Diane Parks
SOLIGENIXAbout Diane L. Parks
Diane L. Parks, MBA (age 72) has served as an independent director of Soligenix, Inc. since July 2019. She brings 30+ years of biotech commercial leadership, including senior roles at Kite Pharma (Head of U.S. Commercial), Pharmacyclics (Head of Global Marketing), Amgen (VP, Sales), and Genentech (SVP, Specialty Biotherapeutics & Managed Care), with launch experience on Yescarta (CAR-T), Imbruvica, Lucentis, and Rituxan. She holds a BS from Kansas State University and an MBA in Marketing from Georgia State University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Highlights/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kite Pharma, Inc. | Head of U.S. Commercial; SVP Marketing, Sales & Market Research | Feb 2016 – Jul 2018 | Led strategy and execution for the U.S. launch of Yescarta (first CAR‑T therapy for large B‑cell lymphoma) . |
| Pharmacyclics LLC | VP, Global Marketing | Oct 2014 – Oct 2015 | Responsible for marketing strategy and launch of Imbruvica . |
| Amgen, Inc. | VP, Sales (Oncology & Nephrology) | 2007 – 2014 | Led hospital and nephrology sales organizations . |
| Genentech, Inc. | SVP, Specialty Biotherapeutics & Managed Care | 1999 – 2002 | Led multiple launches; commercial development of Lucentis & Rituxan . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calliditas Therapeutics AB | Director | Since May 2019 | Public biopharma; Nasdaq Stockholm . |
| Kura Oncology, Inc. | Director | Since Nov 2019 | Public biopharma (precision oncology) . |
| TriSalus Life Sciences | Director | Since Oct 2019 | Private medical device/therapeutics; early-stage oncology focus . |
| Celularity Inc. | Director; Committee roles | Since Jun 2022 | Chair, Compensation Committee; Member, Audit Committee (2024–2025) . |
| Lymphoma Research Foundation | Director (non-profit) | Since 2020 | Industry non-profit board service . |
Interlock/Conflict scan: No related-party transactions or business dealings involving Ms. Parks are disclosed in Soligenix’s 2025 proxy; her other public boards are in biopharma and appear unrelated to Soligenix’s commercial dealings based on the filings reviewed .
Board Governance
- Independence: The Soligenix board has determined Ms. Parks is an independent director under Nasdaq rules; she serves on fully independent board committees .
- Committee assignments (Soligenix, latest year):
- Audit Committee: Member (Audit Chair: Gregg A. Lapointe) .
- Compensation Committee: Member (Comp Chair: Robert J. Rubin) .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Not listed as member .
- Attendance: The Board met 4 times in 2024; each current director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings, indicating Parks met the ≥75% threshold .
- Tenure at Soligenix: Director since July 2019 .
Fixed Compensation
Director compensation (historical disclosed detail for Ms. Parks):
| Year | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 18,410 | 31,305 | 49,715 |
| 2021 | 47,500 | 30,000 | 77,500 |
Program structure (latest disclosed in proxies):
- Annual cash retainer: $35,000; Audit Chair: $15,000; Compensation Chair: $10,000; Nominating Chair: $10,000; Audit Committee member: $7,500; Compensation/Nominating member: $5,000 (paid quarterly) .
- Equity: Upon re-election, stock options with grant-date fair value of $30,000; initial fully vested option grant upon joining (grant size varied across periods; company executed reverse stock splits subsequently) .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Structure/Metric | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Equity (Directors) | Stock options (value-based) | Re-election grant valued at $30,000; vesting typically 25% per quarter post-annual meeting; no performance metrics disclosed for director equity . |
| Cash Fees | Fixed retainers | Role-based retainers as noted; no variable/performance link for non-employee directors . |
No director performance metrics (e.g., revenue, TSR) are tied to non-employee director compensation in filings reviewed; director pay is a mix of fixed cash retainers and time-vested option awards .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Positions | Potential Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calliditas Therapeutics AB | Director | Not disclosed in SNGX filing | No overlap with Soligenix vendors/customers disclosed . |
| Kura Oncology, Inc. | Director | Not disclosed in SNGX filing | No SNGX related-party disclosure . |
| TriSalus Life Sciences | Director | Not disclosed | Private; no SNGX related-party disclosure . |
| Celularity Inc. | Director | Chair, Compensation; Member, Audit | Independent roles at another biopharma; no SNGX related-party disclosure . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Oncology commercialization leader (Kite Yescarta; Pharmacyclics Imbruvica), large-cap biotech go-to-market and sales leadership (Amgen, Genentech) .
- Academic credentials: BS (Kansas State University), MBA (Georgia State University) .
- Board experience across U.S. and European public biopharma; current committee leadership experience at Celularity (Compensation Chair; Audit member) .
Equity Ownership
Beneficial ownership at Soligenix (as of April 21, 2025):
| Holder | Common Shares | Options Exercisable ≤60 Days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diane L. Parks | 63 | 7,273 | 7,336 | * (<1%) |
Historical reference points (company-wide capital changes occurred): 10,089 beneficially owned as of Jan 8, 2024; 19,623 as of Mar 8, 2024—differences reflect changing option counts and outstanding share base across periods .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with strong oncology commercialization and large-cap operating experience; alignment with Soligenix’s therapeutic focus .
- Active on key oversight committees (Audit and Compensation) that are fully independent, supporting board effectiveness .
- Attendance meets ≥75% standard; board reports all current directors (including Parks) met attendance expectations in 2024, supporting engagement .
- Alignment considerations:
- Director equity ownership is de minimis (<1%); director compensation includes equity via time-vested options but no disclosed director stock ownership guidelines in filings reviewed .
- Potential watch items:
- Multiple concurrent board commitments (Calliditas, Kura, TriSalus, Celularity) increase time demands; however, filings show no related-party transactions or conflicts tied to Parks at Soligenix .
- Director pay is fixed-fee and time-based equity; no performance conditions for director equity, which is typical but offers limited direct pay-for-performance linkage for board service .
No legal proceedings, pledging/hedging, loans, or related-party transactions involving Ms. Parks are disclosed in the Soligenix 2025 proxy sections reviewed .