Robert Doebele
About Robert Doebele
Robert Doebele, M.D., Ph.D., age 54, has served as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Boundless Bio (Nasdaq: BOLD) since February 2025, bringing deep precision oncology leadership from industry and academia, including co-founding Rain Oncology and pioneering NTRK fusion oncology that contributed to approvals of Vitrakvi (larotrectinib) and Rozlytrek (entrectinib) . He holds an A.B. in Molecular Biology from Princeton, and an M.D./Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Pennsylvania; he completed residency and fellowship at the University of Chicago . Since his appointment, Boundless has continued to advance its ecDNA-directed pipeline, with Q3 2025 updates highlighting ongoing enrollment in the BBI-355/BBI-825 POTENTIATE trial and cash runway into H1 2028, framing the execution context for his tenure .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boundless Bio | Chief Medical Officer | Feb 2025–Present | Leads clinical development for ecDTx programs (e.g., BBI-355/BBI-825), aligning with clinical timelines and cash runway to anticipated proof-of-concept readouts . |
| Rain Oncology Inc. (acquired by Pathos AI, Jan 2024) | Co‑founder; President (Apr 2021–Jan 2024); Chief Scientific Officer (May 2021–Jan 2024); Chief Medical Officer (Jun 2023–Jan 2024) | 2021–2024 | Directed biology‑based, tumor‑agnostic development including milademetan; Rain was acquired by Pathos AI (Jan 2024) . |
| University of Colorado School of Medicine | Assistant/Associate Professor of Medicine; Director, Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative; co‑Director, Molecular Tumor Board | 2008–2020 | Led research that launched the TRK fusion field, enabling the tumor‑agnostic approvals of Vitrakvi and Rozlytrek . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Cancer Center | Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative – Director; Molecular Tumor Board – co‑Director | 2008–2020 | Built translational precision oncology infrastructure informing tumor‑agnostic development strategies . |
Fixed Compensation
- Doebele’s 2025 compensation package (base salary/bonus targets) was not disclosed in the 2025 proxy; no employment letter terms were filed with the DEF 14A .
- Company precedents provide context: in 2024 the former CMO’s annual base salary was increased to $500,000 effective April 1, 2024 (post‑IPO), and non‑CEO NEOs had a 40% target bonus; the corporate bonus plan funded at 90% of target for 2024 .
| Company precedent (context, not Robert‑specific) | Value |
|---|---|
| Former CMO 2024 base salary (effective Apr 1, 2024) | $500,000 |
| Target annual bonus % (other NEOs, 2024) | 40% of base salary |
| 2024 corporate bonus funding | 90% of target |
Performance Compensation
- Annual cash bonus metrics (2024 precedent): product development/pipeline and corporate development objectives; weighting not disclosed; payout funded to 90% of target company‑wide in 2024 (Robert joined 2025; shown for structure context) .
| Metric (company precedent) | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product development & pipeline goals (2024) | Not disclosed | Company objectives | Evaluated by Board | 90% of target funded (corporate) | Cash bonus; paid following year |
| Corporate development goals (2024) | Not disclosed | Company objectives | Evaluated by Board | 90% of target funded (corporate) | Cash bonus; paid following year |
- Equity awards design (company practice that would govern Robert’s equity unless otherwise specified): new‑hire equity granted upon employment; stock options vest over four years in equal monthly installments; options eligible for acceleration per Severance Plan .
| Equity feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grant timing | Typically at new hire commencement; annual cycles and ad‑hoc as approved . |
| Award type | Stock options (2018 Plan and 2024 Plan) . |
| Vesting | 4 years, equal monthly installments (time‑based) . |
| Acceleration | As per Severance Plan (see Employment Terms); double‑trigger CoC acceleration for time‑based awards; performance awards at target unless award terms specify otherwise . |
| Option repricing (historical) | On Aug 19, 2024, outstanding options (including NEOs then‑serving) were repriced to $3.56 with “Premium End Date” conditions; terms did not change vesting schedules . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status/Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of Apr 25, 2025) | Doebele was not listed individually among beneficial owners in the table; no shares or options were reported there for him as of that date . |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | Not applicable (not listed) . |
| Vested vs. unvested breakdown | Not disclosed for Doebele; company tables covered 2024 NEOs . |
| Hedging | Company policy prohibits directors/officers/employees from engaging in hedging transactions (e.g., collars, swaps, exchange funds) . |
| Pledging | No pledging policy disclosure found in the proxy; no pledged shares disclosed for Doebele . |
| Clawback | Dodd‑Frank/Nasdaq‑compliant clawback policy adopted; referenced in 2024 10‑K and overseen by Compensation Committee . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start date and role | Appointed Chief Medical Officer in February 2025 . |
| Employment agreement on file | Not included in 2025 DEF 14A; company references employment letters generally, but none specific to Doebele disclosed there . |
| Severance Plan coverage | Company Severance and Change in Control Severance Plan adopted March 2024 for designated Covered Employees; tiers define benefits. CEO is Tier 1; 2024 NEOs other than CEO were Tier 2 (Robert’s tier not disclosed) . |
| Non‑CoC severance (summary) | Cash: 12/9/6 months of base pay for Tier 1/2/3; COBRA paid for the same months; Equity: Tier 1 gets acceleration of time‑based awards that would have vested within 12 months; Tier 2/3 do not have non‑CoC equity acceleration . |
| CoC (double‑trigger within 12 months) | Cash: 18 months base + 1.5x target bonus (Tier 1); 12 months base + 1.0x target bonus (Tier 2); 9 months base + 0.75x target bonus (Tier 3); COBRA paid 18/12/9 months accordingly; Equity: 100% acceleration of time‑based awards; performance awards vest at target unless award terms differ . |
| Good Reason / Cause | Detailed definitions specify material diminution in authority/compensation/location (Good Reason) and enumerated misconduct (Cause), with notice and cure periods . |
| Restrictive covenants | Receipt of benefits conditioned on release of claims and compliance with restrictive covenants including non‑solicitation and non‑disparagement (non‑compete not specified) . |
Investment Implications
- Execution and value‑creation: Doebele’s track record in precision oncology and TRK fusion science, combined with late‑stage biotech leadership, is additive to BOLD’s clinical execution in the POTENTIATE (BBI‑355/BBI‑825) program and IND‑track BBI‑940, reducing clinical development execution risk relative to peers at a similar stage .
- Pay design, alignment, and retention: BOLD’s equity is predominantly stock options with four‑year monthly vesting, a design that ties upside to long‑term value creation and supports retention; the company historically repriced underwater options in 2023 and 2024, which improves retention but is a governance red flag for some investors; Doebele joined after the 2024 repricing .
- CoC economics and M&A sensitivity: The Severance Plan’s double‑trigger CoC benefits (for Tier 2 executives: 12 months base + 1x target bonus, 12 months COBRA, and 100% acceleration of time‑based equity) can enhance leadership stability through strategic processes but also create meaningful deal‑related compensation outcomes; Doebele’s specific tier was not disclosed .
- Trading/overhang watch‑items: The proxy’s beneficial ownership table did not list Doebele as of April 25, 2025; per company practice, new‑hire option grants typically vest monthly over four years, so investors should monitor forthcoming Form 4 filings for his initial equity award size, schedule, and any 10b5‑1 adoption, as these inform potential future selling pressure once awards are in‑the‑money .
- Governance mitigants: Hedging is prohibited across insiders, and a Dodd‑Frank/Nasdaq‑compliant clawback policy is in effect, supporting alignment and recovery mechanisms if needed .