Alethia Young
Pacira BioSciencesAbout Alethia Young
Alethia Young, age 46, is an independent director of Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) since October 2023 and serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and the board-designated “Audit Committee financial expert.” She is Chief Financial Officer of Bicycle Therapeutics (BCYC), and previously served as CFO of Graphite Bio; prior to that she led healthcare equity research at Cantor Fitzgerald and held senior research roles at Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Marwood Group, and J.P. Morgan; she holds a B.A. from Duke University . The board classifies her as independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bicycle Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BCYC) | Chief Financial Officer | 2023–present | Capital raising, financial reporting, investor relations |
| Graphite Bio | Chief Financial Officer | 2022–2023 | Led reverse merger process |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Senior Biotech Analyst; Head of Healthcare Research | 2018–2022 | Led equity research teams; market/industry insights |
| Credit Suisse; Deutsche Bank; Marwood Group; J.P. Morgan | Various biotech/healthcare advisory and analyst roles | 2000–2018 | Sector coverage and advisory |
External Roles
| Organization | Type | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTC Therapeutics (Nasdaq: PTCT) | Public Company Board | Director | 2022–present | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Bicycle Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BCYC) | Public Company | CFO | 2023–present | Executive finance leadership |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee Chair and identified Audit Committee financial expert; Audit Committee members: Alethia Young (Chair), Abraham Ceesay, Mark Froimson .
- Independence: 8 of 9 directors are independent; Young is identified as independent .
- Attendance: Board met 12 times in 2024; Audit met 8; each board member attended at least 75% of aggregate board and committee meetings during their service period .
- Election and tenure: Class II nominee for re-election to serve until 2028 annual meeting .
- Governance enhancements: Majority voting standard adopted in March 2025 for uncontested elections; Director Resignation Policy implemented .
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Company-wide prohibition on hedging and pledging; limited exceptions require CFO approval .
- Stockholder engagement: Program highlighted with active, director-led outreach .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Vesting/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $65,000 | Paid quarterly, prorated as needed | Director Compensation Table; Policy |
| Committee Chair Fee (Audit) | Policy: $30,000 (chair) | Paid quarterly, in advance | Policy |
| Committee Membership Fee (Audit) | Policy: $15,000 (member) | Paid quarterly, in advance | Policy |
Notes: Cash fees reflect aggregate board/committee retainers; company does not list per-meeting fees in 2024 policy; non-employee directors reimbursed for reasonable meeting expenses .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | 2024 Grant-Date Fair Value | Units Outstanding (12/31/2024) | Vesting/Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Annual) | $149,996 | 5,230 unvested RSUs | RSUs vest 1 year (director awards) | Director Table; Policy |
| Stock Options (Annual) | $150,009 | 12,047 vested; 31,139 unvested options | Director annual options vest 1 year; initial director options vest monthly over 3 years | Director Table; Policy |
Company pay-for-performance context (for oversight, not director pay): 2024 LTIP metrics and outcomes for executives.
| Metric | Threshold | Target | Maximum | Actual | Payout Achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Revenue ($mm) | $662.2 | $697.0 | $731.9 | $689.9 | 89.8% |
| Adjusted EBITDA ($mm) | $210.6 | $234.0 | $257.4 | $224.7 | 80.2% |
| Relative TSR vs S&P Pharma Select Index | 50th–75th percentile schedule | — | — | 12th percentile | 100% multiplier |
| Total LTIP payout | — | — | — | — | 85.0% of target |
2024 Corporate Dashboard result used for annual bonuses: Financial & Commercial 40% weight at 100% achievement; Culture & People 30% at 105%; Pipeline & Manufacturing 30% at 95%; People & Compensation Committee discretionary adjustment (-10%) leading to 90% corporate factor .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to PCRX | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) | Unrelated therapeutic focus (rare disease) | No related-party transactions disclosed; no direct counterparty tie identified in proxy |
| Bicycle Therapeutics (BCYC) | CFO role; separate biopharma | Board states no overboarding; independence maintained; no related-party transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Accounting & Finance; Audit leadership; internal controls, reporting, compliance; designated Audit Committee financial expert .
- Capital markets and investor relations experience from two decades in equity research and CFO roles .
- Industry expertise in biopharma; human capital and governance skills per board skills matrix .
- Education: B.A., Duke University .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership | 34,616 shares; less than 1% of outstanding | Includes 29,386 options and 5,230 RSUs exercisable/vesting within 60 days |
| Vested vs Unvested (12/31/2024) | 12,047 vested options; 31,139 unvested options; 5,230 unvested RSUs | As of FY-end |
| Ownership Guidelines | Non-employee directors required to hold ≥5x annual retainer; 4-year phase-in | Compliance: directors compliant or within phase-in |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited; limited pledge exception requires CFO approval | Alignment-focused policy |
Insider Trades
- No Form 4 transactions for Alethia Young were disclosed in the 2025 proxy, and no related-person transactions involving her were reported for 2024–2025 .
- If needed, we can retrieve Form 4 data separately.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; Audit Chair with deep finance background; robust anti-hedging/pledging and strengthened majority voting standard; strong attendance; ownership guideline framework; say-on-pay support at ~90% in 2024 indicates shareholder alignment .
- Compensation alignment: Director equity split (50% options/50% RSUs) with one-year vesting promotes retention and alignment; policy increased annual stock award to $300k effective July 1, 2024, aligned to market; cash fees modest relative to equity-heavy structure .
- Potential watch items: Simultaneous CFO role at BCYC and Audit Chair at PCRX elevates time-commitment considerations; board asserts no overboarding; monitor workload and any evolving commercial relationships between PCRX and companies where Young serves to preempt conflicts (none disclosed) .
- Conflicts/Related-Party: None identified for Alethia Young; related-person transactions section notes only legacy items (former CEO transition) .
- Oversight signals: Audit Committee responsibilities explicitly include cybersecurity and AI-related risks; cadence of meetings and reporting framework suggest active oversight .