Debra Durso-Bumpus
Chief People Officer at BPMC
Executive
About Debra Durso-Bumpus
Chief People Officer at Blueprint Medicines since February 2020; joined BPMC in April 2015 after senior HR leadership roles at Cubist and Holcim. She holds a B.S. in Business Management from Bentley University and serves on the board of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation . Age 55 as of March 31, 2025; tenure at BPMC ~10 years, including five years as CPO . Company performance under her HR leadership includes AYVAKIT net product revenue of $479M in 2024 (≈135% YoY), cash burn reduced by more than 50% in 2024, and year-end cash of $863.9M; 2025 product revenue guidance is $680–$710M, with performance-based PSUs using relative TSR introduced to strengthen pay-for-performance alignment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubist Pharmaceuticals | Global Senior Director, Talent Management & Org Development | 2009–2015 | Built leadership depth and managed global change to create differentiated culture . |
| Cubist Pharmaceuticals | Interim Head of Human Resources (post-merger integration) | Jan–Apr 2015 | Led HR integration following Merck acquisition . |
| Holcim, Inc. | North American Manager, Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning | Not disclosed | Scaled talent acquisition and workforce planning prior to Cubist tenure . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation | Board Member | Not disclosed | Nonprofit focused on science/biotech education and workforce training . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Value/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Target Annual Incentive Compensation | 50% of Base Salary | Applies “subject to upward but not downward adjustment” except for broad proportional reductions . |
| Annual Bonus Weighting | 75% Company Performance / 25% Individual Performance | Structure applies to her employment agreement . |
Performance Compensation
Annual Executive Bonus Plan Structure and 2024 Outcomes (Plan-level)
| Category | Relative Weighting | 2024 Achievement (% of Target) | Weighted Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expand leadership in SM and drive topline revenue growth | 50% | 140% | 70% |
| Scale R&D pipeline with quality and integrity | 30% | 100% | 30% |
| Financial discipline and organizational resilience | 20% | 150% | 30% |
| Total | 100% | — | 130% (Corporate performance factor) |
Notes: Debra’s actual bonus payout amount was not disclosed; her target bonus weighting is 75% corporate/25% individual per her agreement . Company reported AYVAKIT net product revenues of $479M (≈135% YoY) supporting the 2024 corporate achievement .
PSU Program Design (Company-wide, executives)
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Payout Curve | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relative Total Shareholder Return (rTSR) vs S&P Biotech Index | Plan-level design (introduced 2023) | rTSR percentile rank | <25th: 0%; 25th: 50%; 50th: 100%; 75th: 150%; 100th: 200%; cap at 100% if absolute TSR is negative | 3-year performance cycle; vests at 3rd anniversary (service continuity required); change-in-control treatment as specified in PSU award |
Time-based Equity Vesting Schedules (Company practices)
| Award Type | New Hire Vesting | Annual Grant Vesting | Term/Exercise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options | 25% at year 1; remaining 75% monthly over next 36 months | 1/48 monthly over 4 years | 10-year term; strike at closing price on grant date; standard 3-month post-termination exercise (except death/disability) . |
| RSUs | 25% annually over 4 years | 25% annually over 4 years | Vests subject to continued service; standard acceleration provisions upon specified events . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Stock ownership guidelines: executive officers targeted at 1x base salary; shares counted include beneficially owned and RSUs; options (even vested, in-the-money) and unearned PSUs excluded from compliance calculation .
- Hedging and pledging prohibited for directors and employees, including executive officers .
- Clawback policy updated in 2023 to recoup incentive compensation after a financial restatement for current/former executive officers over the prior three fiscal years .
- Individual beneficial ownership amounts for Debra were not disclosed in the proxy; no pledging disclosures specific to her were provided.
Employment Terms
- Third Amendment to Employment Agreement dated September 23, 2022: formalizes target annual incentive at 50% of base, sets bonus weighting at 75% company/25% individual, and clarifies “Target Incentive Compensation” definition for change-of-control calculations (applies the higher of current or pre-sale target to base salary); includes consent that these changes do not trigger “Good Reason” .
- Company-wide policy: double-trigger change-in-control severance protection for executive officers and employees; no tax gross-ups; equity awards governed under stock plans with acceleration conditions defined; clawback and ownership policies in place .
Compensation Committee Analysis Context
- Pay-for-performance: in 2024, ≈65% of executives’ equity awards on average were performance-based (options + PSUs); PSUs comprised ≈25% of executives’ equity grant fair value, reinforcing alignment with stockholder outcomes .
- Peer benchmarking: 2024 compensation peer group includes ACADIA, Agios, Alkermes, Amicus, Apellis, BioCryst, CRISPR, Deciphera, Exelixis, Halozyme, Ionis, Jazz, Mirati, Neurocrine, PTC Therapeutics, Sarepta, Ultragenyx; peer set refined vs 2023 (added Deciphera, PTC; removed Alnylam, United Therapeutics) .
- Say-on-pay support: ~98% approval in 2024; 2024 Stock Incentive Plan adoption received ~71% support, with evergreen excluded per investor feedback; PSU program expanded to VPs+ in 2025 .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Strong governance (no hedging/pledging), clawback coverage, and stock ownership guidelines reduce misalignment risk; corporate goals explicitly include revenue growth, pipeline execution, and cash discipline, tying annual payouts to operating performance .
- Insider selling pressure: No Debra-specific Form 4/ownership data disclosed in the proxy; absence of pledging and presence of ownership guidelines mitigate pressure risk signals at a policy level .
- Change-of-control economics: Agreement language ties severance calculations to “Target Incentive Compensation” at or prior to sale event; double-trigger framework limits windfalls without termination, but investors should monitor updates to target incentive levels over time (amendments enable flexibility) .
- Human capital execution: Company reported top-tier engagement and below-industry turnover in 2024–2025, consistent with CPO effectiveness; supports execution on growth and commercialization, thus strengthening pay-for-performance linkage at the enterprise level .
Additional company performance context relevant to compensation: AYVAKIT net product revenues reached $479M in 2024 (≈135% YoY), 2025 guidance $680–$710M; cash burn down >50%, year-end cash $863.9M; these outcomes likely supported elevated corporate achievement (130%) under the bonus plan .
Sources: BPMC DEF 14A 2025 and 8-K (Sep 23, 2022)