Dan Becker
About Dan Becker
Dan Becker, M.D., Ph.D., age 50, is a Managing Director at Access Biotechnology (biopharma investment arm of Access Industries) and will serve as an independent director of Zura Bio upon election at the May 21, 2025 annual meeting; he holds an M.D. and Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and a B.S. in Physiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign . He trained clinically in internal medicine and nephrology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and was a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School; the Board has affirmatively determined he meets Nasdaq independence standards upon appointment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Biotechnology (Access Industries) | Managing Director | Aug 2019–present | Biopharma investing; multiple board seats |
| New Leaf Venture Partners | Principal | Jan 2015–May 2019 | Venture investing in life sciences |
| Boston Consulting Group (Healthcare Practice) | Principal | Aug 2009–Jan 2015 | Strategy/operations advisory in healthcare |
| Brigham & Women’s Hospital; Massachusetts General Hospital | Clinical Training (Internal Medicine, Nephrology) | Prior to 2009 | Clinical residency/fellowship |
| Harvard Medical School | Research Fellow | Prior to 2009 | Academic research |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Since | Notes/Adjacency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acelyrin, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLRN) | Director | Sep 2022–present | Immunology adjacency |
| Areteia Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Feb 2024–present | Respiratory/allergy adjacency |
| Hemab ApS | Director | Feb 2023–present | Hematology |
| Matchpoint Therapeutics | Director | Apr 2021–present | Drug discovery platform |
| Khanda Therapeutics L.P. | Director | Dec 2024–present | Early-stage biotech |
| Perfuse Therapeutics | Director | Jul 2020–present | Cardiovascular |
| Mariana Oncology | Former Director | Apr 2021–May 2024 | Oncology |
| Day One Biopharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: DAWN) | Former Director | Dec 2019–May 2024 | Pediatric oncology |
| DTx Pharma | Former Director | Feb 2021–Jul 2023 | RNA therapeutics |
| Principia Biopharma, Inc. | Former Director | Jan 2017–Sep 2020 | Autoimmune (sold to Sanofi) |
| Pandion Therapeutics, Inc. | Former Director | Mar 2020–Mar 2021 | Autoimmune (sold to Merck) |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Following the 2025 Annual Meeting (subject to election), Becker will chair the Compensation Committee; members will be Jennifer Jarrett, Amit Munshi, and Dan Becker .
- Independence: The Board has affirmed Becker will be independent under Nasdaq listing standards upon appointment .
- Attendance/engagement: In 2024, the Board met 5 times; each then-serving director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings; independent director executive sessions are regularly scheduled, typically at each regular Board meeting .
- Leadership structure: Roles of Chair and CEO are separated; the Chair is currently Amit Munshi (independent, non-employee director) .
- Committee context: Audit (Chair: Steve Schoch; Financial Expert designation), Compensation (Chair: Sandeep Kulkarni until the Annual Meeting), Nominating & Governance (Chair: Neil Graham as of Apr 22, 2025); committee reassignments were implemented on Apr 22, 2025 .
- Risk oversight: Risk oversight is handled by the full Board and standing committees (Audit: financial/cyber; Compensation: pay risk; Nominating & Governance: legal/compliance) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $40,000 | Non-Employee Director Policy, effective Apr 1, 2025 |
| Chair of Board | +$25,000 | Not applicable to Becker (Chair is Munshi) |
| Audit Committee member | +$8,000 | Annual cash retainer |
| Compensation Committee member | +$6,000 | Annual cash retainer |
| Nominating & Governance Committee member | +$6,000 | Annual cash retainer |
| Audit Committee chair | +$16,000 | Annual cash retainer |
| Compensation Committee chair | +$12,000 | Annual cash retainer (applicable to Becker as chair) |
| Nominating & Governance Committee chair | +$10,000 | Annual cash retainer |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed | No per-meeting fees noted |
Context: Zura reduced the standard annual director cash retainer from $50,000 to $40,000 effective Oct 23, 2024; 2025 policy codifies the lower retainer and committee fees .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award | Shares/Value Cap | Vesting | Term | Post-termination exercise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Option Grant (upon election) | Lesser of 51,000 shares or options valued at ≤$200,000 | 12 equal monthly installments over 1 year; any remaining unvested vests immediately before next AGM | 10 years | 6 months (other than death or cause) |
| Annual Option Grant (each AGM) | Lesser of 51,000 shares or options valued at ≤$200,000 (prorated if <1 year service) | 12 equal monthly installments over 1 year; any remaining unvested vests immediately before next AGM | 10 years | 6 months (other than death or cause) |
- Options are granted under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan; standard director equity grants vest monthly and are capped by fair value; strike price equals grant-date fair market value per plan norms (strike not specified in policy text) .
- No director performance (TSR/EBITDA/ESG) metrics are disclosed for director equity; director pay is time-vested and not performance-conditioned .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Becker’s affiliation: He is a biotechnology principal at Access Industries; AI Biotechnology LLC (affiliated with Access) holds significant Zura exposure via shares and pre-funded warrants subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership blocker; Becker disclaims beneficial ownership except for indirect profits interest .
