Ruth Alon
About Ruth Alon
Ruth Alon, 73, has served as an independent director of Silexion Therapeutics Corp (SLXN) since the SPAC business combination with Moringa Acquisition Corp on August 15, 2024. She is the founder and CEO of Medstrada and brings over 30 years of life sciences venture investing and Wall Street research experience; her education includes a B.A. in Economics (Hebrew University), an MBA (Boston University), and an M.Sc. from Columbia University School of Physicians and Surgeons .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitango Venture Capital | General Partner, Head of Life Sciences | 1997–2016 | Led multiple portfolio exits (e.g., Disc-O-Tech, Colbar, Ventor, Optonol) |
| Montgomery Securities; Kidder Peabody & Co. | Senior Medical Device Analyst (Wall Street) | 1981–1993 | Led sector research; foundation for venture investing |
| Medstrada | Founder & CEO | 2016–present | Advisory and consultancy in healthcare/foodtech |
| Independent consultancy (San Francisco) | Consultant (early-stage, VC advisory) | 1995–1996 | Broad-based services to medtech and VCs |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VBL Therapeutics (VBLT) | Director | Public | Director since 2010; active board member |
| Alpha TAU (DRTS) | Director | Public | Current board member |
| Moringa Acquisition Corp (MACA) | Director | Public (SPAC) | Board seat; MACA sponsored SPAC activity that combined to form SLXN via Moringa |
| BrainsGate | Chairperson | Private | Chair; Israel medtech ecosystem leader |
| Kadimastem | Director | Public (TASE) | Director role, Israel biotech |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Alon is independent under Nasdaq listing standards; she is eligible for audit and compensation committees .
- Committees: Audit Committee member (with Dror Abramov [chair], Amnon Peled) ; Compensation Committee chair (with Abramov, Peled) ; Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee member (with Abramov, Levin, Peled) .
- Attendance: In 2024, the Board held 7 meetings; no director attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate board/committee meetings on which they served .
- Audit committee expertise: Audit committee meets SEC/Nasdaq independence and financial literacy requirements; Abramov designated financial expert .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (Directors, FY2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $0 (no cash fees paid to non-employee directors in 2024) |
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Quantity | Vesting | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Director annual awards) | Aug 15, 2024 (upon Business Combination) | 22,070 RSUs to each non-employee director | Fully vested at Closing | None disclosed (no TSR/financial metrics tied to director awards) |
Note: The FY2024 Director Compensation table reflects stock award values of $313,800 for several directors (Abramov, Lushi, Noy) and a $45,000 consulting fee for Ilan Levin; narrative states each non-employee director received 22,070 RSUs that fully vested at Closing , indicating equity-only compensation structure for directors in 2024.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Interlock/network considerations: Ms. Alon’s seat at Moringa Acquisition Corp (MACA) connects to SLXN’s SPAC lineage; MACA’s sponsor is controlled by SLXN director Ilan Levin, and the sponsor holds a $3.433M convertible note at SLXN, potentially raising perception questions on independence oversight even though Alon herself is not a sponsor GP .
- Broader ecosystem ties: Service at BrainsGate and Kadimastem and long-standing Pitango network may provide sector intelligence flow but should be monitored for related-party exposures (none identified for Alon at SLXN to date) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain expertise: 30+ years in life sciences investing; medtech capital markets; board leadership across Israeli biotech ecosystem .
- Committee leadership: Chairs Compensation Committee; member of Audit and Nominating committees; meets Nasdaq independence requirements for audit and compensation committees .
- Education: B.A. Economics (Hebrew University), MBA (Boston University), M.Sc. Columbia University School of Physicians and Surgeons .
Equity Ownership
| Date (Reference) | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| May 30, 2025 (pre 1-for-15 reverse split) | 6,037 | <1% |
| July 15, 2025 (post 1-for-15 reverse split) | 403 | <1% |
SLXN disclosures show directors’ RSUs fully vested at Closing and options/RSUs treatment around the Business Combination and reverse splits; no pledging or hedging by Alon disclosed .
Insider Trades
| Period | Person | Form 4 Transactions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-01 to 2025-11-20 | Ruth Alon | None found | Queried insider-trades skill (Form 4); no transactions or ownership changes returned (more current than proxy statements). |
Governance Assessment
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Positives
- Independent director with deep sector capital markets experience; chairs Compensation Committee, sits on Audit and Nominating, supporting board effectiveness .
- Attendance at or above the 75% threshold across Board/committee meetings; board held 7 meetings in 2024 .
- Audit Committee structured to Nasdaq/SEC standards; clear financial expert designation and chartered oversight of related-party transactions .
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Watch items / potential red flags
- Low ownership alignment: beneficial ownership <1% (403 shares post-split), which may signal limited “skin-in-the-game” versus robust equity alignment norms for independent directors .
- Equity pool allocation: SLXN expanded the 2024 Plan to target 10% of fully diluted shares; of the then-available pool, 129,750 shares were allocated to non-employee director grants in Feb 2025, limiting shares for employees—investors may scrutinize director equity load and pay inflation risk .
- Interlocks: Alon’s MACA board role plus sponsor note at SLXN (controlled by fellow director Ilan Levin) may warrant continued monitoring for perceived conflicts in compensation or capital-raising decisions, even though governance structures (audit committee review of related parties) are in place .
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No adverse disclosures
- Company disclosed no material litigation involving board members in 2024; insider trading policy in place; code of ethics and committee charters posted .
Overall: Alon is a seasoned independent director with strong committee leadership and sector expertise. Key signals to monitor are ownership alignment, director equity intensity under the expanded plan, and network interlocks tied to the SPAC sponsor’s convertible note, to ensure continued investor confidence in pay-for-performance and independence controls .