Mark Bachleda
About Mark J. Bachleda
Independent Class I director of Lyell Immunopharma since June 9, 2025; currently CEO and director of Eyconis, Inc. (ophthalmology). 25+ years of biopharma leadership with commercialization and cell therapy expertise at Amgen, Juno Therapeutics, Celgene/BMS, and Galera Therapeutics; Pharm.D. (UIC), post-doctoral fellowship (Thomas Jefferson University), dual MBAs (Columbia, UC Berkeley) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Myers Squibb (formerly Celgene) | VP & U.S. Business Unit Head, CAR T Therapy Franchise | Not disclosed | Led U.S. CAR T commercialization strategy . |
| Juno Therapeutics | VP, Sales & Account Management | Not disclosed | Commercial leadership through Celgene acquisition . |
| Amgen | Country President & GM, Amgen Czech Republic; various roles | Not disclosed | International P&L leadership . |
| Galera Therapeutics | Chief Commercial Officer | Not disclosed | Built commercial infrastructure . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Relevance/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eyconis, Inc. (private) | Chief Executive Officer and Director | Appointed Sept 19, 2024 | Ophthalmology therapeutics; no disclosed dealings with Lyell; minimizes direct conflict risk . |
Board Governance
- Appointment and class: Board expanded from 7 to 8; appointed Class I director with term through 2028 annual meeting .
- Independence: Appointed specifically as an independent director .
- Committees: Not assigned at appointment; will receive retainer for any committee he is later appointed to .
- Attendance context: Board met 8 times in 2024; all directors except Mr. Nelsen attended ≥75% of meetings/committees (baseline governance cadence) .
Fixed Compensation
Lyell’s Updated Non‑Employee Director Compensation Policy (effective June 2024) applies to Bachleda, adjusted for the 1‑for‑20 reverse split effective May 30, 2025.
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (non‑chair) | $50,000 | Cash retainer . |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $80,000 | Not applicable to Bachleda unless designated . |
| Board Chair retainer | $85,000 | Not applicable unless designated . |
| Committee Chair retainers | Audit $20,000; Comp $15,000; Nominating $10,000 | Cash retainers . |
| Committee member retainers | Audit $10,000; Comp $7,500; Nominating $5,000 | Cash retainers . |
Performance Compensation
Director equity is option-based and time-vested (no performance metrics). Grants and vesting:
| Grant Type | Size/Value | Vesting Terms | Change-in-Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial appointment option | Lesser of Black‑Scholes $500,000 or 260,000 shares; adjusted for 1‑for‑20 reverse split | 36 equal monthly installments from appointment date, contingent on service . | |
| Annual option (at each annual meeting) | Lesser of Black‑Scholes $300,000 or 130,000 shares; adjusted for 1‑for‑20 reverse split | 100% vest on earlier of next annual meeting or first anniversary, contingent on service . | |
| CIC acceleration | All outstanding director equity fully vests immediately prior to closing | Continuous service required until immediately prior to CIC . |
Reverse split: policy grants are “as adjusted” for Lyell’s 1‑for‑20 reverse split effective May 30, 2025 . Pre‑split share caps equate to smaller post‑split share counts; Black‑Scholes value caps remain unchanged .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards: None disclosed; Eyconis is private .
- Notable network intersections: Prior Juno/Celgene/BMS cell therapy leadership complements Lyell’s late‑stage CAR T trajectory; no disclosed shared current directorships with Lyell suppliers/customers .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain: Cell therapy commercialization, late‑stage development, and global biopharma operations .
- Education: Pharm.D. (University of Illinois Chicago); post‑doctoral fellowship in health policy/economics (Thomas Jefferson University); MBAs (Columbia University; UC Berkeley) .
Equity Ownership
- Beneficial ownership: Not disclosed for Bachleda in the 2025 proxy (ownership table as of March 31, 2025 predates his June 2025 appointment) .
- Alignment policies: Hedging, pledging, short‑term speculative transactions prohibited for directors under Insider Trading Policy .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Adds deep commercial cell therapy experience as Lyell initiates pivotal trials and prepares for commercial launch of dual‑target CAR T (company cites late‑stage transition) .
- Independence & conflicts: Independent status; CEO role at Eyconis (ophthalmology) is outside Lyell’s oncology cell therapy focus; no related‑party transactions disclosed; low conflict risk currently .
- Compensation alignment: Standard cash retainers plus option grants with service-based vesting and CIC acceleration; no performance metrics in director pay; equity creates market-based alignment; hedging/pledging banned .
- Engagement signals: Committee assignment not disclosed at appointment; board meets frequently (8 meetings in 2024), suggesting active governance cadence .
RED FLAGS to monitor
- Equity award magnitude post‑reverse split (confirm exact post‑split share counts upon grant execution) .
- Any emerging related‑party ties between Eyconis and Lyell (licensing, services) — none disclosed to date .
- Committee roles and attendance disclosures in next proxy to validate ongoing engagement .