- Competitive adjacency: Current boards include Acelyrin (immunology) and Areteia Therapeutics (respiratory/allergy), which overlap with Zura’s immunology focus; potential information-flow risks should be managed via committee recusals and confidentiality .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Degrees: M.D. and Ph.D. (Cellular & Molecular Biology), University of Michigan; B.S. Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign .
- Clinical and scientific background: Internal medicine/nephrology training at Brigham & Women’s and MGH; research fellow at Harvard Medical School .
- Investment and operating experience: Senior roles at Access Biotechnology, New Leaf Venture Partners, BCG; extensive board experience in early-stage and clinical-stage biotech .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Becker | — | — | No Zura beneficial ownership as of Apr 1, 2025; affiliated with Access Industries; disclaims beneficial ownership of AI Biotechnology holdings except pecuniary interest |
| Director/insider trading policies | Prohibitions | — | Company policy prohibits hedging, short selling, margin purchases, and pledging of shares |
Ownership guidelines: No specific director stock ownership guidelines disclosed; insider trading policy and clawback policy (for executives) are in place .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Becker’s deep scientific and investing background strengthens Compensation oversight; appointment as Compensation Committee Chair signals intent to align pay structures with biotech market norms and investor expectations .
- Independence and attendance: Determined independent; Board’s 2024 engagement levels and regular executive sessions support robust oversight culture .
- Compensation structure: 2025 director policy reduces cash retainers and caps equity value, indicating cost discipline; options vest monthly and are not performance-conditioned, which is typical for directors but reduces pay-for-performance linkage .
- Clawback and risk controls: Company adopted Dodd‑Frank compliant Clawback Policy and prohibits hedging/pledging, improving investor alignment and reducing risk .
- Potential conflicts — RED FLAGS:
- Access Industries affiliation: AI Biotechnology (Access affiliate) is a 9.99% beneficial owner constrained by a blocker; Becker’s indirect profits interest and compensation committee chair role require vigilant conflict management (recusals on matters implicating Access/AI Biotechnology) .
- Competitive interlocks: Current directorships at Acelyrin and Areteia may touch overlapping immunology indications; robust confidentiality and recusals should be documented to mitigate information-flow risk .
- Signals to monitor: Any related-party transactions with Access/AI entities, changes in director equity award terms, or compensation peer group shifts; committee composition changes after the AGM (Becker chairing) and use of independent consultants (Aon) are positives if maintained .
Insider Trades
| Date Range | Reporting Person | Form Type | Transaction Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | Dan Becker | — | Not a Zura reporting person in 2024; no Form 4s listed for Becker; delinquent Section 16(a) disclosures do not include Becker |
| As of Apr 1, 2025 | Dan Becker | — | No beneficial ownership reported; no trades disclosed in proxy |
Note: Becker’s board service begins upon election at the May 21, 2025 AGM; post-appointment transactions will be subject to Section 16 filing requirements .
Director Compensation Context (Peers on Zura Board, FY2024)
| Name | Cash Fees ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amit Munshi | 87,125 | 251,082 | 338,207 |
| Jennifer Jarrett | 56,125 | 251,082 | 307,207 |
| Neil Graham | 54,125 | 251,082 | 305,207 |
| Sandeep Kulkarni | 66,125 | 251,082 | 317,207 |
| Steve Schoch | 64,125 | 251,082 | 315,207 |
| Parvinder Thiara | 64,125 | 408,969 | 473,094 |
| Arnout Ploos van Amstel | 54,125 | 410,206 | 466,331 |
2024 program reduced standard cash retainer from $50,000 to $40,000 effective Oct 23, 2024; 2025 policy maintains $40,000 with committee retainers/chair premiums and annual equity grants capped at $200k fair value .
Related-Party and Shareholder Concentration Watch
- AI Biotechnology LLC (Access affiliate) and Venrock engaged in 2025 warrant exchanges, surrendering 3,000,000 and 3,500,000 shares respectively for pre-funded warrants (exercise price $0.001, 9.99% blocker, no expiration), affecting voting dynamics without increasing economic exposure; monitor governance implications of large non-voting warrant positions .
- Beneficial ownership concentration: Top holders include Access-affiliated AI Biotechnology (~9.99%), Venrock (~9.99%), Deep Track (~8.66%), Hana (~7.90%), Suvretta (~7.11%), Baker Brothers (~6.60%); concentrated ownership elevates the importance of independent committee leadership and transparent engagement .
Summary Implications for Investors
- Positive: Independent status, strong scientific/investing credentials, Compensation Committee chair role, and adoption of clawback/anti-hedging policies enhance governance credibility .
- Risks/RED FLAGS: Access Industries affiliation amid significant AI Biotechnology holdings, and competitive interlocks, necessitate clear recusals and transparent disclosure to maintain investor confidence; monitor Compensation Committee decisions under Becker’s chairmanship for pay discipline and alignment .