Christy Oliger
Karyopharm TherapeuticsAbout Christy J. Oliger
Christy J. Oliger (age 55) has served on Karyopharm’s Board since August 2020. She is a seasoned biopharma executive with 20+ years at Genentech, most recently SVP, Oncology Business Unit (2017–2020), and previously SVP, Neuroscience & Rare Disease (2014–2017), with earlier senior roles in commercial and R&D portfolio management; she holds a BA in Economics from UC Santa Barbara . Her current external board roles include Vera Therapeutics (2024–), Lava Therapeutics (2023–), Replimune (2021–), and Nuvalent (2025–) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genentech, Inc. | SVP, Oncology Business Unit | 2017–Aug 2020 | Led U.S. oncology commercial; broad therapeutic leadership |
| Genentech, Inc. | SVP, Neuroscience & Rare Disease Business Unit | 2014–2017 | Senior commercial leadership in neuro/rare disease |
| Genentech, Inc. | Various senior roles incl. Roche global portfolio management | Prior years (2000–2020) | Led portfolio management function; broad commercial/R&D roles |
| Schering-Plough | Management positions | Prior to Genentech | Early commercial leadership foundation |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees/Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vera Therapeutics (VERA) | Director | Apr 2024–present | Nominating & Corporate Governance member; Chair, Commercialization Committee |
| Lava Therapeutics (LVTX) | Director | Mar 2023–present | Audit; Nominating & Corporate Governance |
| Replimune (REPL) | Director | Dec 2021–present | R&D Committee; Chair, Compensation Committee and Steering Committee |
| Nuvalent (NUVL) | Director | 2025–present | Board appointment announced; committees not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments at Karyopharm: Member, Compensation Committee; Chair, Commercialization & Portfolio Committee .
- Independence: Board determined all directors except the CEO (Paulson) are independent; Compensation Committee members (incl. Oliger) meet SEC/Nasdaq independence standards .
- Attendance: The Board met 8 times in 2024; each incumbent director attended ≥75% of Board and applicable committee meetings .
- Board structure: Barry E. Greene is Lead Independent Director (since 2015) and presides over executive sessions .
- Director service limits: Non-CEO directors may not serve on more than five public company boards (Oliger currently holds five, reaching the guideline threshold) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Director Policy Amounts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board Annual Cash Retainer | $50,000 | For all non-employee directors |
| Lead Independent Director Additional Retainer | $35,000 | If applicable |
| Committee Chair (each) | $20,000 | Includes Commercialization & Portfolio |
| Committee Member (non-chair) | $10,000 | e.g., Compensation Committee |
| Annual Stock Option Award (shares) | 4,600 | Amended Mar 2024 |
| Initial Stock Option Award (shares) | 9,200 | For new directors |
| Director | Cash Fees (2024) | Option Awards (Grant-date FV) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christy J. Oliger | $80,000 | $46,078 | $126,078 |
| Outstanding options (as of 12/31/2024) | — | 12,238 shares | — |
Key terms: Options are issued at FMV on grant date, 10-year term; annual grant vests in full on first anniversary; initial grant vests 1/3 at year 1, then monthly over years 2–3 .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Shares/Value | Vesting | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Stock Option (2024) | 4,600 shares; $46,078 FV | 100% at first anniversary | FMV exercise price; 10-year expiry |
| Initial Director Stock Option (for new directors) | 9,200 shares | 1/3 at year 1; 1/36 monthly to year 3 | FMV exercise price; 10-year expiry |
Notes:
- Karyopharm’s plan emphasizes pay-for-performance and broad-based equity for employees; PSUs are used for employees (2023–2024), but director compensation is primarily cash plus options (no director PSUs disclosed) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Organization | Role | Potential Interlock/Overlap |
|---|---|---|
| Vera Therapeutics | Director; Commercialization Chair | Therapeutic area overlap with biopharma; no KPTI related-party transactions disclosed |
| Replimune | Director; Comp Chair & Steering Committee | Oncology sector overlap; independent director role |
| Lava Therapeutics | Director; Audit & Nominating | Oncology/IO focus; independent; LVTX options granted per Form 3 |
| Nuvalent | Director | Appointment announced; no securities beneficially owned at filing |
Karyopharm explicitly reviews and approves related-person transactions via Audit Committee; notable related-party consulting at Karyopharm involves Dr. Mirza (not Oliger) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep commercial leadership in oncology, neurology, rare disease; led major product launches at Genentech .
- Portfolio management expertise (Roche/Genentech), aligning R&D and commercialization .
- Active governance experience across multiple public biotechs; committee leadership (compensation, commercialization) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | As-of Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christy J. Oliger (KPTI) | 114,600 | <1% | Nov 30, 2024 |
| Outstanding Options (KPTI) | 12,238 shares | — | Dec 31, 2024 |
Additional alignment safeguards:
- Company prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock by directors and officers .
- Reverse stock split: 1-for-15 effective Feb 25, 2025; ownership figures above reflect pre-split counts and should be interpreted in that context .
Insider Filings (Section 16)
| Date | Issuer | Filing | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2020 | Karyopharm (KPTI) | Form 3 | Initial statement; “No securities are beneficially owned” at filing |
| Jan 2, 2025 | Lava Therapeutics (LVTX) | Form 3 | Director options: 20,000 @ $2.10 (fully vested); 33,390 @ $1.59 (vesting Jan 19, 2025) |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Nuvalent (NUVL) | Form 3 | Initial statement; “No securities are beneficially owned” at filing |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; active committee leadership (Commercialization Chair), experience aligning R&D and commercial strategy; adherence to anti-hedging/pledging and robust equity plan governance (no repricing, double-trigger acceleration, clawback) .
- Engagement: ≥75% meeting attendance in 2024; service across key committees (Compensation at KPTI; compensation leadership at REPL) supports governance depth .
- Potential watch items: Board service concentration—currently at the KPTI guideline limit of five public boards, which may raise time-commitment considerations; however, company policy limits are observed and independence affirmed .
- Related-party conflicts: None disclosed for Oliger at KPTI; known related-party consulting pertains to another director (Dr. Mirza), and is governed under formal policies .
Equity Plan Governance Features: No evergreen; minimum vesting; clawback; no discounted options; no dividend equivalents on options/SARs; no liberal share recycling; no option/SAR repricing without shareholder approval; double-trigger vesting on change of control .
Compensation Committee practice: Utilizes independent consultants (Compensia through Apr 27, 2024; Alpine from Apr 28, 2024), with independence assessed and no conflicts noted .