Mary Szela
Kura OncologyAbout Mary T. Szela
Independent director at Kura Oncology since November 2018. Age 61. CEO and President of TriSalus Life Sciences, Inc. (public medical device) since 2018; prior CEO roles at Aegerion/Novelion (2016–2017) and Melinta Therapeutics (2013–2015). Earlier senior leadership at Abbott Laboratories; education: B.S. in Nursing and M.B.A., University of Illinois . The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under Nasdaq listing standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aegerion Pharmaceuticals / Novelion Therapeutics | Chief Executive Officer and Director | 2016–2017 | Led merger creating Novelion; CEO through 2017 |
| Melinta Therapeutics | Chief Executive Officer | 2013–2015 | Led antibiotic development company |
| Abbott Laboratories | SVP, Global Strategic Marketing; SVP, U.S. Pharmaceuticals | 2010–2012; 2008–2009 | Senior commercial leadership |
| University of Illinois Hospital | Early career | n/a | Healthcare operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TriSalus Life Sciences, Inc. (public) | CEO, President, and Director | 2018–present | Medical device company |
| Omega Therapeutics, Inc. (public) | Director | 2019–present | Biotechnology |
| Sail Biomedicines, Inc. (private) | Director | Oct 2020–present | Therapeutic platform company |
| Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (public) | Director | 2014–Aug 2021 | Prior public board |
| Prometheus Biosciences, Inc. (public) | Director | Feb 2021–Jun 2023 | Acquired by Merck in 2023 |
| Alimera Sciences, Inc. (public) | Director | 2018–Jun 2021 | Prior public board |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments (2024): Audit Committee member; Compensation Committee Chair. Committee meeting counts in 2024: Audit (4), Compensation (5), Nominating & Corporate Governance (4) .
- Independence: Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules; includes Ms. Szela .
- Attendance: Board met 11 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings for their service period .
- Lead Independent Director: Faheem Hasnain; independent directors regularly meet in executive sessions .
- Compensation Committee oversight: As Chair, Ms. Szela co-signed the Compensation Committee Report; the company’s 2024 say‑on‑pay received ~92% support, a signal of investor alignment with compensation practices .
Fixed Compensation (Non-Employee Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $65,000 | As reported for Ms. Szela |
| Option Awards (grant date fair value, ASC 718) | $341,071 | As reported for Ms. Szela |
| Total | $406,071 | Sum of cash plus option value |
Director compensation policy (amended Dec 2024): annual cash retainer $45,000; Lead Independent Director $27,500; committee member retainers — Audit $10,000, Compensation $7,500, Nominating $5,000; committee chair retainers — Audit $10,000, Compensation $7,500, Nominating $5,000. Equity: initial option 57,000 shares (three-year annual vesting); annual option 28,500 shares (one-year vesting). Non-employee director annual compensation cap: $750,000 (or $1,000,000 in first year on Board), measured by grant date fair value plus cash .
Governance safeguards tied to compensation:
- No option repricing without stockholder approval; no “evergreen”; no liberal share recycling; dividends not paid on unvested shares; clawback policies adopted Apr 4, 2023 and Oct 17, 2023 (SEC 10D-1/Nasdaq compliant) .
- “What we don’t do” includes no hedging or pledging in company securities .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Annual Grant Size | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonstatutory Stock Options (standard director grant) | 28,500 shares | Vest in full after one year | None specified for director grants (time-based), per policy description |
Note: Kura’s equity plan permits performance-based awards for employees; director equity grants disclosed are time-based options, not tied to performance metrics .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public boards: TriSalus (CEO/Director), Omega Therapeutics (Director). Prior public boards: Coherus, Prometheus, Alimera .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None disclosed; no member of Kura’s Compensation Committee was an officer/employee; no interlocking relationships with other issuers’ executive officers were reported .
- Related-party transactions oversight resides with the Audit Committee under a formal policy; the “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” section lists executive employment/separation and equity awards, with no additional related-party transactions described for directors beyond standard compensation .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board skills matrix flags Ms. Szela for General Management, Financial, M&A, Scientific Research, Drug Development, Drug Commercialization, Operations, and Other Public Company Board Service .
Equity Ownership
| Metric (as of 3/31/2025 or 12/31/2024 where noted) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (# shares) | 145,583 (all via options exercisable within 60 days) |
| Beneficial ownership (% of outstanding) | <1% |
| Outstanding stock options held (12/31/2024) | 171,583 options |
Alignment notes: The company highlights clawback policies and prohibition on hedging/pledging, supporting alignment with stockholders .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and independence: Independent director with dual committee roles (Audit member, Compensation Chair); independence affirmed; attendance threshold met; independent directors meet in executive session — supports robust oversight .
- Compensation governance: As Compensation Chair, she oversees policies that earned ~92% say‑on‑pay support in 2024; director pay is capped, equity is time‑based with anti‑repricing protections and clawback coverage — favorable for investor confidence .
- Conflicts/related‑party exposure: No compensation committee interlocks; related‑party transaction oversight is formalized, and no additional related‑party dealings are described beyond standard compensation and equity awards — low conflict signal based on disclosures .
- Ownership and incentives: Beneficial ownership primarily via vested options; policy prohibits hedging/pledging; ownership level is <1% due to company size, typical for small/mid-cap biotech directors .
- Risk indicators: None disclosed related to legal proceedings or red‑flag pay practices; equity plan avoids repricing and “evergreen” features; change‑in‑control treatment does not automatically accelerate awards (acceleration contingent on assumption/treatment and agreement terms) .
- Monitoring item (time commitments): Ms. Szela serves as CEO of TriSalus and on an external public board (Omega) in addition to Kura; while 2024 attendance met requirements, investors may monitor ongoing bandwidth given leadership duties across organizations .