Myla Lai-Goldman
Director at WST
Board
About Myla P. Lai-Goldman
Dr. Myla P. Lai-Goldman, M.D., age 67, is an independent director of West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), serving since 2014. She chairs the Innovation & Technology Committee and sits on the Finance Committee; her background spans precision medicine leadership, clinical diagnostics, and senior medical/scientific roles at Labcorp and Roche Biomedical, with board certification in anatomic and clinical pathology and degrees from Columbia University (M.D.) and the University of Pennsylvania (B.A. Biology) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeneCentric Therapeutics, Inc. | Chair and Former CEO/President | 2011–present | Precision medicine leadership; regulatory, R&D oversight |
| Personalized Science, LLC | Managing Partner & Founder | 2009–present | Clinical diagnostic consulting; industry expertise |
| Labcorp | Chief Medical Officer (prior role) | Not disclosed | Navigated healthcare regulatory landscape |
| Roche Biomedical | Senior medical/scientific roles (prior) | Not disclosed | Diagnostics and scientific leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akoya Biosciences, Inc. | Director | Current | Public company directorship; committees not disclosed |
| Hatteras Venture Partners | Venture Partner | Aug 2011–present | Early-stage life sciences investing |
Board Governance
- Independence: All Board members other than the CEO/Chair are independent; committees are composed solely of independent directors .
- Attendance: The Board met 15 times in 2024; virtually all directors attended 100% of combined Board/Committee meetings, and all attended at least 90% .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet regularly in executive session at Board and committee levels .
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Mandate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation & Technology | Chair | 3 | Reviews product/technology portfolio, R&D alignment, regulatory/quality landscape; IP portfolio strategy |
| Finance | Member | 5 | Oversight of capital investments, capital structure, debt/dividends/repurchases; M&A integration |
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Board membership cash retainer | $100,000 |
| Committee chair fee (Innovation & Technology) | $15,000 |
| Total cash fees earned (2024) | $115,000 |
| 2024 Non-Employee Director Compensation | Fees Earned in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myla P. Lai-Goldman | $115,000 | $220,000 | $24,252 | $359,252 |
Notes:
- All other compensation includes Dividend Equivalent Units (DEUs) and charitable donation requests; directors may defer cash under the Director Deferred Compensation Plan .
Performance Compensation
Directors receive annual RSUs (time-based), which vest on the next Annual Meeting; most directors elected deferral in 2024 (Dr. Lai-Goldman did) .
| RSU Grant Detail (2024) | Value |
|---|---|
| Grant date | April 23, 2024 |
| RSUs granted | 564 units |
| Grant-date FMV per share | $390.20 |
| Vesting | Full vest at next Annual Meeting, subject to service; retirement-year monthly vesting at mandatory retirement |
| Deferral election (2024) | Yes (deferred) |
| Unvested RSUs at 12/31/2024 | 565 units |
| Outstanding director stock awards (vested + unvested) | 18,490 units total (17,925 vested; 565 unvested) |
| Options outstanding | None (no directors have outstanding options) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company board: Akoya Biosciences, Inc. .
- Related-party/Interlocks: The Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (“NCGC”) reviews related-party transactions; no interlocks or related-party transactions involving Dr. Lai-Goldman are indicated in the sections reviewed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Expansive healthcare industry experience across precision medicine and clinical diagnostics; board-certified pathologist .
- Executive leadership in large multinationals; regulatory navigation as Labcorp CMO .
- Provides scientific and market context to West’s Board; chairs Innovation & Technology Committee .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Metric (as of 2/28/2025) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Common stock beneficially owned | 17,937 shares (includes vested deferred stock/units) |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 0 |
| Percent of class | <1% |
| Director Deferred Compensation Plan: Vested stock-settled unit & deferred stock value | $5,871,506 |
| Director Deferred Compensation Plan: Unvested deferred stock/RSU value | $185,094 |
| Director Deferred Compensation Plan: Total account balance | $6,056,600 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by policy for directors and executives |
| Ownership guideline | 5x annual retainer within 3 years; directors elected prior to 2022 meet requirement (Dr. Lai-Goldman meets) |
Governance Assessment
- Committee leadership and domain expertise: Chairing Innovation & Technology positions her to oversee R&D alignment, regulatory quality, and IP strategy—areas material to West’s product portfolio and risk management .
- Independence and attendance: Independent status, with strong attendance norms (Board met 15 times; virtually all directors at 100%, all ≥90%) supports board effectiveness and investor confidence .
- Alignment via equity: Annual RSUs (~$220,000 grant value), deferral elections, and 5x retainer ownership guideline—met by pre-2022 directors—indicate meaningful skin-in-the-game and long-term alignment; pledging/hedging prohibited .
- Shareholder support signal: Directors received an average of 95.5% support from shareholders in 2024, evidencing broad investor confidence in board oversight .
- Related-party/consultant oversight: NCGC administers director equity compensation plans and reviews related-party transactions; no specific conflicts disclosed for Dr. Lai-Goldman in the sections reviewed .
RED FLAGS
- None observed in reviewed proxy sections: no pledging/hedging, no options repricing, no related-party transactions disclosed for Dr. Lai-Goldman; director attendance standards and independence maintained .