Bethany Sensenig
SUPERNUS PHARMACEUTICALSAbout Bethany L. Sensenig
Bethany L. Sensenig (age 49) has served as an independent director of Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN) since August 2023. She is currently CFO and Head of Operations at Radius Health, and previously served as CFO and Interim CEO of 9 Meters Biopharma (which filed for bankruptcy in July 2023), and CFO/Head of U.S. Operations at Minovia Therapeutics; she spent 13 years at Biogen culminating as VP of Finance and Commercial Operations. She holds a BS in Accounting and Business Management (Montreat College), an MBA (Western Carolina University), and is a Certified Management Accountant.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Inc. | VP Finance & Commercial Operations | ~13 years total, latest VP role pre-2022 | Direct P&L accountability across ~30 countries; transactions totaling >$2B across Biogen/Minovia |
| 9 Meters Biopharma | CFO; Interim CEO | Jan 2022 – Jul 2023 | Led finance and interim CEO duties; company filed for bankruptcy Jul 2023 (context for risk) |
| Minovia Therapeutics | CFO; Head of U.S. Operations | Prior to 2022 | Built business and financing strategy |
| Merck & Co.; Nexus Technologies | Financial management/analyst roles | Early career | Foundational finance roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radius Health, Inc. | CFO & Head of Operations | Not disclosed as public in proxy | Corporate strategy, execution, financial value creation focus |
Board Governance
- Class III director with term expiring 2027; director since 2023. Independent under Nasdaq rules; not an employee of SUPN.
- Committees: Audit Committee member; designated Audit Committee Financial Expert (SEC definition) given CFO experience. Not on Compensation, Governance & Nominating, or Science Committees.
- 2024 attendance: Board meetings held 6; Sensenig attended 67% of Board meetings and 80% of Audit Committee meetings; below the 75% threshold for Board attendance noted for other directors.
- Audit Committee met 5 times; G&N Committee held 0 meetings; Science Committee held 4 meetings in 2024.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount (USD) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer | $50,000 | Standard non-chair director retainer |
| Audit Committee member fee | $12,500 | Standard committee member fee |
| Total cash fees (2024) | $62,500 | Reported in director comp table |
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | Grant Date | Quantity/Value | Key Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs | Feb 22, 2024 | $150,010 | Vest 100% after 1 year; forfeiture if service ends pre-vest |
| Stock Options | Aug 17, 2023 (her option award grant date) | $142,678 grant-date fair value | Exercise price $27.94; 10-year term; vest after 1 year |
- Performance metrics tied to director compensation: None disclosed (director equity is time-based, not performance-conditioned).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee roles | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | No public company board memberships disclosed in proxy; no related-party transactions involving Sensenig identified |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and operations executive with global P&L stewardship (Biogen), corporate strategy execution (Radius). Designated Audit Committee Financial Expert; financially literate per SEC/Nasdaq rules.
- Credentials: CMA; MBA; global transaction experience exceeding $2B; multi-geography operational oversight.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 19,659 | As of Apr 22, 2025 |
| % of outstanding | <1% | Table denotes less than 1% of 55,989,623 shares outstanding |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 14,290 | Included in beneficial ownership |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited | Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging and pledging; margin accounts banned |
| Ownership guidelines | $150,000 stock | Directors must hold $150,000 of company stock within 5 years; adopted 2020; individual compliance status not disclosed |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with deep CFO/operations background; designated audit financial expert, enhancing audit oversight quality.
- Clear prohibitions on hedging/pledging improve alignment; director ownership guidelines exist.
- Compensation structure appropriately mixes modest cash retainers with equity, aligning long-term incentives (RSUs/options).
- Company’s 2024 Say-on-Pay support exceeded 95%, signaling broad investor acceptance of pay practices and governance environment.
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Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Board attendance below 75% in 2024 (67%); although Audit Committee attendance met 80%, low Board attendance can signal engagement risk.
- Prior bankruptcy involvement at 9 Meters Biopharma during tenure as CFO/Interim CEO—contextual risk for investors to evaluate track record; not a related-party issue at SUPN.
- Ownership guideline compliance not disclosed at the individual level; monitor progression toward $150,000 threshold given recent appointment.
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Conflicts/Related Party: No transactions involving Sensenig identified; Audit Committee oversees related-party review. Notably, a CEO family employment arrangement exists but is reviewed/approved by Audit Committee; unrelated to Sensenig.
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Overall implication: Sensenig adds seasoned financial oversight to the Audit Committee and is formally recognized as a financial expert, a positive for board effectiveness. Attendance shortfall in 2024 merits monitoring; no disclosed conflicts with current external employment given therapeutic focus differences.