Seagen CEO Siegall resigns after domestic abuse arrest

Less than a month after he was arrested and charged with domestic abuse, Seagen CEO and co-founder Clay Siegall, Ph.D., has resigned from the Seattle-area biotech that he helped build into one of the most successful in the world.

Siegall, 61, also surrenders his duties as president and member of the board of the 24-year-old company.

Last week, when Seagen revealed that Siegall had taken a leave of absence, the biotech company installed four-year chief medical officer Roger Dansey, M.D., as its interim CEO. Dansey will continue in the role until the company’s board finds a replacement. Longtime board member Felix Baker, Ph.D, becomes Seagen's chairman.

Siegall’s resignation was not driven by findings from the company’s investigation, Seagen said. The probe, which the company launched with the help of an independent law firm, remains ongoing.

“The board has great confidence in the leadership of Roger Dansey, the senior management team and the nearly 3,000 employees to continue Seagen’s impressive growth trajectory,” Baker said in a release. “Seagen remains strong. Our future is bright and we are on track to achieve several important milestones over the remainder of 2022 and beyond.”

Seagen has gained FDA approvals for four of its cancer treatments. Last year, the company reported $1.6 billion in revenue. A proxy filing also revealed Siegall to be one of the highest-paid executives in the industry, making $18.9 million in 2021.

On the same day that Siegall presided over the company’s first quarter earnings call, on April 28, he also filed for divorce from his wife, Nellie.

Separate 9-1-1 calls by her and another couple in the early hours of April 23 led to Clay Siegall’s arrest. Officers summoned to Siegall’s $8 million home overlooking the Puget Sound found the couple intoxicated and Nellie Siegall with abrasions on her knees and forehead, according to a police report.

Clay Siegall spent 33 hours in jail and was charged with fourth degree misdemeanor assault. He has denied the allegations.