Brian Taylor Slingsby
About Brian Taylor Slingsby
Brian Taylor “BT” Slingsby, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., age 48, founded Mineralys on May 31, 2019 and has served on the board since inception; he was Executive Chairman through December 31, 2024, and now serves as an independent director in Class III with a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting . He is Founder & Managing Director at Catalys Pacific and previously founded the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund; his education includes Brown University (honors), an M.P.H. and Ph.D. from Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo, and an M.D. with honors from George Washington University . The board has determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules, which includes Dr. Slingsby .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineralys Therapeutics, Inc. | Founder; Executive Chairman; Director (Class III) | Founded May 31, 2019; Executive Chairman through Dec 31, 2024; Director continuing | Chaired Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; member of Compensation Committee |
| Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund | Founder | Prior to Catalys Pacific (dates not specified) | Established first public‑private fund for medicines in low/middle‑income countries |
| Catalys Pacific | Founder & Managing Director | Current (dates not specified) | Venture leadership; affiliated with >5% shareholder Catalys Pacific Fund, LP |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathalys Pharma, Inc. | Founding CEO | Not specified | Company inception role |
| Kirilys Therapeutics, Inc. | Founding CEO | Not specified | Company inception role |
| Aculys Pharma, Inc. | Founding CEO | Not specified | Company inception role |
| Renalys Pharma, Inc. | Founding CEO | Not specified | Company inception role |
| Hepalys Pharma, Inc. | Founding CEO | Not specified | Company inception role |
| Crystalys Pharma, Inc. | Founding CEO | Not specified | Company inception role |
Board Governance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Committee assignments | Compensation Committee member (effective Feb 13, 2025); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair (throughout 2024–2025) |
| Committee chair roles | Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee |
| Board leadership | Chair transitioned from Dr. Slingsby (through Dec 31, 2024) to Glenn P. Sblendorio (current) |
| Independence | Independent under Nasdaq standards (all directors except CEO) |
| Attendance | Board met 6 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings during their service period |
| Annual meeting attendance | No director attended the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders (virtual) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024 program) | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual director retainer | 40,000 | 2024 program terms |
| Chairman of the Board retainer | 30,000 | Dr. Slingsby served as Chair through Dec 31, 2024 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair fee | 8,000 | 2024 chair fee |
| Committee membership fees | — | Not applicable in 2024 for Dr. Slingsby (not on Audit/Comp during 2024) |
| Total Fees Earned (2024) | 78,000 | Disclosed director cash fees |
| Equity Awards (2024) | Shares | Vesting | Fair Value ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Grant (May 22, 2024) | 22,000 | Monthly over 12 months post‑grant; remaining unvested portion vests at next annual meeting if earlier | 197,314 | Annual grant; fair value per ASC 718 |
| Options outstanding (as of Dec 31, 2024) | 66,000 | Various as disclosed | — | For designated directors; Slingsby’s Annual Grant transferred to Catalys Pacific Fund, LP under an option transfer agreement |
| 2025 program changes | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman/Lead Independent retainer | 32,500 | Effective Jan 1, 2025 |
| Committee Chair fees (Audit/Comp/NCG) | 20,000 / 15,000 / 10,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2025 |
| Committee Member fees (Audit/Comp/NCG) | 10,000 / 7,500 / 5,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2025 |
| Initial director option grant | 65,800 shares | 3‑year monthly vest |
| Annual director option grant | 32,900 shares | 12‑month monthly vest |
Performance Compensation
| Metric/Condition | Disclosed? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Performance‑based cash/equity metrics for directors (TSR, EBITDA, ESG) | No | Director equity awards are time‑vested options; no performance metrics disclosed for director compensation |
| Clawback applicability | Yes | Company adopted Nasdaq‑compliant clawback policy for incentive‑based compensation (executives) in Oct 2023 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Board/Committee linkage | Potential conflict signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalys Pacific Fund, LP | >5% stockholder; linked via Slingsby’s roles; option transfer recipient | Slingsby is Managing Member of the GP’s general partner; may be deemed to have voting/investment power; options transferred per agreement | High ownership concentration; related‑party transactions disclosed; independence assessed by board |
| RA Capital Management, L.P. | >5% stockholder; funds hold common and pre‑funded warrants | Director Derek DiRocco (RA Capital) on board and Compensation Committee; participation in 2024–2025 financings | Investor interlock with governance; beneficial ownership blocker in warrants |
| Samsara BioCapital, L.P. | >5% stockholder | Director Srinivas Akkaraju (Samsara) on board | Investor interlock with governance; participated in 2024–2025 financings |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Venture formation and biopharma incubation across multiple therapeutics companies; prior founding CEO roles demonstrate build‑and‑scale capability .
- Global health finance and partnership structuring (GHIT Fund founder) .
- Academic credentials spanning medicine (MD), public health (MPH), and research (PhD) from Brown, Kyoto University, University of Tokyo, and George Washington University .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Taylor Slingsby, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. (incl. Catalys Pacific Fund, LP) | 8,967,063 | 13.81% | Includes 8,903,838 shares held by Catalys Pacific Fund, LP and 63,225 options exercisable within 60 days; Slingsby is affiliated with the GP entities; disclaimers of beneficial ownership except pecuniary interest |
| Shares outstanding (record date 3/25/2025) | 64,876,228 | — | Common stock outstanding on record date |
| Insider Trading & Restrictions | Detail |
|---|---|
| Late Section 16 filing | Form 4 filed Jan 7, 2025 for Slingsby and Catalys Pacific reporting an option transfer pursuant to a July 12, 2023 option transfer agreement |
| Hedging/Pledging policy | Company prohibits pledging and hedging transactions by directors; also prohibits margin purchases, short sales, and derivative transactions on Company stock |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; active on Compensation Committee; robust insider trading and anti‑pledging policy; formal related‑party transaction policy; clear committee charters and annual evaluations .
- Ownership alignment: Significant beneficial stake via Catalys Pacific (13.81%) aligns interests with shareholders; director equity awards time‑vest monthly and accelerate upon change‑in‑control, supporting retention .
- Interlocks/Conflicts: High ownership concentration among Catalys Pacific, RA Capital, and Samsara with board representation (DiRocco, Akkaraju, Slingsby) and repeated participation in financings; monitor related‑party dynamics and committee decisions for potential influence .
- Engagement signals: No directors attended the 2024 annual meeting (virtual), a potential engagement red flag; however, directors met attendance thresholds for board/committee meetings in 2024 .
- Red flags to monitor: Late Form 4 for option transfer; ongoing ties to major holders through historical voting and rights agreements (terminated at IPO but registrations continue); compensation committee composition with investor‑affiliated members; ensure rigorous handling of recusals and conflicts .
Note: The company states “None of the members of our compensation committee has ever been one of our officers or employees,” while Dr. Slingsby’s biography indicates service as Executive Chairman through December 31, 2024; confirm internal classification of “officer” for consistency in independence disclosures .