Moderna's Chairman Defends Executive Hiring Process After Firing New CFO In Just One Day

Moderna Inc’s MRNA chairman comes forward with a determined defense of the board’s executive hiring process after being forced to fire its new chief financial officer just a day after taking charge.
Afeyan said the executive search company contracted by Moderna was also blameless because it was unaware of the probe by Dentsply Sirona Inc XRAY.
“I’m quite convinced that those facts were not obtainable to us had a legal context,” Afeyan said in an interview with the Financial Times, adding that there was no doubt “whether we asked enough questions or the right questions.”
“Both the recruiting and vetting process and the process with which we reacted to the new facts that came out were completely appropriate,” added Afeyan.
Related: Moderna Justifies It Did Not Know About Investigation On Its New CFO: WSJ.
Some corporate governance experts have criticized the Moderna board for failing to detect potential problems at Dentsply, especially after the dental products group fired its former chief executive Don Casey on April 19 without explanation.
Afeyan said the departure of Gomez was not a significant setback for the company because former CFO David Meline has agreed to return from retirement to the role until a successor can be found.
Price Action: MRNA shares are down 0.20% at $142.00 during the premarket session on the last check Wednesday.
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