Briggs Morrison
CRISPR TherapeuticsAbout Briggs W. Morrison, M.D.
Briggs W. Morrison, age 66, was elected to the CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) Board on June 5, 2025 and is designated an independent director under Nasdaq and SEC rules. He is Executive Partner at MPM Capital (since June 2015) and CEO/Director of Crossbow Therapeutics (private; since Feb 2022). Previously he served as CEO then President/Head of R&D at Syndax Pharmaceuticals (2015–2024), with prior senior roles at AstraZeneca (CMO, Head of Global Medicines Development), Pfizer, and Merck Research Laboratories. He holds a B.S. in Biology (Georgetown) and an M.D. (University of Connecticut); residency at MGH and oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNDX) | Chief Executive Officer | Jun 2015 – Jan 2022 | Not disclosed |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNDX) | President, Head of R&D | Feb 2022 – Apr 2023 | Not disclosed |
| AstraZeneca plc (Nasdaq: AZN) | Chief Medical Officer; Head Global Medicines Development | Jan 2012 – Jun 2015 | Not disclosed |
| Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) | Head, Medical Affairs, Safety and Regulatory Affairs (Human Health) | Prior to 2012 | Not disclosed |
| Merck Research Laboratories (Merck & Co., Inc., NYSE: MRK) | Vice President, Clinical Sciences, Oncology | Prior to Pfizer | Not disclosed |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPM Capital, Inc. | Executive Partner | Jun 2015 – Present | Venture investor |
| Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc. (private) | Chief Executive Officer; Director | Feb 2022 – Present | Private biotech |
| Arvinas Holding Company, LLC (Nasdaq: ARVN) | Director | Jun 2018 – Present | Not disclosed |
| Carisma Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CARM) | Director | Jul 2020 – Present | Not disclosed |
| Repare Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: RPTX) | Director (former) | Jun 2017 – Aug 2024 | Former board service |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNDX) | Director (former) | Jul 2015 – May 2024 | Former board service |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. Morrison is independent under Nasdaq and SEC standards and suitable for service as a non-employee director .
- Election and Committee Assignment: Elected to the Board at the June 5, 2025 AGM; shareholders also elected him to the Compensation Committee (For: 39,579,346; Against: 1,234,698; Abstain: 122,269; broker non-votes excluded) .
- Compensation Committee Chair: The proxy stated that, upon his election, Dr. Morrison will serve as Chair of the Compensation Committee (the committee is comprised solely of independent directors) .
- Board/Committee Attendance: In 2024 the Board held five meetings; all incumbent directors then in office attended ≥75% of Board and applicable committee meetings (Morrison was not yet on the Board in 2024) .
- Say-on-Pay/Shareholder Sentiment at 2025 AGM: 2024 Swiss compensation report endorsement (For: 29,135,116; Against: 11,649,430; Abstain: 151,767) and U.S. say‑on‑pay (For: 29,063,586; Against: 11,729,542; Abstain: 143,185) were approved on a non-binding basis .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $50,000 | $65,000 for Board Chair (not applicable to Morrison) |
| Compensation Committee member | $7,500 | If Chair, $15,000 annual cash fee |
| Audit Committee member | $10,000 | $20,000 for Audit Chair (not currently applicable to Morrison) |
| Nominating Committee member | $5,000 | $10,000 for Nominating Chair |
| Lead Independent Director premium | $15,000 | Not applicable to Morrison |
- Fees are paid quarterly in arrears and prorated for partial service periods .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | Grant Size | Grant/Strike | Vesting | Expiration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial stock option (new director) | 26,000 options | Exercise price = FMV on grant date | Monthly over 3 years | 10 years | Granted upon initial election (AGM held June 5, 2025); options accelerate on death/disability or sale event per plan |
| Annual stock option (returning directors) | 13,000 options | Exercise price = FMV on grant date | Monthly; fully vested by 1-year anniversary or next AGM | 10 years | For returning directors (future cycles) |
The proxy sets policy terms; individual grant fair value and strike price for Dr. Morrison were not disclosed in the proxy and would be determined by FMV on the actual grant date per policy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Ticker | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Arvinas Holding Company, LLC | ARVN | No CRSP-related related‑party transactions disclosed; independent status affirmed |
| Carisma Therapeutics Inc. | CARM | No CRSP-related related‑party transactions disclosed |
| Repare Therapeutics Inc. (former) | RPTX | Former directorship; no CRSP-related related‑party transactions disclosed |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (former) | SNDX | Former directorship and former employment; no CRSP-related related‑party transactions disclosed |
- Related-party review is overseen by the Audit Committee under a formal policy; no transactions involving Dr. Morrison were disclosed for 2024–2025 .
- The Board explicitly determined Morrison’s independence after reviewing background, employment, affiliations, and beneficial ownership .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Therapeutics R&D and clinical development leadership (AstraZeneca CMO/Global Medicines Development; senior roles at Pfizer and Merck; oncology background) .
- Public company CEO and director experience (Syndax CEO; director roles at ARVN, CARM, former RPTX and SNDX) .
- Medical training: Internal medicine residency (MGH); medical oncology fellowship (Dana-Farber); M.D. (University of Connecticut); B.S. Biology (Georgetown) .
- Designated to lead CRSP’s Compensation Committee post-election, signaling governance responsibility for executive and director pay .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount | As-Of / Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (CRSP) | 3,611 shares (via options exercisable within 60 days) | As of March 15, 2025; <1% of shares outstanding |
| % of shares outstanding | <1% | Based on 86,188,107 common shares outstanding |
| Form of ownership | Options exercisable within 60 days | Director nominee at time of table |
- Hedging and pledging of CRSP securities are prohibited for directors under the company’s Insider Trading Policy .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths:
- Independent director with deep large-cap biopharma development and public board experience; Board explicitly affirmed independence .
- Elected Compensation Committee member at AGM with strong support; proxy indicated he will serve as Committee Chair, central to incentive design and pay governance .
- Company policies prohibit hedging/pledging and maintain a clawback policy for erroneously awarded incentive compensation; Compensation Committee retains an independent consultant (Alpine) with no conflicts identified .
- Director compensation structure emphasizes equity via stock options, aligning with shareholder outcomes; cash retainers are modest and transparent .
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Watch items:
- Multiple external obligations (CEO of a private biotech and public company directorships at ARVN and CARM) may raise time-commitment considerations; however, the Board reviewed independence and found no interfering relationships .
- As a newly elected director, Morrison’s 2025 attendance data at CRSP is not yet available; Board-wide 2024 attendance was ≥75% for all then-serving directors .
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No red flags disclosed:
- No related-party transactions involving Morrison were reported; independence confirmed .
- No hedging/pledging; no option repricing; use of independent advisor; and shareholder-approved compensation limits under Swiss law all support governance quality .