Diane Parks
Kura OncologyAbout Diane Parks
Diane Parks, 72, is an independent director of Kura Oncology, serving on the Board since October 2019; she holds an M.B.A. from Georgia State University and a B.S. from Kansas State University, and brings senior commercial oncology leadership experience from Kite Pharma, Pharmacyclics, Amgen, and Genentech . Her background includes leading the U.S. commercial launch of Yescarta at Kite and the global marketing launch of Imbruvica at Pharmacyclics, underscoring deep commercialization and launch execution expertise in oncology therapeutics .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kite Pharma (acq. by Gilead) | SVP, Head of U.S. Commercial; led Yescarta launch | 2016–2018 | Led strategic planning and commercial launch execution for first CAR-T approved for large B-cell lymphoma |
| Pharmacyclics (acq. by AbbVie) | VP, Head of Global Marketing; Imbruvica launch | 2014–2015 | Responsible for marketing strategy and global launch of Imbruvica |
| Amgen | VP, Sales (Hospital and Nephrology) | 2007–2014 | Led hospital and nephrology sales teams |
| Genentech (acq. by Roche) | Roles culminating in SVP, Specialty Biotherapeutics & Managed Care | 1999–2005 | Oversaw specialty biotherapeutics and managed care functions |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soligenix, Inc. (public) | Director | Since 2019 | Ongoing board service |
| Celularity Inc. (public) | Director | Since June 2022 | Ongoing board service |
| Calliditas Therapeutics AB (public) | Director (former) | 2019–Aug 2024 | Board tenure ended upon acquisition by Asahi Kasei Corp. in Aug 2024 |
| CTI BioPharma Corp. (public) | Director (former) | Aug 2021–Jun 2023 | Board tenure ended upon acquisition by Sobi in Jun 2023 |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2024): Compensation Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member; not on the Audit Committee .
- Committee chairs: Mary T. Szela (Compensation Chair); Thomas Malley (Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair); Carol Schafer (Audit Chair); Faheem Hasnain serves as Lead Independent Director .
- Independence: Board determined committee members (including Parks) meet Nasdaq independence requirements; Compensation Committee members are non‑employee directors under Rule 16b‑3 .
- Attendance: The Board held 11 meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings for which they served .
| Committee | Member | Chair | 2024 Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | No | — | 4 |
| Compensation | Yes | No | 5 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Yes | No | 4 |
Fixed Compensation (Non‑Employee Director)
| Metric (FY2024) | Diane Parks |
|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash ($) | $52,500 |
| Option awards (grant date fair value, $) | $341,071 |
| Total ($) | $393,571 |
| Director Compensation Policy (Amended Dec 2024) | Amount / Terms |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $45,000 (increased from $40,000) |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $27,500 |
| Committee member retainers | Audit: $10,000; Compensation: $7,500; Nominating: $5,000 |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit Chair: $10,000; Compensation Chair: $7,500; Nominating Chair: $5,000 |
| Compensation cap per annual period | $750,000 (or $1,000,000 if first year on Board), measured by grant date fair value for equity |
| Repricing prohibition (2014 Plan) | No repricing/cash-out of options without shareholder approval |
Performance Compensation (Equity Structure for Directors)
| Equity Component | Terms |
|---|---|
| Initial option grant | 57,000 shares upon appointment (increased from 52,000 in Dec 2024); vests annually over 3 years |
| Annual option grant | 28,500 shares at each annual meeting (increased from 26,000 in Dec 2024); vests fully after 1 year; prorated for mid‑cycle appointees |
| Vesting conditions | Continuous service required; full vesting upon change of control under 2014 Plan |
| Option term and post‑termination | 10‑year term; 12‑month post‑termination exercise window unless termination for cause or due to death/disability |
Compensation Committee process and advisors: The Committee engaged Alpine Rewards LLC in Sept 2023 to review peer group and market practices for setting 2024 executive compensation; the Committee determined Alpine Rewards was independent under applicable Nasdaq rules .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: Soligenix (since 2019); Celularity (since June 2022) .
- Prior public boards: Calliditas (2019–Aug 2024, acquisition by Asahi Kasei); CTI BioPharma (Aug 2021–Jun 2023, acquisition by Sobi) .
- Interlocks: No Compensation Committee interlocks; no member was an officer/employee in 2024; no relationships requiring related‑person transaction disclosure; no executive officer of Kura served on another company’s board/comp committee where a Kura director or officer served .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Oncology commercialization and launch leadership (CAR‑T Yescarta at Kite; Imbruvica at Pharmacyclics) .
- Senior commercial leadership across large biopharma (sales leadership at Amgen; SVP Specialty Biotherapeutics & Managed Care at Genentech) .
- Education: M.B.A., Georgia State University; B.S., Kansas State University .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Detail (as of Mar 31, 2025 unless noted) | Diane Parks |
|---|---|
| Beneficially owned shares | 133,666 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Options outstanding (12/31/2024) | 159,666 shares subject to options |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Hedging, pledging, short sales, and options transactions are prohibited for directors and officers under the insider trading policy |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with commercialization expertise directly relevant to Kura’s oncology strategy; active on Compensation and Nominating & Governance committees .
- Board reports 100% of directors met the 75% attendance threshold in 2024, indicating baseline engagement .
- No related‑person transactions involving Parks disclosed; Compensation Committee interlocks not present .
- Director equity awards fully vest on change of control, aligning director incentives with transaction outcomes; options not subject to repricing without shareholder approval .
- Anti‑hedging and anti‑pledging policy supports alignment with shareholders .
-
Watch items
- Director pay levels increased in Dec 2024 (cash retainer + annual option share counts), which elevates overall board compensation; compensation is subject to an annual cap ($750k/$1,000k first year) .
- Multiple external public company directorships (Soligenix, Celularity) increase time commitments; no conflicts disclosed, but ongoing monitoring of potential competitive overlaps is prudent .
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RED FLAGS
- None disclosed regarding related‑party transactions, option repricings, pledging/hedging, or low attendance for 2024 .