Alpna Seth
About Alpna Seth
Alpna Seth, Ph.D., is an independent director of Bio‑Techne (TECH), age 62, serving on the Board since 2017. She chairs the Nominations and Governance Committee and sits on the Science and Technology Committee, bringing deep biopharma operating experience across R&D, commercialization, and international leadership. Her credentials include a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (UMass Medical School), post‑doctoral research at Harvard (HHMI Fellow), and Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nura Bio Inc. | President & CEO | ~2019–2022 (retired in 2022 after 3 years) | Led novel neuroprotective drug discovery; CEO leadership |
| Vir Biotechnology, Inc. | Chief Operating Officer | Jul 2017–Jan 2019 | Enterprise operations and strategy |
| Biogen Inc. | Senior VP & Global Head, Biosimilars (Switzerland); multiple senior roles across R&D and commercial | ~1998–2014 (nearly two decades at Biogen, most recently leading biosimilars) | Led major drug development, product launches, BD, long‑range planning; founded India affiliate; Asia‑Pacific leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keros Therapeutics | Director (public) | Since 2023 | Current public company board service |
| Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories | Director (public) | Since 2023 | Current public company board service |
| Seagen | Director (public) | 2018–2023 | Prior public company board service |
The proxy notes Seth’s governance experience across Audit, Science & Technology, Risk, Compensation, and Nominations & Governance committees, though specific committee assignments at external boards are not detailed .
Board Governance
- Independence: All non‑employee directors, including Seth, are determined independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments: Chair, Nominations & Governance (Board refreshment, independence determinations, governance standards, sustainability oversight) and Member, Science & Technology (R&D strategy, IP, and AI risk oversight) .
- AI oversight: Board assigned AI applications and risk oversight to the Science & Technology Committee; Seth serves on this committee .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in FY2025; each director attended at least 85%; average attendance 96%. Nominations & Governance met 4 times (avg attendance 100%); Science & Technology met 2 times (avg attendance 100%) .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors held four executive sessions in FY2025 (Chair presided) .
- Overboarding limits: Independent directors may serve on no more than four other public boards; currently, no director serves on more than two other boards—Seth serves on two (within policy) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy (FY2025) | Seth FY2025 Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non‑employee director) | $75,000, paid monthly; no meeting fees; no committee membership fees | $75,000 cash retainer included in total fees |
| Committee chair fee (other than Audit/Comp) | $15,000 for chairs of Nominations, Science & Tech, etc. | Included in total cash fees; Seth’s total cash fees were $85,000 |
| Cash fees total (FY2025) | As above | $85,000 |
Director compensation policy unchanged since 2020; employees receive no Board compensation .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component | Structure (FY2025) | Seth FY2025 Grant Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual equity grant (non‑employee director) | $200,000 value; 50% stock options, 50% restricted stock; options 10‑year term, strike = FMV at grant; vest upon sooner of 1‑year anniversary or next annual meeting | Restricted stock grant: 1,462 shares at $68.37 per share grant‑date value ($99,957). Option awards grant‑date value: $99,984. Total equity grant value recognized: $199,941 |
Vesting and terms:
- Restricted stock vests on earlier of 1‑year anniversary or next annual meeting; dividends paid on RS were not included in grant‑date fair value .
- Options carry 10‑year term; exercise price equals fair market value on grant date .
Directors do not have performance‑conditioned equity; performance metrics apply to executives, not director grants. For context, executive long‑term RSUs are tied to 40% organic revenue, 35% adjusted EBITA, and 25% relative TSR, with negative TSR capped at 100% payout—reinforcing pay‑for‑performance alignment overseen by the Compensation Committee .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to TECH | Potential Interlock/Conflict Note |
|---|---|---|
| Keros Therapeutics | Biotech; potential customer/partner in life sciences | No related party transactions requiring disclosure since start of last fiscal year |
| Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories | Global pharma; potential customer | No related party transactions requiring disclosure since start of last fiscal year |
| Seagen (prior) | Oncology biotech | Prior role; no current disclosed related party transactions |
- Policy prohibits hedging and, with limited exceptions, pledging of Company stock by directors; clawback provisions exist in equity award agreements .
- Board limits external board service to avoid conflicts; directors require approval before accepting new boards to prevent conflicts with duties to TECH .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Scientific/technical: Deep domain expertise in immunology, structural biology, neuroprotection; direct oversight of R&D and product development .
- Operating leadership: COO (Vir), CEO (Nura Bio), senior roles at Biogen across R&D and commercial functions .
- International operations: Led global biosimilars from Switzerland; founded Biogen India; Asia‑Pacific leadership .
- Governance acumen: Extensive public/private board service; experience across key board committees .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 41,283 (13,771 shares held directly; 27,512 vested but unexercised options) |
| Ownership % of shares outstanding | 0.0% (each individual <1%) |
| Unvested restricted shares (FY2025 year‑end) | 1,462 unvested restricted shares (non‑employee directors, except Dr. Herr, held 1,462 unvested RS) |
| Stock ownership guideline compliance | Directors must hold ≥3x annual retainer within 5 years; all independent directors met as of 6/30/2025 except Klimovsky and Herr, implying Seth complies |
Hedging and pledging are prohibited (subject to limited exceptions for pledging with approval and ability to repay), reinforcing alignment .
Governance Assessment
Strengths:
- Independent director with strong attendance and engagement; committees entirely independent; Seth chairs the governance committee and serves on AI‑oversight committee—positive for risk oversight and board effectiveness .
- Robust director compensation design emphasizes equity ownership; TECH enforces director stock ownership guidelines; Seth appears in compliance .
- No related party transactions disclosed; anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging and clawback policies reduce alignment and reputational risk concerns .
Watch points:
- External board service at two public companies (Keros, Dr. Reddy’s) is within policy but warrants ongoing monitoring for information flows/conflicts given TECH’s customer base in biopharma; no issues disclosed to date .
- Company‑level compensation governance remains under investor scrutiny; say‑on‑pay support rebounded to 86% in 2024 after a 35% approval in 2023—ongoing responsiveness is a positive signal but should continue to be tracked .
Overall, Seth’s committee leadership (Nominations & Governance chair) and Science & Technology role are additive to board effectiveness and investor confidence, with policy backstops and attendance supporting governance quality .