Briggs Morrison
About Briggs Morrison
Briggs Morrison, M.D. (age 66) has served on Arvinas’s board since June 2018 and as Lead Independent Director since June 2023. He is Chief Executive Officer of Crossbow Therapeutics and an Entrepreneur Partner at MPM BioImpact; previously he held senior roles at Syndax Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca. He earned his M.D. from the University of Connecticut and B.S. in Biology from Georgetown University, with residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and fellowship in Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca plc | Chief Medical Officer & Head of Global Medicines Development | Jan 2012 – Jun 2015 | Led global late-stage development portfolio . |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc. | CEO; later President, Head of R&D | Prior to Feb 2022; Feb 2022 – Apr 2023 | Directed R&D and corporate strategy . |
| MPM BioImpact (formerly MPM Capital) | Entrepreneur/Executive Partner | Since Jun 2015 | Biotech company formation and board service . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Current | CEO since 2022 (privately held; biotech) . |
| Carisma Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Current | Public company board . |
| CRISPR Therapeutics AG | Director | Current | Public company board (added by 2025) . |
| Werewolf Therapeutics Inc. | Director | Current | Public company board . |
| Repare Therapeutics Inc. | Director | Former | Previously served; no longer current in 2025 . |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Director | Former | Previously served; not current in 2025 . |
| Codiak Biosciences, NextCure, Oncorus | Director | Former | Prior public board service . |
Board Governance
- Lead Independent Director responsibilities include chairing executive sessions, agenda-setting with the Chair/CEO, facilitating director-CEO communications, and monitoring stockholder communications; structure adopted when board combined Chair and CEO roles in 2023 .
- Committee memberships: Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee (member; chair is Edward Kennedy, Jr.) and Science & Technology Committee (member; chair is Sunil Agarwal, M.D.). Nominating/Governance met 4 times; Science & Technology met 2 times in 2024 .
- Independence: Board determined Morrison is independent under Nasdaq rules (as of March 2025); Audit and Compensation committees comprised solely of independent directors .
- Attendance: Board met 5 times in 2024; each current director attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Policy/Amount | Effective Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer (member) | $45,000 | May 2024 | Increased from $40,000 (June 2023 program) . |
| Board chair incremental | $40,000 | May 2024 | Not applicable to Morrison. |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $30,000 | May 2024 | Increased from $25,000 (June 2023 program) . |
| Audit Committee (member/chair) | $10,000 / $10,000 | May 2024 | Morrison not listed as member . |
| Compensation Committee (member/chair) | $7,500 / $7,500 | May 2024 | Morrison not listed as member . |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance (member/chair) | $5,000 / $5,000 | May 2024 | Morrison is a member . |
| Science & Technology (member/chair) | $7,500 / $7,500 | May 2024 | Morrison is a member . |
| 2024 Fees Earned (actual) | $80,220 | FY2024 | Reported in director comp table. |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Grant Value/Fair Value | Structure | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity grant | $375,000 total; ~$200,189 RSUs; ~$199,976 options (2024 values for Morrison) | 2/3 options, 1/3 RSUs; ASC 718 fair value | Vests in full on 1st anniversary or first board meeting after next annual meeting . |
| Initial director equity grant (upon first election) | $750,000 total | 2/3 options, 1/3 RSUs | Options: monthly over 36 months; RSUs: annually over 3 years; both accelerate on change of control . |
Performance metrics tied to director compensation:
| Metric | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| TSR / Revenue / ESG metrics | None disclosed for non-employee director grants; awards are time-based RSUs and options . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to ARVN | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| CRISPR Therapeutics AG; Werewolf Therapeutics; Carisma Therapeutics | None disclosed | No related-party transactions involving Morrison disclosed; board confirms independence . |
| Crossbow Therapeutics (CEO) | None disclosed | Company maintains a related person transaction review policy administered by Audit Committee . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Oncology and drug development leader with senior operating roles at AstraZeneca and Syndax; extensive biotech board experience .
- Medical training at MGH/Dana-Farber; governance experience as Lead Independent Director at ARVN since 2023 .
- Biotech company formation and investment experience via MPM BioImpact .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2025 | 101,933 | <1% (based on 72,983,588 shares outstanding) | 24,097 common; 5,899 RSUs vesting within 60 days; 71,937 options exercisable within 60 days . |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 70,056 | <1% (based on 68,308,405 shares outstanding) | RSUs 5,899; options 71,937 outstanding at year end 2024 . |
Policy notes:
- Insider Trading Policy applies to directors, officers and employees; company highlights hedging/pledging prohibitions for executive officers; 2018 Plan prohibits option repricing without stockholder approval; Dodd-Frank-compliant clawback policy adopted (administered by Compensation Committee) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Lead Independent Director role with clearly defined duties, active membership on governance and science committees, and confirmed independence under Nasdaq rules; attendance thresholds met; equity-heavy director pay aligns interests with stockholders .
- Alignment: Annual director equity (~$375k) with one-year vesting and meaningful cash retainers (LID + committee memberships) indicate balanced incentives; no related-party transactions involving Morrison disclosed in the proxy .
- Signals: Board raised cash retainers in May 2024 (including LID from $25k to $30k) indicating recognition of governance workload; continued independence determinations and committee-only independent membership support investor confidence .
- Shareholder feedback: 2025 say-on-pay passed; votes For 39,539,338; Against 13,240,969; Abstain 101,477; Broker non-votes 7,510,892 .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging by directors, option repricing, or director attendance shortfalls in 2024; continued monitoring recommended given concurrent external CEO role at Crossbow and multiple public boards (potential time/attention and information-flow risks), mitigated by independence review and related-party transaction policy .