Julianne Averill
About Julianne Averill
Julianne Averill was appointed as an independent Class III director of Biomea Fusion on July 22, 2025, and joined the Audit Committee the same day; her initial term runs to the 2027 annual meeting . She brings 20+ years of life sciences finance experience and is a licensed CPA with NACD Directorship Certification; she holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Accountancy from California State University . She signed the August 5, 2025 Form S-3 as a director, evidencing active service and governance engagement .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danforth Advisors | Managing Director; interim CFO advisor to late-stage biopharma | 2021–present | Capital markets/M&A; governance and scaling for late-stage biopharma |
| Rubedo Life Sciences | Chief Financial Officer | Current as of May 14, 2025 (profile update) | Biotech CFO leadership; strategic financing |
| Cartography Biosciences | Chief Financial Officer | Current as of Jan 27, 2025 (profile update) | Early-stage biotech finance and operations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CureSearch for Children’s Cancer | Audit Committee Chair | 2024–present | Leads audit oversight for non-profit pediatric oncology research |
| How Women Invest (venture fund) | Operating Advisor | Current (as disclosed) | Advises on governance, financing, and strategy for portfolio companies |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Averill is independent under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2) at appointment .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member since July 22, 2025 .
- Listing compliance signal: Her appointment cured Biomea’s audit committee composition deficiency; Nasdaq notified compliance on Aug 4, 2025 .
- Class and term: Class III director; term expires at the 2027 annual meeting .
| Governance Attribute | Detail | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Independence status | Independent director under Nasdaq rules | |
| Committee membership | Audit Committee member | |
| Term classification | Class III; initial term to 2027 AGM | |
| Listing compliance | Audit committee deficiency remedied post-appointment | |
| Service confirmation | Signed S-3 as director (Aug 5, 2025) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non-employee director) | $35,000 | Standard policy for all non-employee directors |
| Audit Committee member retainer | $7,500 | Additional annual retainer for audit committee members (non-chair) |
As disclosed, Ms. Averill will receive cash compensation “in accordance with the Company’s non-employee director compensation policy” . Amounts above reflect that policy.
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Date | Value | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Stock Option Grant (2021 Plan) | Jul 22, 2025 | Black-Scholes grant value $360,000 | 1/36 monthly over 3 years (service-based) | Award per director policy; time-based vesting; accelerates on change-in-control per plan; strike price not disclosed in 8-K |
| Performance Metric | Definition | Applied to Director Equity | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-based vesting | Service tenure-based vesting schedule | Yes (1/36 monthly for Initial Grant) | |
| Financial/TSR/ESG targets | Revenue/EBITDA/TSR percentile/ESG goals tied to payout | Not disclosed for director awards; director options are not performance-conditioned |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Public Company? | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danforth Advisors | Private | Managing Director | No related-party transactions reported; independent status affirmed |
| Rubedo Life Sciences | Private | CFO | No BMEA-related transactions disclosed |
| Cartography Biosciences | Private | CFO | No BMEA-related transactions disclosed |
The Company disclosed “no transactions since the beginning of the last fiscal year…involving amounts >$120,000” in which Averill had a direct or indirect material interest .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CPA (California), SHRM-CP, NACD Directorship Certification; BS and MS in Accountancy/Business Administration (California State University) .
- Deep life sciences finance, capital markets, M&A, organizational design, and operational scale experience, with involvement in >$10B strategic transactions .
Equity Ownership
| Filing/Disclosure | Date | Security/Position | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 3 – Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (Director) | Jul 24, 2025 | Director | Filed upon appointment; establishes insider reporting status |
| Initial Option Grant | Jul 22, 2025 | Stock option | Black-Scholes value $360,000; vests monthly over 36 months |
| Hedging/Pledging policy | Policy level | N/A | Directors prohibited from short sales, hedging, margining, and pledging company stock |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Appointment directly addressed a Nasdaq audit committee composition deficiency; Nasdaq confirmed cure on Aug 4, 2025—positive governance signal .
- Financial expertise: CPA with extensive capital markets experience strengthens audit oversight; added as Audit Committee member .
- Independence and conflicts: Board affirmed independence; Company disclosed no related-party transactions tied to Averill; indemnification agreement consistent with other non-employee directors—no conflict flags .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is modest cash retainer plus time-based equity options; prohibitions on hedging/pledging support alignment with shareholders .
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed specific to Averill. Notably, her appointment remedied an audit committee compliance issue rather than signaling a risk .
Additional Notes
- Class/term and committee roles are explicit (Class III; Audit Committee); compensation adheres to published director policy; strike price for the Initial Grant was not disclosed in the 8-K .
- Press release and SEC filings confirm qualifications and governance roles; S-3 signature further evidences active director responsibilities .