Simona Skerjanec
About Simona Skerjanec
Independent Class II director of Avidity Biosciences (RNA), age 60, appointed effective May 14, 2024; nominated for re‑election to a term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting . Nearly three decades of global biopharma leadership across neurology and cardiology commercialization and late‑stage development (Roche, The Medicines Company, Lilly, Pfizer, J&J). Education: M.S. in Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana; MBA, Fairleigh Dickinson University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Timing | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roche (Switzerland) | SVP & Global Neuroscience Head; General Manager, Roche Portugal | Nine‑year tenure (prior to joining RNA board) | Led global strategy and business for neurology/rare diseases incl. Ocrevus and an Alzheimer’s mAb; GM leadership in Portugal |
| The Medicines Company | SVP, Cardiovascular Franchise Head; roles in development/commercialization | Prior to Roche | Led CV portfolio development and commercialization |
| Eli Lilly; Pfizer; Johnson & Johnson | Various roles | Earlier career | Increasing responsibility across big pharma functions |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immunic Therapeutics (public) | Director | April 2024 | Current public company directorship |
| Perceiv AI (private) | Director | October 2024 | AI‑driven precision medicine company |
Board Governance
- Classification and independence: Class II director; Board determined independent under Nasdaq listing standards; no family relationships among directors/executives .
- Committee assignments: None disclosed for Ms. Skerjanec as of 2024; current standing committees are Audit (Chair: Boess), Human Capital Management (Chair: Kaye), and Nominating & Corporate Governance (Chair: Henig) .
- Attendance: Four board meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of board/committee meetings during their service period .
- Leadership structure: Separate Chair (Troy Wilson) and CEO roles .
- Nomination: Standing for re‑election as Class II director at the 2025 annual meeting (term to 2028) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount |
|---|---|
| Board cash retainer (pro‑rated from appointment) | $15,260 |
- 2025 non‑employee director (NED) cash program (for context): Board retainer $50,000; Chair retainer $85,000; Committee chair retainers—Audit $20,000, HCM $15,000, NCG $10,000; Committee member retainers—Audit $10,000, HCM $7,500, NCG $5,000 .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant | Grant Design | Share Count / Status | Grant‑date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial director equity (2024) | Stock options (time‑vested per NED program; vest monthly over 3 years) | Options outstanding at 12/31/24: 42,308 | $865,554 (ASC 718) |
| NED equity framework (2025 program, for context) | Initial awards: approx. $375k options + $375k RSUs; Annual awards: approx. $225k options + $225k RSUs; director equity vests in full upon change of control | Program terms (company‑wide) | As specified by program (Black‑Scholes for options; RSUs by stock price) |
Compensation mix observation: 2024 director pay was heavily equity‑weighted (option grant fair value far exceeded pro‑rated cash retainer), aligning director incentives with shareholder outcomes .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Noted in Proxy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immunic Therapeutics | Public | Director | None disclosed with Avidity |
| Perceiv AI | Private | Director | None disclosed with Avidity |
- Related‑party transactions: 2024–2025 related‑party dealings involved BMS (collaboration, equity, sublease) and certain investors (RTW, Avoro, T. Rowe Price, FMR, TD Cowen); no transactions disclosed involving Ms. Skerjanec .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Therapeutic leadership: Global neuroscience (MS, Alzheimer’s) and rare disease commercialization; cardiovascular franchise leadership .
- International P&L and market leadership (GM Portugal) .
- Academic credentials: M.S. Pharmacy (Ljubljana); MBA (Fairleigh Dickinson) .
- Board brings deep commercial and global strategy experience relevant to RNA’s late‑stage and launch planning in neuromuscular/cardiology pipelines .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | 15,278 shares (less than 1% of outstanding) |
| Nature of ownership | Includes 15,278 shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days (as of April 17, 2025) |
| Options outstanding | 42,308 options outstanding at 12/31/24 |
| Pledging/hedging | Company policy prohibits directors from hedging, short sales, margin purchases, or pledging company stock |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and independence: Independent director with substantial global commercialization and late‑stage development expertise; no disclosed related‑party ties; attendance met board standard; complements scientific and financial expertise on committees despite no current committee assignment .
- Alignment and incentives: Equity‑heavy director pay and 2025 program’s addition of RSUs strengthen ownership alignment; all director equity vests upon change of control, a governance feature to note (single‑trigger vesting for directors) .
- Conflicts and red flags: No related‑party transactions or family relationships disclosed; insider trading policy forbids hedging/pledging; Section 16 reports were timely filed in 2024. No red flags identified specific to Ms. Skerjanec in the proxy .
Overall implication for investors: Ms. Skerjanec brings high‑value commercialization and global portfolio leadership experience to RNA’s board during a pivotal transition toward potential launches, with independence, attendance, and equity‑aligned incentives; no conflicts or related‑party exposures disclosed .