Ali Satvat
BridgeBio PharmaAbout Ali J. Satvat
Ali J. Satvat (age 47) is an independent director of BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. and a long‑tenured healthcare private equity investor. He has served on BridgeBio’s board since March 2016, currently chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and serves on the Compensation Committee. Satvat holds an A.B. in History & Science from Harvard College and an M.B.A. in Health Care Management and Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKR (Americas Private Equity) | Partner; Co‑Head of Health Care industry team; Global Head KKR Health Care Strategic Growth; Investment Committee member (Americas PE); Chair, Investment Committee (Health Care Strategic Growth) | 2012–present | Leads healthcare investing; governance and financing expertise |
| Apax Partners | Principal, Health Care investing | 2006–2012 | Healthcare deals and portfolio oversight |
| Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation | Investment professional | Prior to Apax | Venture investments in healthcare |
| Audax Group | Private equity professional | Prior to JJD | Middle‑market PE investing |
| The Blackstone Group | Analyst/Associate | Prior to Audax | Large‑cap PE and advisory |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coherus BioSciences (Nasdaq: CHRS) | Director | May 2014–present | Public company board |
| PRA Health Sciences (Nasdaq: PRAH) | Director | Sep 2013–Apr 2018 | Public CRO board (former) |
| Eidos Therapeutics (Nasdaq: EIDX) | Director | Jun 2018–Jan 2021 | Former BridgeBio subsidiary; board role concluded with transaction changes |
| Impel Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IMPL) | Director | Dec 2018–Apr 2024 | Public company board (former) |
| Various private companies | Director | Ongoing | Multiple privately held healthcare companies |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors except Drs. Kumar, Homcy, and McCormick are independent; Satvat is independent .
- Committees and Roles:
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee: Chair; members include Satvat, Dachille, Drs. Lo and Valantine; 2 meetings in 2024 .
- Compensation Committee: Member; chaired by Fred Hassan; members include Hassan, Satvat, Daniels, Cook; 4 meetings in 2024 .
- Audit Committee: Not a member .
- Board activity: Board held 9 meetings in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings during their service .
- Leadership context: Lead Director (Board) is Dr. Charles Homcy; Lead Independent Director is Fred Hassan .
Fixed Compensation
| Period | Annual Cash Retainer ($) | Committee Fees ($) | Meeting Fees ($) | Option Awards ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2024 | 50,000 | 0 (policy provides no committee fees) | 0 (policy provides no meeting fees) | 549,998 | — | — (cash payable to KKR L.P. per footnote) | 599,998 |
Policy highlights:
- Director cash retainer: $50,000 annually; no additional committee or meeting fees .
- Initial director option: $1,200,000 grant value, 10‑year term, vests in three equal annual installments .
- Annual option grant: $550,000 grant value, 10‑year term, vests in three equal annual installments .
- Acceleration: Full vesting upon a “sale event” if awards are not assumed; annual caps: $1,250,000 election year; $600,000 thereafter .
Performance Compensation
- No performance‑based cash or equity disclosed for directors; director equity grants are time‑based options per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Significant shareholder interlock | Satvat is a Partner at KKR; Board noted association of directors with holders of >5% of common stock; KKR Genetic Disorder L.P. is a >5% holder; Compensation Committee disclosed this relationship; members deemed independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules . |
| Payment direction | All cash payments to Satvat (director fees) were paid to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Domain: Healthcare private equity, governance, financing, and growth investing .
- Education: Harvard College (A.B.); Wharton School (M.B.A. Health Care Management & Entrepreneurial Management) .
- Board qualifications: Expertise in corporate governance, financing, financial matters, and extensive investment experience in the health care industry .
Equity Ownership
| Date/Source | Direct Shares Owned | RSUs (Unvested) | Options (Unvested) | Options (Total Outstanding) | Key Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2024 (Proxy) | n/d | n/d | n/d | 416,631 options outstanding | Aggregate outstanding director options; per policy, annual grant vests over 3 years |
| 06/20/2025 (Form 4) | 165,993 direct shares | 6,589 RSUs granted; vest 3 equal annual installments through 06/20/2028 | 8,425 options granted; strike $41.73; vest 3 equal annual installments; expire 06/19/2035 | — | 2025 director annual grants under 2021 Plan |
| Policy controls | — | — | — | — | Anti‑hedging and pledging prohibition for Insiders; compensation clawback policy adopted Oct 2, 2023 |
Notes:
- Director ownership guidelines not disclosed; no pledging permitted per insider trading policy .
Governance Assessment
- Committee effectiveness: Satvat chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, driving board composition, governance guidelines, and board evaluations; committee met twice in 2024, with all members independent . His service on the Compensation Committee aligns with pay governance oversight; committee met four times; retains independent consultants and assessed their independence .
- Independence and attendance: Independent status affirmed; Board and committees were active in 2024; minimum 75% attendance threshold met by all directors .
- Alignment and incentives: Director compensation structure emphasizes long‑term equity via options with multi‑year vesting and sale‑event acceleration; no meeting/committee fees reduce potential pay gaming; anti‑hedging/pledging policy supports alignment .
- Related‑party exposure and potential conflicts:
- RED FLAG: KKR affiliation. Satvat is a Partner at KKR while KKR Genetic Disorder L.P. holds >5% of BBIO; compensation fees paid to KKR L.P. This creates potential perceived influence and related‑party exposure despite formal independence determinations .
- Mitigations: Board independence assessments under Nasdaq/SEC rules; disclosure of interlocks; independent compensation consultant retained with no conflicts found in 2024; anti‑hedging/pledging and clawback policies in place .
- Shareholder signals: 2024 say‑on‑pay support of 93.6% suggests broad investor confidence in executive pay governance; while not director‑specific, it reflects compensation oversight quality of the Compensation Committee on which Satvat serves .