Eric Aguiar
BridgeBio PharmaAbout Eric Aguiar
Eric Aguiar, M.D., age 63, is an independent Class II director of BridgeBio Pharma (BBIO) serving since March 2019. He is a partner at Aisling Capital (since January 2016), a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Aguiar earned his M.D. with honors from Harvard Medical School and graduated with honors from Cornell University as a College Scholar .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| HealthCare Ventures | Managing Director | 2001–2007 | Healthcare-focused VC; investing and governance experience |
| Thomas, McNerney & Partners | Partner | 2007–prior to 2016 | Healthcare venture capital and growth equity investing |
| Aisling Capital | Partner | Jan 2016–present | Life sciences investing; strategic/financial expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biomea Fusion (Nasdaq: BMEA) | Director | Since Dec 2020 | Public biopharma board service |
| Eidos Therapeutics (Nasdaq: EIDX) | Director | Mar 2018–Aug 2020 | Former BridgeBio subsidiary board service |
| Biohaven Corporation (NYSE: BHVN) | Director | Oct 2016–Jan 2020 | Public biopharma board service |
| Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) | Director | 2010–2024 | Public company board service in diagnostics |
| Council on Foreign Relations | Member | Not disclosed | Policy and international affairs community |
Board Governance
- Class II director; current term runs until the annual meeting following FY2027 .
- Committees: Audit Committee member; designated Audit Committee financial expert; Audit Committee chaired by Andrea J. Ellis .
- Independence: Board determined all directors except Drs. Kumar, Homcy, and McCormick are independent (Aguiar is independent) .
- Attendance: Board held 9 meetings in 2024; all directors then serving attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings .
- Board leadership: Fred Hassan is Lead Independent Director; Charles Homcy is Lead Director .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $50,000 | Paid to Aisling Capital Management LP |
| Annual non-statutory stock option grant (grant date at annual meeting) | $549,998 | 10-year term; strike = closing price on grant date; vests in 3 equal annual installments; subject to full acceleration upon a “sale event” |
| Meeting/committee fees | $0 | No additional meeting or committee fees under Amended Director Compensation Policy |
| Total | $599,998 | Sum of cash and option grant fair value |
Policy parameters:
- Initial option grant upon first election valued at $1,200,000; annual option grant valued at $550,000; aggregate annual cap $600,000 post-initial year; vesting ceases upon board departure absent Board determination .
Performance Compensation
Directors receive time-based option awards only; no performance-based RSUs/PSUs or cash metrics are disclosed for directors.
| Award Type | Performance Metrics | Vesting Terms | Change-in-Control Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-statutory stock options | None disclosed (no TSR/financial/ESG metrics for directors) | 3 equal annual installments over 3 years; 10-year term; strike = closing price on grant date | Full accelerated vesting upon a “sale event” as defined in the 2021 Plan |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to BBIO | Potential Interlock/Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Eidos Therapeutics (former Nasdaq: EIDX) | Former BBIO subsidiary | Historical governance overlap; no current issue disclosed |
| Biomea Fusion, Biohaven, Invitae | Unrelated public biopharma/diagnostics | Typical sector overlap; no BBIO-related transactions disclosed |
Note: Audit Committee reviews all related-person transactions under the Company’s policy .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Medical and finance background (Harvard M.D., CFA) supports Audit Committee financial expertise designation .
- Deep venture investing and board experience across life sciences (Aisling, HealthCare Ventures, multiple public boards) .
Equity Ownership
| Data Point | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 321,309 shares | Consists entirely of options vested/exercisable within 60 days of April 1, 2025; beneficial ownership <1% |
| Outstanding BBIO options (as of 12/31/2024) | 416,631 options | Total outstanding options held; mix of vested/unvested not fully itemized in proxy |
| Shares pledged/hedged | None disclosed; pledging/hedging prohibited | Insider trading policy prohibits short sales, hedging, and pledging for directors and officers |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Aguiar’s audit expertise and independence strengthen financial oversight; Audit Committee met 6 times in 2024, and he is recognized as a financial expert .
- Alignment: Director pay is modest in cash ($50k) and largely equity via options with multi-year vesting; sale-event acceleration is standard but should be monitored for alignment in change-of-control scenarios .
- Attendance/engagement: Board and committees show regular cadence; all directors met minimum attendance thresholds in 2024, supporting engagement .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Cash retainer paid to Aisling Capital Management LP (his firm); common practice for VC partners, but remains a monitoring point for perceived conflicts. No specific related-party transactions involving Dr. Aguiar are disclosed; Audit Committee oversees RPT approvals .
- Risk indicators: Company policy bans hedging/pledging and has an executive clawback policy (directors covered by insider trading restrictions; clawback applies to executive incentive comp). No legal proceedings, loans, or pledging by Dr. Aguiar disclosed . Say-on-pay support of 93.6% in 2024 suggests broad investor confidence in compensation governance overall .
Overall signal: Independent, financially literate director with sector expertise; limited direct ownership (primarily options) implies moderate “skin-in-the-game,” mitigated by equity-based retainer structure. Watch for optics of retainer payments to Aisling and sale-event acceleration provisions, though both are disclosed and governed by policy .