Alexander Gold
About Alexander Gold
Alexander Gold, M.D., age 59, has served as an independent Class I director of Mineralys Therapeutics since June 13, 2024, with his term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting . He is currently Chief Medical Officer at Beren Therapeutics (since August 2023) and an Adjunct Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine; prior roles include Head Medical Officer at CSL-Vifor, CMO/President of Sanifit, SVP/Head of Clinical Development at Portola, and clinical leadership roles at Reata and AstraZeneca (BRILINTA, CRESTOR, ONGLYZA) . The Board has determined Dr. Gold is independent under Nasdaq rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca | Multiple leadership roles incl. Executive Director & Development Leader for BRILINTA, CRESTOR, ONGLYZA | Since 2001 (multiple roles) | Led major cardiovascular/metabolic programs |
| Reata Pharmaceuticals | Head of Clinical Development | Prior to Portola (dates not specified) | Clinical leadership |
| Portola Pharmaceuticals | SVP & Head of Clinical Development | 2013–2017 | Led clinical development |
| Sanifit, Inc. / Vifor Pharma / CSL Ltd. | CMO & President (Sanifit); Head Medical Officer (CSL-Vifor) | 2017–Aug 2023 | Transitioned through acquisitions; senior medical leadership |
| Stanford University School of Medicine | Adjunct Professor | Current | Academic appointment |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beren Therapeutics | Chief Medical Officer | Aug 2023 | Clinical-stage biotech |
| Stanford University School of Medicine | Adjunct Professor | Not specified | Academic role |
Board Governance
| Governance Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Board classification | 3 classes; Gold is Class I (term to 2027) |
| Independence | Board determined all directors except CEO are independent; Gold specifically determined independent |
| Chair/Leadership | Chairman: Glenn P. Sblendorio (since late 2024) |
| Committee assignments | Compensation Committee member; appointed Chair Feb 13, 2025 |
| Committee assignments | Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member (appointed June 13, 2024) |
| Audit Committee | Not a member (Audit Committee members: Karydas (Chair), DiRocco, Sblendorio) |
| Meeting cadence (2024) | Board met 6 times; each director attended at least 75% of applicable meetings |
| Committee cadence (2024) | Compensation: 5 meetings; Nominating & Governance: 3; Audit: 5 |
| Annual meeting attendance | No director attended the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Equity Awards ($) | Total ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24,176 | 410,406 | 434,582 | Initial grant upon appointment: option to purchase 44,000 shares; vests monthly over 3 years |
| Program Element (effective Jan 1, 2025) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual Director Retainer | $40,000 |
| Chair Retainer – Compensation | $15,000 |
| Member Retainer – Nominating & Governance | $5,000 |
| Annual Director Option Grant | 32,900 shares; vests monthly over 12 months (unvested portion accelerates at next annual meeting) |
| Initial Director Option Grant | 65,800 shares; vests monthly over 3 years |
| Change-in-control vesting | Director options vest upon change in control; vesting also upon certain service terminations (death/disability, not presented for re-nomination) |
Performance Compensation
- No director performance-based (TSR/revenue/EBITDA/ESG) metrics are disclosed for director compensation; director equity awards are time-based stock options with standard vesting and change-in-control acceleration .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- No current public company directorships for Dr. Gold are disclosed in the proxy biography .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None; no officers on the committee and no reciprocal interlocks reported .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Medical and clinical development leadership across large-cap and emerging biopharma; led programs at AstraZeneca (BRILINTA, CRESTOR, ONGLYZA) .
- Senior clinical leadership at Portola, Reata, Sanifit/CSL-Vifor; current CMO at Beren Therapeutics and academic appointment at Stanford .
- Board determined independence and service on compensation and nominating committees, including Compensation Committee Chair role, indicating governance trust in incentive oversight .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Gold, M.D. | 21,669 | Less than 1% | Includes 21,669 shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of March 25, 2025 |
- Pledging/Hedging policy: Company prohibits pledging and hedging of company stock for directors and officers .
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership and independence: Gold chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on Nominating & Governance; the Board affirms independence and committee charters require annual reviews—supportive of effective oversight of pay and governance .
- Engagement: Board met six times in 2024 with ≥75% attendance across directors; however, no directors attended the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders—this is a shareholder engagement red flag the board should address with virtual attendance improvements .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is predominantly equity via stock options (2024: ~$410k equity vs ~$24k cash for Gold), aligning incentives with long-term value; 2025 program increases certain chair/member retainers, which may reflect market alignment but warrants monitoring for pay inflation risk .
- Conflicts/Related Parties: On appointment, the company disclosed no Item 404(a) related-party transactions for Gold; ongoing related-party transactions disclosed involve major shareholders (RA Capital, Catalys Pacific, Samsara) but none tied to Gold—low conflict risk currently .
- Say-on-pay/shareholder feedback: As an emerging growth company, Mineralys is not required to hold say-on-pay votes; 2025 annual meeting approved director elections and auditor ratification with strong support, indicating investor confidence at the company level .
- Risk indicators: Prohibition on pledging/hedging reduces alignment concerns; standard indemnification agreements in place; no Section 16 delinquencies listed for Gold in 2024 disclosures .
RED FLAGS
- No director attended the 2024 annual meeting (engagement optics) .
- 2025 director fee increases across chair/member roles could signal pay inflation if not matched by scope or performance outcomes; monitor Compensation Committee disclosures for rationale .
Appendix: Vote Results (Company-Level Context)
| Proposal (2025 Annual Meeting) | For | Withhold/Against | Broker Non-Votes/Abstain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elect Glenn P. Sblendorio (Class II) | 45,445,566 | 7,503,758 | 6,363,413 |
| Elect Derek DiRocco, Ph.D. (Class II) | 45,305,889 | 7,643,435 | 6,363,413 |
| Ratify Ernst & Young LLP (FY2025) | 59,115,439 | 5,916 | 191,382 |