep 2020; 2003–2016 | Grew and led commercial and operations; drug development leadership |
| Millennium Pharmaceuticals | General Manager, Oncology | Prior to 2001 | Oncology business leadership |
| Mediconsult.com | EVP & Chief Business Officer | Pre-2001 | Commercial strategy |
| AstraZeneca (formerly AstraMerck) | VP Marketing & Customer Services; VP Strategic Integration | Pre-2001 | Post-merger integration; commercial leadership |
| Andersen Consulting | Partner | Pre-2001 | Consulting expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sage Therapeutics (public) | CEO; Director | Dec 2020–present; Director since Oct 2020 | Current public company directorship; CEO commitments |
| BCLS Acquisition Corp (SPAC) | Director | Oct 2020–Oct 2022 | Prior public board |
| Acorda Therapeutics (public) | Director; Compensation Committee member | 2007–Aug 2021 | Prior public board; comp committee service |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Greene is independent under Nasdaq rules; all members of the Compensation Committee (Greene is a member) and Nominating, Corporate Governance & Compliance Committee (Greene is Chair) meet independence standards .
- Lead Independent Director: As Lead Independent Director, Greene serves as liaison with the CEO, presides over executive sessions, shapes agendas, and coordinates information flow to the Board .
- Committee assignments: Chair of Nominating, Corporate Governance & Compliance; member of Compensation; not on Audit .
- Attendance: The Board met eight times in 2024; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings during his/her service period .
- Overboarding limits: As a public-company CEO, policy limits service on no more than two other public boards; general directors may serve on no more than five. Greene’s disclosed roles conform to this policy .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (2024) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer | $50,000 | Non-employee directors |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $35,000 | Additional retainer |
| Compensation Committee member retainer | $10,000 | Non-chair member |
| Nominating, Corporate Governance & Compliance Committee chair retainer | $20,000 | Chair fee |
| Total Cash Fees Received (Barry Greene) | $115,000 | Matches retainer structure above |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Grant | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting | Exercise/Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual stock option award | 4,600 shares (May 29, 2024) | $46,078 | Vests in full on 1st anniversary | Exercise price = FMV at grant; 10-year expiration |
| Outstanding options (as of 12/31/2024) | 16,409 shares | — | Per original schedules | — |
Performance metrics for director equity: None; director options are time-based and not tied to revenue/EBITDA/TSR measures. Options are granted at or above fair market value and subject to minimum 1-year vesting, no repricing without shareholder approval, and double-trigger change-in-control treatment under the 2022 Plan .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | Sage Therapeutics (CEO; Director) |
| Prior public boards | BCLS Acquisition Corp (2020–2022); Acorda Therapeutics (to Aug 2021; Compensation Committee) |
| Related-party transactions | No transactions involving Greene are disclosed in the “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions” section of the 2025 proxy . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep commercialization and operational experience across biopharma, with successful leadership in bringing drugs through development and commercialization .
- Governance leadership as Lead Independent Director; committee leadership in compliance and governance oversight .
- Educational grounding in engineering and advanced business scholarship, supporting strategic integration and operational rigor .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Dec 31, 2024 | Apr 10, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | — | 16,650; <1% of shares outstanding |
| Common shares owned | — | 907 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | — | 15,743 |
| Outstanding options (disclosed) | 16,409 | — |
| Hedging/pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging (limited exceptions require approvals); no pledging by Greene disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status, Lead Independent Director role with strong liaison and agenda-setting responsibilities; chairs Nominating/Governance & Compliance; member of Compensation Committee .
- Engagement: Board met eight times in 2024; all incumbents achieved ≥75% attendance; Greene presides over executive sessions, indicating active governance involvement .
- Alignment: Director pay mixes cash with at-risk equity (options), capped under plan limits; options granted at FMV with minimum vesting, clawback applicability to plan awards, and no repricing without shareholder approval .
- Risk considerations: CEO commitments at Sage require monitoring for time demands, though the company’s overboarding policy sets limits and Greene’s disclosed roles comply with those limits .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, or delinquent Section 16 filings for Greene; the proxy notes one late Form 3 by another individual, not Greene .
Compensation consultants for executive and director pay were assessed for independence (Compensia through April 27, 2024; Alpine beginning April 28, 2024), supporting process integrity .