Luke Walker
About Luke Walker
Luke Walker, M.D. (age 53) has served as an independent Class II director of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals since May 24, 2024. He is Chief Medical Officer of Umoja Biopharma (since January 2025) and previously served as CMO of Harpoon Therapeutics; his background includes senior clinical development roles at Seagen and Cascadian, clinical practice in oncology/hematology, and fellowships at Oregon Health Sciences University; he holds an M.D. from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma, and completed the Stanford GSB LGBTQ Executive Leadership Program (2017) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umoja Biopharma, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | Jan 2025–present | Executive leadership in in vivo CAR-T development |
| Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | Oct 2022–Mar 2024 | Oversaw T‑cell engager oncology programs; company acquired by Merck Mar 2024 |
| Seagen, Inc. | Vice President, Clinical Development | Mar 2018–Sep 2022 | Led TUKYSA (tucatinib) and early-stage portfolio |
| Cascadian Therapeutics, Inc. | Senior Vice President, Clinical Development (various roles 2011–2018) | 2011–2018 | Clinical development leadership; company acquired by Seagen in 2018 |
| Providence Regional Medical Center (Everett, WA) | Medical Oncologist/Hematologist | 2007–2011 | Clinical practice |
| The Everett Clinic, Center for Cancer Care | Medical Oncologist/Hematologist | 2005–2007 | Clinical practice |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public/Private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Context Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CNTX) | Director | Since Sep 2024 | Public |
| Umoja Biopharma, Inc. | Chief Medical Officer | Since Jan 2025 | Private |
Board Governance
- Board classification and tenure: Class II director up for election in 2025 to serve until the 2028 annual meeting .
- Independence: The Board determined Walker is independent under Nasdaq rules; he serves only as a non-employee director at Zentalis .
- Committee assignments: Member, Audit Committee (Audit met 4 times in 2024); Member, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (met 3 times in 2024). Not a chair on any committee .
- Attendance: Board held 20 meetings in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings during their service period .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors meet in executive session at every regularly scheduled Board meeting per governance practice .
- Clawback and conduct policies: Company maintains a Dodd‑Frank compliant clawback policy (adopted Oct 2023) and an anti‑hedging/pledging Insider Trading Compliance Policy that applies to directors .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | ZNTL Policy (2024) | ZNTL Policy (2025 update) | Walker 2024 Actual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board cash retainer | $45,000 | Unchanged | $33,242 (partial year) |
| Chair/LID additional cash | Chair: $45,000; LID: $30,000 | Unchanged | N/A (not chair/LID) |
| Audit Committee cash | Member: $10,000; Chair: $20,000 | Unchanged | Included in fees (partial year) |
| Compensation Committee cash | Member: $7,500; Chair: $15,000 | Unchanged | Not a member |
| Nominating Committee cash | Member: $5,000; Chair: $10,000 | Unchanged | Included in fees (partial year) |
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Equity Element | Grant Basis | Vesting | Walker 2024 Grant Value | Unvested Holdings at 12/31/2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RSU upon appointment | $850,000 divided by 30‑day avg price (for 2024 program) | 3 equal annual installments | $816,861 fair value (2024) | 72,481 RSUs unvested |
| Annual RSU | $425,000 (Chair/LID: $495,000) divided by 30‑day avg price (2024 program) | Vests by next AGM or first anniversary | Applies generally; director-specific timing may vary | See holdings above |
| 2025 program change | Initial: 0.10%–0.20% of shares outstanding; Annual: 0.08% of shares outstanding | Same vesting schedules | Policy-level change | Policy-level change |
Note: Zentalis does not use performance metrics (e.g., TSR or financial hurdles) for director equity; grants are time‑based RSUs with standard vesting and are not tied to revenue/EBITDA/ESG goals .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company board: Context Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CNTX) .
- Network interlock: Scott Myers (ZNTL Chair) serves on the board of Umoja Biopharma; Walker is CMO of Umoja. This is a governance-relevant interlock to monitor for potential influence or information flow; no related-party transaction with Umoja is disclosed by ZNTL .
- Prior affiliation overlaps: Walker was CMO at Harpoon; ZNTL CEO Julie Eastland previously served as Harpoon CEO/Director. This indicates prior working relationships but no related-party transactions disclosed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Therapeutic area: Oncology clinical development leadership across small biotech and large-cap environments; led TUKYSA (tucatinib) program and multiple early-stage assets .
- Clinical credentials: ABIM Diplomate in Medical Oncology; prior board certifications in Hematology and Internal Medicine; fellowships in bone marrow/stem cell transplantation and hematology/medical oncology (OHSU) .
- Education: M.D., University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; B.A. in letters and French, University of Oklahoma; Stanford GSB LGBTQ Executive Leadership Program (2017) .
- Board skills: Independent; Audit Committee member with financial literacy per Nasdaq rules; contributes to risk oversight and governance processes .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Owned | RSUs vesting within 60 days | Total Beneficial Ownership | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Walker, M.D. | 14,200 | 24,160 | 38,360 (<1%) | As of record date April 21, 2025 |
| Unvested RSUs (not counted in beneficial ownership) | — | — | 72,481 RSUs unvested at 12/31/2024 | Director equity position for alignment |
Policies:
- Anti‑hedging/pledging applies to directors; no pledging disclosed for Walker .
- Ownership guidelines: Proxy does not disclose director stock ownership guidelines; no compliance status indicated .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Walker adds deep oncology clinical development expertise relevant to ZNTL’s azenosertib program; his Audit and Nominating roles support financial oversight and governance processes .
- Independence and engagement: Formally independent under Nasdaq rules; attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings during his service period in 2024; serves on two key committees, indicating active engagement .
- Alignment: Director compensation is majority equity via RSUs with multi‑year vesting, and he holds a meaningful unvested RSU balance; anti‑hedging/pledging policy strengthens alignment with shareholders .
- Potential conflicts and related-party exposure: No ZNTL related-party transactions disclosed involving Walker. Interlock with Umoja (Walker CMO; Myers board member) is a monitoring item, but no current transactions are disclosed .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Walker on attendance, hedging/pledging, or related-party transactions. Continue monitoring for any transactions between ZNTL and Umoja/Context that could introduce conflicts .