Jonathan Lieber
SLRXAbout Jonathan Lieber
Jonathan Lieber, 56, is an independent Class II director of Salarius Pharmaceuticals (SLRX), serving on the board since June 2020; his current term runs until the 2026 annual meeting . He brings two decades of life sciences finance leadership, including current service as CFO & Treasurer of Rallybio (Nasdaq: RLYB), and previously as CFO of AGTC and Histogenics; he holds an MBA in finance from NYU Stern and a B.S. in business administration from Boston University . In 2024, he attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings, consistent with all directors that year .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: AGTC) | Chief Financial Officer | Sep 2021 – sale in Nov 2022 | Led finance through company sale |
| Danforth Advisors LLC | Managing Director (strategic CFO advisory; served as interim CFO for multiple healthcare companies) | Dec 2018 – Sep 2021 | Advised private and public healthcare companies on finance strategy |
| Histogenics Corporation (Nasdaq: HSGX) | Chief Financial Officer | Jul 2015 – Sep 2019 | Cell therapy, orthopedics; public-company CFO experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Exchange | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rallybio Corporation | Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | Nasdaq: RLYB | Since Feb 2023 | Clinical-stage biotech focused on severe and rare diseases |
| MindWalk Holdings Corp. | Director | Nasdaq: HYFT | Since Jul 2025 | Public company board service |
Board Governance
| Dimension | Details |
|---|---|
| Board status | Independent director under Nasdaq rules |
| Board class/term | Class II; term expires at the 2026 annual meeting |
| Committees | Audit Committee (member); Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member) |
| Committee chairs | Audit Committee chaired by Arnold C. Hanish; Nominating & Corporate Governance chaired by Tess Burleson |
| Attendance | Each director attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings in 2024 |
| Executive sessions | Non-management directors meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions |
| Risk/oversight | Audit Committee oversees major financial risks and reviews related-person transactions; N&CG oversees board evaluations and governance policies |
| Trading policies | Company prohibits hedging and short sales by directors, officers, and employees |
| Audit Committee confirmation | Listed signatory on Audit Committee report (member) |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Component | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $42,500 |
| 2024 | Total | $52,444 |
Director compensation policy changes (effective April 1, 2024): Board retainer $30,000 (reduced from $40,000); Board Chair retainer $20,000 (from $40,000); Audit Chair retainer $10,000 (from $20,000); Audit Committee member retainer $3,500 (from $7,500); no additional retainers for Compensation or Nominating & Governance committees .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2024 equity grant to directors (grant-date fair value) | $9,944 (stock options) |
| Performance metrics tied to director pay | None disclosed; non-employee director compensation comprised of cash retainers and equity grants |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Note |
|---|---|---|
| MindWalk Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: HYFT) | Director (since Jul 2025) | No related-person transactions disclosed involving Mr. Lieber at SLRX |
| Rallybio (Nasdaq: RLYB) | CFO & Treasurer (executive role) | External executive role; SLRX discloses no related-person transactions involving Mr. Lieber |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and capital markets expertise from multiple public-company CFO roles (Rallybio, AGTC, Histogenics) and advisory work at Danforth Advisors; relevant to audit, capital allocation, and strategic alternatives .
- Audit Committee member with board-level oversight of financial reporting, risk, and related-person transaction review; Nominating & Corporate Governance member contributing to board evaluation and governance policies .
- Academic credentials: MBA in finance (NYU Stern) and B.S. in business administration (Boston University) .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 217 shares | Includes shares and options exercisable within 60 days; reflects 1-for-15 reverse split effect applied across the proxy unless otherwise noted |
| Common shares (direct/indirect) | 25 | As of Oct 24, 2025 |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 192 | As of Oct 24, 2025 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | <1% | Based on 1,051,782 shares outstanding; company denotes “*” for <1% |
| Outstanding director equity awards (12/31/2024) | 192 options; 12 restricted shares | As of year-end 2024 |
| Hedging/short sales | Prohibited under insider trading policy (applies to directors) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep CFO/public-company experience; active on Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance committees; at least 75% attendance in 2024; anti-hedging policy in place; Audit Committee explicitly oversees related-person transactions . Director compensation was reduced in 2024 (cash retainers), signaling cost discipline in a constrained environment .
- Alignment: Holds equity (options and common shares), though ownership remains below 1%; directors receive annual equity, aligning incentives with shareholders over time .
- Conflicts/Interlocks: No related-person transactions involving Mr. Lieber are disclosed; external CFO role at Rallybio presents time-commitment considerations, but disclosed attendance meets board standards for 2024 .
- Red flags: None identified specific to Mr. Lieber in the company’s Related-Person Transactions section; the only related-party transaction disclosed involves another director (DeuteRx transaction with McVicar), which falls under Audit Committee oversight processes that Lieber participates in .