Michelle McMurry-Heath
About Michelle McMurry-Heath
Independent director at Bioventus since 2022; age 55. MD/PhD in Immunology from Duke University’s Medical Scientist Training Program (first African American graduate of the program) and AB in Biochemistry from Harvard University. Prior roles span FDA regulatory leadership, J&J device evidence generation and innovation, and biotech industry advocacy—core credentials aligned to compliance, regulatory, and healthcare policy oversight .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) | President & COO | 2020–2022 | Led biotech trade association; advocacy and industry programs |
| Johnson & Johnson | Global Head of Evidence Generation (Medical Devices); VP Global External Innovation & Global Leader for Regulatory Sciences | 2014–2020 | Led regulatory science and external innovation in devices |
| FDA – Center for Devices and Radiological Health | Associate Science Director | 2010–2014 | Science policy leadership; device regulatory oversight |
| Aspen Institute | Director, Health, Biomedical Science & Society Policy Program | 2005–2010 | Policy program leadership |
| U.S. Senate (Sen. Joseph Lieberman) | Senior Policy Advisor (Health, Social, Biomedical Innovation) | 2001–2004 | Health policy advising |
| UCSF & UC Berkeley | Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholar | 2004–2005 | Health research scholarship |
| Council on Foreign Relations | MacArthur Fellow, Global Health | 2004–2006 | Global health fellowship |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revvity Inc. (public) | Director | Current | Compensation Committee member; previously Audit Committee |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Dr. McMurry-Heath is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments: Chair, Compliance, Ethics and Culture Committee; committee met 4 times in 2024 .
- Attendance: Each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board/committee meetings in 2024; Dr. McMurry-Heath attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Board structure: Transition to annual election by 2026; Dr. McMurry-Heath is a Class I director up for election in 2025 with term ending at the 2026 Annual Meeting .
- Lead independent director: Not appointed; Board Chair is independent .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Stock Awards ($) | Cash Fees ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 172,999 | 65,000 | 237,999 |
- Policy detail (2024 amounts): Annual cash retainer $55,000; Compliance, Ethics and Culture Committee Chair retainer $10,000; non-chair committee fees $5,000; RSU annual grant value $173,000 (time-based, vests at 1 year) .
- RSU grant mechanics: Annual RSUs vest on first anniversary or immediately prior to next Annual Meeting if sooner; change-in-control accelerates vesting .
- Outstanding director RSUs: 26,493 granted June 11, 2024, vest June 11, 2025 (or immediately prior to 2025 Annual Meeting) .
Performance Compensation
- Non-employee director pay is not tied to performance metrics; equity is time-based RSUs with change-in-control acceleration; no TSR/EBITDA/revenue metrics disclosed for directors .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Roles | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revvity Inc. | Director | Compensation; formerly Audit | No related-party transactions involving Dr. McMurry-Heath disclosed by BVS . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Regulatory and compliance leadership (FDA CDRH associate science director; J&J regulatory sciences leadership) .
- Evidence generation and external innovation in medical devices (J&J) .
- Biotech industry advocacy and operations (BIO President & COO) .
- Scientific training (MD/PhD Immunology, Duke; AB Biochemistry, Harvard) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Apr 7, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 74,698 (less than 1%) |
| Class A shares | 48,205 |
| RSUs that may vest within 60 days | 26,493 |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | Less than 1% |
Insider Trades
| Date | Type | Shares | Price ($) | Holdings After |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-07 | Sale | 17,701 | 7.4151 weighted avg (range $7.36–$7.43) | 56,997 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep regulatory/compliance expertise; chairs Compliance, Ethics and Culture Committee; strong engagement (≥75% attendance; Annual Meeting participation)—supportive of board effectiveness in oversight of legal, quality, and regulatory risk .
- Alignment: Director pay mix balanced (cash retainer plus time-based RSUs); RSU vesting aligns tenure with shareholder value, though ownership remains <1% (typical for outside directors) .
- Conflicts: No related-party transactions involving Dr. McMurry-Heath; Stockholders Agreement designates certain other directors but not her—reduces sponsor/control interlock concerns related to her seat .
- Signals: November 2025 open-market sale reduces holdings to 56,997 shares; insider sells are not inherently negative but warrant monitoring for patterns around key events .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding hedging/pledging, related-party transactions, attendance shortfalls, or director-specific pay anomalies. Company policy prohibits hedging for directors; pledging is not referenced .