Benjamin Hickey
About Benjamin Hickey
Benjamin Hickey, MBA, age 50, has served as an independent director of Mural Oncology plc (MURA) since November 2023. He is President of RayzeBio, Inc. (a Bristol Myers Squibb company) since March 2024, sits on BMS’s executive leadership team, and continues to lead Mirati Therapeutics within BMS; he previously held senior commercial roles at Mirati and Halozyme and spent 17 years at BMS in global oncology leadership. He holds a B.S. in Sports Management and an MBA from St. John’s University in New York .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (BMS company) | EVP & Chief Commercial Officer; continued head within BMS | Jan 2020–Mar 2024; ongoing leadership within BMS | Led global commercialization (pricing/access, sales/marketing, medical affairs, portfolio planning, BD) |
| Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. | SVP & Chief Commercial Officer | Sep 2018–Jan 2020 | Responsible for global commercial strategy for oncology portfolio |
| Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) | VP Marketing, Immuno-Oncology; General Manager UK & Ireland | Aug 2014–Aug 2016; Aug 2016–Sep 2018 | Oversaw commercialization of Yervoy and Opdivo; led UK/Ireland business |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RayzeBio, Inc. (BMS company) | President | Mar 2024 | Responsible for R&D, development and commercialization; member of BMS executive leadership team |
| Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (BMS company) | Business Unit Lead | Ongoing | Continues as head of Mirati within BMS |
| Surface Oncology, Inc. | Director | Jan 2022–Sep 2023 | Board tenure ended upon acquisition by Coherus BioSciences |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined in February 2025 that all directors except the CEO (Caroline Loew) are independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules; Hickey is independent .
- Committee assignments: Member, Compensation Committee; Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met six times in 2024; each director attended ≥75% of board and applicable committee meetings; all then-serving directors attended the 2024 AGM .
- Board leadership structure: Chair is Scott Jackson; CEO is Caroline Loew; roles are separated to enhance oversight .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Equity (Options) Grant-Date Fair Value ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 56,510 | 13,642 | 70,152 |
Non-Employee Director Compensation Program (structure):
| Component | Member Annual Fee ($) | Chair Additional Annual Fee ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Directors | 40,000 | 30,000 |
| Audit Committee | 7,500 | 7,500 |
| Compensation Committee | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee | 5,000 | 5,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Vehicle | Grant Details | Vesting | Term | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options (non-employee director grants) | 2024 grant included 8,462 options to Hickey; total options outstanding for Hickey as of 12/31/24: 23,483 shares subject to option awards | Annual grants vest in full on earlier of 1-year anniversary or next AGM; initial grants vest in 12 equal quarterly installments over 3 years (for certain directors) | 10 years; strike set at FMV on grant date | None disclosed for directors; grants are time-based (no revenue/EBITDA/TSR metrics) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Status | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Oncology, Inc. | Director | Ended Sep 2023 (acquired by Coherus BioSciences) | No MURA-related transactions disclosed in proxy |
- No related-party transactions disclosed involving Hickey; related-party disclosures primarily cover agreements arising from the Alkermes separation (e.g., separation, transition services, tax, employee matters) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep commercial oncology leadership (BMS, Mirati, Halozyme) and product launches (Yervoy/Opdivo) .
- MBA; global general management and pricing/access experience .
- Board governance leadership as Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Chair .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Outstanding | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Hickey | 15,973 | <1% | Includes options exercisable within 60 days of 4/4/2025 |
| Options Outstanding (not necessarily beneficial within 60 days) | 23,483 (subject to outstanding option awards as of 12/31/2024) | n/a | Footnote indicates aggregate option count outstanding |
- Anti-hedging policy prohibits short sales and derivative hedging for directors and covered persons .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; chairs Nominating & Corporate Governance; relevant oncology commercialization expertise; ≥75% attendance; separated Chair/CEO roles; strong insider-trading/anti-hedging controls .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay modest and primarily cash plus time-based options; annual grant sizing formula tied to shares outstanding (0.05% annual, 0.09% initial) with 10-year term and FMV strike, promoting alignment without short-term metrics or discretionary cash windfalls .
- Committee effectiveness: Compensation Committee uses independent consultant (Aon) and follows independence standards; scope includes non-employee director pay and clawback oversight for executives .
- Red flags: None disclosed in proxy for conflicts, related-party transactions, pledging, legal proceedings, or low attendance. Note Hickey’s significant operating roles at BMS (RayzeBio + Mirati) could be a time-commitment consideration, though 2024 attendance met thresholds .
- Say-on-pay: As an emerging growth company, Mural is exempt from advisory say-on-pay votes, reducing a typical shareholder feedback mechanism on executive pay structure .