Brett Robertson
About Brett Robertson
Brett Robertson, age 65, has served as an independent director of Alpha Teknova, Inc. since June 2021. She brings senior executive experience in life sciences and technology, including CFO roles and extensive legal/governance background; she holds a B.A. in anthropology from UC Berkeley and a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. Robertson is designated independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules and serves as an Audit Committee financial expert; she is currently Chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineti, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2020–2022 | Executive finance leadership for SaaS personalized therapies |
| AtlasMedx, Inc. | Advisory Board Member | Since 2016 | Clinical-stage biopharma advisory; targeted therapeutics |
| CureSeq, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Aug 2016–Jan 2019 | Led molecular diagnostics strategy and operations |
| Invuity, Inc. (acquired by Stryker) | Chief Business Officer & General Counsel | 2010–2016 | Senior legal and commercial leadership; assisted through sale to Stryker |
| Leavitt Covington Ventures, LLC | Venture Partner | 2008–2010 | Represented investors on multiple boards; growth initiatives |
| StubHub, Inc. | SVP & General Counsel | 2006–2007 | Senior legal leadership |
| Ask Jeeves, Inc. | EVP & General Counsel | 2002–2005 | Senior legal leadership |
| Critical Path | VP Strategic Development & General Counsel | 1999–2001 | Strategy and legal leadership |
| Broderbund Software | General Counsel | 1993–1998 | Corporate legal leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AtlasMedx, Inc. | Advisory Board Member | Private biopharma | Ongoing advisory role since 2016 |
| Multiple investor boards (via Leavitt Covington Ventures) | Board Representative | Private companies | Represented investors on multiple boards; specific companies not disclosed |
| Public company boards (other than TKNO) | — | — | None disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments and leadership:
- Audit Committee member; committee chaired by Martha J. Demski; all members are independent and designated “Audit Committee financial experts” .
- Compensation Committee Chair; committee members: Demski (independent), Robertson (independent), Grossman (non‑independent under Nasdaq’s controlled company exemption) .
- Independence: Board determined Robertson is independent under SEC and Nasdaq rules .
- Attendance and engagement: In FY2024, the board met 9 times; Audit Committee met 5 times; Compensation Committee met 10 times. Each director attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings .
- Controlled company context: Teknova is a “controlled company” under Nasdaq rules due to THP’s majority ownership and utilizes certain exemptions for committee composition (notably Compensation and Nominating/Governance) .
Fixed Compensation
| Compensation Element (FY2024) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (independent director) | $40,000 |
| Audit Committee Member Fee | $10,000 |
| Compensation Committee Chair Fee | $15,000 |
| Total Cash Fees Earned | $65,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award (FY2024) | Shares/Terms | Grant Date Fair Value |
|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant (independent director) | 20,000 RSUs; vest in full on first anniversary of grant | $25,800 |
| Options outstanding (as of 12/31/2024) | 44,251 options (strike/expiry not disclosed in director table) | — |
| Performance Metrics in Director Compensation | Status |
|---|---|
| Financial/operational performance metrics tied to director pay (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR) | None disclosed; director equity is time‑based RSUs and options per policy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Public/Private | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| TKNO (Alpha Teknova, Inc.) | Director | Public | Independent; not affiliated with controlling stockholder THP |
| Other public company boards | None disclosed | — | None |
| Private company/advisory roles | AtlasMedx Advisory Board; investor-representative boards (historical) | Private | No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Robertson – |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Legal/governance and executive finance expertise; senior roles across life sciences and technology (GC/CBO/CFO) .
- Audit Committee financial expert designation; experience overseeing financial reporting and audit processes .
- Education: B.A. (Anthropology, UC Berkeley); J.D. (University of Virginia Law School) .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Detail (as of 4/22/2025 unless noted) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | 72,423; less than 1% of outstanding |
| Options outstanding (12/31/2024) | 44,251 shares underlying options |
| RSUs outstanding (12/31/2024) | 20,000 shares underlying RSUs |
| Hedging/pledging of company stock | Prohibited by insider trading policy |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None disclosed |
Insider Trades and Section 16(a) Reporting
| Date | Filing/Disclosure | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2025 | Voluntary Section 16(a) report | Disclosed 5,000 shares owned by an irrevocable trust for which Robertson is co‑trustee and a beneficiary; no transactions disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with dual governance roles: Audit Committee financial expert and Compensation Committee Chair; supports board oversight of financial reporting and pay practices .
- Active committee workload (Audit: 5 meetings; Compensation: 10 meetings in 2024) and ≥75% attendance suggests engagement –.
- Director pay structure mixes modest cash retainers with time‑based RSUs, aligning incentives without performance gaming; total 2024 compensation $90,800 .
- Beneficial ownership and outstanding awards indicate “skin‑in‑the‑game,” with hedging/pledging prohibited by policy .
- Watch items / potential red flags:
- Controlled company governance: Compensation Committee includes a non‑independent member (Grossman) under Nasdaq exemptions; this may dilute perceived independence of pay decisions even with Robertson as Chair .
- THP’s 70.6% beneficial ownership centralizes control; while Robertson is independent, broader board independence is limited by controlled company status .
- No disclosed performance metrics for director compensation; while typical for boards, investors focused on pay-for-performance may require more explicit linkage for executives; company is exempt from say‑on‑pay as an EGC, reducing external feedback mechanisms .