Maykin Ho
About Maykin Ho
Maykin Ho, Ph.D., age 72 as of April 10, 2025, has served as an independent director of Neumora Therapeutics (NMRA) since April 2021. She brings 30+ years across healthcare and finance, including as a retired Goldman Sachs partner (senior biotech analyst; co-head of healthcare research; advisory director for healthcare IB) and operating roles at DuPont-Merck and DuPont. Education: B.S. in Medical Technology; Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology (SUNY Downstate), postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, and Advanced Management Program at Duke Fuqua. The Board has affirmatively determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules, including heightened audit-committee independence.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldman Sachs Group | Senior biotechnology analyst; Co-head of healthcare for global investment research; Advisory director, healthcare IB (retired partner) | 1992–2015 | Led coverage and healthcare advisory; capital markets and strategic advisory exposure |
| DuPont-Merck Pharmaceuticals / DuPont de Nemours | Licensing, strategic planning, marketing, research roles | 1982–1992 | Operating experience across pharma functions |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Type / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Pharmaceuticals | Director | Since 2015 | Public biopharma |
| BioMarin Pharmaceutical | Director | Since Feb 2021 | Public biopharma |
| FibroGen | Director | Since Dec 2018 | Public biopharma |
| Parexel International | Director | 2015–2017; Mar 2018–present | Private biopharma services |
| Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center | Board | Since 2005 | Non-profit |
| Institute for Protein Innovation | Board | Since 2016 | Non-profit |
| Stock Exchange of Hong Kong | Biotech Advisory Panel member | N/A | Market oversight advisory |
| Qiming Venture Partners | Venture Partner | Since 2015 | VC investing |
| GRAIL (acquired) | Former Director | May 2019–Aug 2021 | Private biotech (acquired) |
Board Governance
- Board classification and term: Class II director; nominated for re‑election at 2025 AGM to serve until the 2028 AGM. Years of service: since 2021.
- Committee assignments and roles:
- Audit Committee member (Chair: Matthew Fust). All members—including Dr. Ho—are independent for audit purposes; Fust designated “audit committee financial expert.”
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member (Chair: Alaa Halawa). All members independent.
- Independence: Board has determined all directors other than the CEO/Chair (Paul Berns) are independent under Nasdaq rules; independent directors meet in executive sessions.
- Attendance and engagement (2024): Board met 5x; Audit 4x; Compensation 5x; Nominating 2x; each director attended at least 75% of applicable meetings.
| 2024 Meeting Activity | Count | Attendance Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 5 | Each director ≥75% attendance |
| Audit Committee | 4 | Each director ≥75% attendance |
| Compensation Committee | 5 | Each director ≥75% attendance |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee | 2 | Each director ≥75% attendance |
Fixed Compensation
| Director (2024) | Cash Fees ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maykin Ho, Ph.D. | 60,000 | Director cash retainer structure in effect from Mar 2024: $45,000 annual base; Audit member +$10,000; Nominating member +$5,000; chair fees higher; Lead independent director +$25,000 if applicable. Directors may elect to convert retainer to fully vested RSUs. |
Program details (current framework):
- Initial Grant for new non‑employee directors: $725,000 aggregate grant-date fair value split equally between options and RSUs; options vest monthly over 3 years; RSUs vest annually over 3 years.
- Annual Grant: $400,000 aggregate grant-date fair value ($200k options, $200k RSUs) vesting by the next AGM/first anniversary.
- March 2025 amendment: Initial Grant = option to purchase 160,000 shares; Annual Grant = option to purchase 80,000 shares (vesting schedules preserved).
Performance Compensation
| Director (2024) | Stock Awards ($) | Option Awards ($) | Options Held (12/31/24) | RSUs Held (12/31/24) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maykin Ho, Ph.D. | 199,995 | 218,260 | 151,959 | 20,100 |
| Citations: |
Vesting and change-in-control terms:
- Time‑based vesting; no director performance metrics disclosed for equity compensation.
- Upon a change in control, all outstanding equity awards held by non‑employee directors vest in full.
Option repricing proposal (AGM item) – governance signal:
- The Board is seeking stockholder approval to reprice “underwater” options to the closing price on May 28, 2025; this includes non‑employee directors (group total: 518,996 shares; WAEPS $10.00; 7.8 years remaining). If a holder exercises or terminates service before Aug 13, 2026, the exercise price reverts to the original. This one‑time repricing can raise alignment concerns when directors are beneficiaries.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Potential Interlock/Related‑party with NMRA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agios, BioMarin, FibroGen (public); Parexel (private) | Biopharma / services | None disclosed with Neumora | No Dr. Ho‑specific related‑party transactions disclosed; Board maintains related‑person transaction policy and audit oversight. |
Related‑party landscape context (not attributable to Dr. Ho):
- Amgen (≥5% holder; collaborations) and ARCH affiliates (≥5% holder; director designees) had disclosed transactions/rights; Audit Committee reviews such items under policy. No Dr. Ho involvement identified.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Capital markets and governance: decades as a top-ranked biotech analyst and healthcare research leader; advisory experience in investment banking.
- Operating pharma experience (licensing/strategy/marketing/research) and extensive board service across public/private biopharma.
- Independence and audit oversight: independent director; audit-committee member satisfying SEC/Nasdaq independence standards; committee has a designated financial expert.
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Options exercisable within 60 days (as of Apr 10, 2025) | 123,388 | Beneficially owned through options; less than 1% ownership |
| Outstanding shares directly owned | — | None reported in table |
| Total beneficial ownership | 123,388 | “*” indicates <1% of outstanding shares |
| RSUs held at 12/31/24 | 20,100 | Director equity holdings snapshot |
| Options held at 12/31/24 | 151,959 | Director equity holdings snapshot |
Policies affecting alignment and risk:
- Hedging/pledging prohibited for directors under Insider Trading Compliance Policy (no short sales, options/derivatives, hedging, margin, or pledging).
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent, experienced life sciences board member with deep capital markets and healthcare expertise; sits on Audit and Nominating committees, supporting oversight quality.
- Board processes: independent sessions; structured director compensation program with equity; prohibition on hedging/pledging; attendance ≥75% across meetings in 2024.
- No Dr. Ho‑specific related‑party transactions disclosed.
-
Watch items / potential red flags:
- Option repricing proposal includes non‑employee directors—may be viewed as shareholder‑unfriendly unless clearly justified and tightly structured; flip‑back safeguard exists if exercised/terminated before Aug 13, 2026.
- Multi‑board commitments (Agios, BioMarin, FibroGen, Parexel) can stretch bandwidth; however, no attendance shortfall disclosed at Neumora.
-
Alignment:
- Director pay is equity‑heavy (RSUs and options) with time‑based vesting; full vesting on change‑in‑control enhances continuity but reduces post‑CIC retention lever.
Overall, for investors evaluating board effectiveness and confidence, Dr. Ho presents as an independent director with strong healthcare finance credentials and active committee roles, with no disclosed conflicts; the board‑wide option repricing proposal warrants scrutiny given inclusion of directors.