Sarah Teichmann
10x GenomicsAbout Sarah Teichmann
Sarah A. Teichmann, Ph.D., age 49, joined 10x Genomics’ Board in July 2024 and brings deep scientific leadership spanning computational genomics, cellular genetics, and translational research. She is Chair in Stem Cell Medicine at the University of Cambridge (since April 2024), Vice President of Translational Research, Respiratory & Immunology at GSK (since January 2024), co-chair and board co-chair of the Human Cell Atlas, and co-founder/CSO/board member of EnsoCell Therapeutics; she holds a Ph.D. in Computational Genomics and BA/MA in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) from Cambridge and is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences . Director since 2024; tenure under one year as reflected in the board’s skills/tenure matrix (≈0.67 years) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellcome Sanger Institute | Head of Cellular Genetics; Senior Group Leader; Executive Board Member | Head: 2016–2023; Senior Group Leader: 2013–Apr 2024; Executive Board: 2016–2023 | Led cellular genetics; executive board service |
| European Molecular Biology Laboratory – EBI | Research Group Leader | 2013–2016 | Computational biology leadership |
| MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Cambridge) | Programme Leader | 2001–2013 | Molecular biology program leadership |
| University of Cambridge – Cavendish Laboratory | Director of Research (Physics) | 2013–Apr 2024 | Academic research leadership |
| University College London | Beit Memorial Fellow | 2000–2001 | Postdoctoral fellowship |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes/Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cambridge – Stem Cell Institute & Dept. of Medicine | Chair in Stem Cell Medicine | Since Apr 2024 | Academic chair |
| GSK plc | VP, Translational Research, Respiratory & Immunology | Since Jan 2024 | Senior R&D leadership |
| Human Cell Atlas (HCA) | Co-chair, Organizing Committee; Co-chair of Board (Human Cell Atlas, Inc.) | Since Oct 2016; Board since Apr 2020 | Global initiative governance |
| EnsoCell Therapeutics (private) | Co-founder, CSO, Board Member | Since Sep 2023 | Spatial genomics/AI drug discovery |
| University of Cambridge – Churchill College | Senior Research Fellow | Since Oct 2016 | Academic fellowship |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: As of the 2025 proxy, Teichmann is listed as a Class II Director with no committee footnote, indicating no service on Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance, or M&A committees; those footnotes are shown for other directors .
- Independence: The Board determined Sarah Teichmann is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings for their service period .
- Years of service: Director since July 10, 2024 (Class II) .
- Leadership/structure: Independent Chair; separate Chair and CEO/President; executive sessions for non-employee directors regularly included .
- Risk oversight: Audit oversees accounting/cyber/privacy/financial reporting; Compensation oversees pay risk; N&CG oversees independence and conflicts; Board receives regular risk updates .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | TXG Policy (effective Apr 26, 2024) | Sarah Teichmann 2024 Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $55,000 (paid quarterly, prorated) | $26,155 in fees earned (partial-year) |
| Committee retainers | Audit Chair $25,000; Audit Member $10,000; Comp Chair $18,250; Comp Member $8,000; N&CG Chair $12,500; N&CG Member $5,000 | Not applicable (no committee service disclosed) |
| Meeting fees | None; travel/lodging reimbursed | None disclosed |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Grant Basis | Vesting | Change-in-Control (CIC) | Sarah Teichmann 2024 Actual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU (outside annual meeting) | $400,000 ÷ 20-day avg closing price after month following appointment | 1/3 on first quarterly vest date anniversary; remaining quarterly over next 2 years | Vests in full immediately prior to CIC | Stock awards grant-date fair value $443,697; RSUs outstanding 19,002 as of 12/31/24; no options |
| Annual RSU (at annual meeting) | $215,000 ÷ 20-day avg closing price in most recent open window | Quarterly over 1 year (four equal installments) | Vests in full immediately prior to CIC | Not applicable for 2024 (joined mid-year); not disclosed for 2025 grant yet |
- Mix and alignment: In 2024, equity comprised the majority of her director compensation ($443,697 stock vs. $26,155 cash), reflecting strong equity alignment and standard time-based vesting for directors .
- Clawbacks/hedging: Company maintains a clawback policy compliant with SEC/Nasdaq; directors and executives are prohibited from hedging, pledging, and short sales of company stock .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Company/Organization | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public company boards | — | — | No other public company directorships disclosed for Teichmann in the proxy |
| Private company boards | EnsoCell Therapeutics | Co-founder, CSO, Board Member | Private company; spatial genomics/AI |
| Nonprofit/academic boards | Human Cell Atlas, Inc. | Co-chair of Board | Nonprofit supporting HCA |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain and leadership: Life sciences; biopharma R&D; technology; international business; business operations/development; strategic and portfolio planning; corporate governance; risk management (per Board skills matrix) .
- Education and recognition: Ph.D. in Computational Genomics (Cambridge); BA/MA Natural Sciences (Biochemistry); Fellow of the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences; EMBO member; Fellow of ISCB .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares | % Class A | Class B Shares | % Class B | % Total Voting Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Teichmann | — | * | — | — | * |
- RSUs/Options: 19,002 RSUs outstanding as of 12/31/24; no options outstanding .
- Ownership guidelines: Directors must hold ≥3x the annual base cash retainer; measurement includes time-based RSUs; attainment deadline is Jan 25, 2029 or the fifth anniversary of appointment; as of the proxy, directors are meeting or progressing toward thresholds .
- Hedging/pledging: Prohibited by company policy .
Governance Assessment
-
Positives
- Independence confirmed; committees comprised solely of independents; strong governance structure with independent chair and regular executive sessions .
- Attendance threshold met (≥75%); early tenure but active governance framework in place .
- Significant scientific and translational medicine expertise enhances oversight in core strategic areas for TXG .
- Compensation mix is predominantly equity with standardized time-based vesting and robust ownership guidelines, aligning incentives with shareholders .
-
Watch items
- Multiple external affiliations (GSK executive role; EnsoCell co-founder/CSO) could present potential perceived conflicts in customer/partner ecosystems; however, the Board affirmed independence and maintains an Audit Committee–overseen related-party transaction policy; no related-party transactions involving directors were disclosed beyond compensation .
- Low current beneficial ownership (no shares deemed beneficial as of 3/31/25) may moderate near-term “skin-in-the-game,” though RSU holdings and ownership policy mitigate over time .
- Director RSUs fully accelerate upon a CIC (immediately prior), which is market-consistent but can be viewed as a potential entrenchment/performance sensitivity consideration for some investors .
-
Context
- Say-on-pay support was ~83% at the 2024 annual meeting, indicating generally supportive shareholder sentiment toward compensation practices .
Overall, Sarah Teichmann strengthens board effectiveness with top-tier scientific credentials and independent status; policies on ownership, clawbacks, and hedging support alignment, while external roles warrant routine monitoring under the related-party framework.