Briggs Morrison
About Briggs Morrison
Briggs Morrison, M.D., age 66, has served on Werewolf Therapeutics’ board since November 2019. He is Executive Partner at MPM Capital (since June 2015) and CEO/director of Crossbow Therapeutics (since February 2022). He previously was CEO of Syndax (June 2015–January 2022) and later President/Head of R&D (February 2022–April 2023); earlier he served as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Medicines Development at AstraZeneca (January 2012–June 2015), with senior roles at Pfizer and Merck. He holds a B.S. in biology from Georgetown, an M.D. from the University of Connecticut, completed internal medicine residency at MGH, and oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber; the board cites his extensive executive leadership and medical background as qualifications .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca plc | Chief Medical Officer; Head of Global Medicines Development | Jan 2012–Jun 2015 | Senior executive overseeing development |
| Pfizer Inc. | Head, Medical Affairs, Safety & Regulatory Affairs (human health) | Not disclosed (prior to 2012) | Senior functional leadership |
| Merck Research Laboratories (Merck & Co.) | Vice President, Clinical Sciences, Oncology | Not disclosed (prior to Pfizer) | Oncology clinical leadership |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer; later President, Head of R&D | CEO: Jun 2015–Jan 2022; President/Head of R&D: Feb 2022–Apr 2023 | Public biopharma; executive leadership |
| NextCure Inc. | Director | Mar 2019–Apr 2021 | Public biopharma board service |
| Codiak Biosciences Inc. | Director | Feb 2018–Apr 2021 | Public biopharma board service |
| Oncorus, Inc. | Director | Apr 2016–Apr 2021 | Public biopharma board service |
| Repare Therapeutics Inc. | Director | Jun 2017–Aug 2024 | Public biopharma board service |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer; Director | Private | Feb 2022–present (as of Apr 28, 2025) |
| MPM Capital, Inc. | Executive Partner | Private (VC) | Jun 2015–present |
| Arvinas Inc. | Director | Public | Jun 2018–present |
| Carisma Therapeutics Inc. | Director | Public | Jul 2020–present |
| Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director | Public | Jul 2015–present |
| Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety | Board member | Non-profit/industry | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Status and tenure: Class I director; nominated for a three-year term at the 2025 Annual Meeting . Board currently 9 members, automatically reduced to 8 upon a Class II resignation at the 2025 meeting .
- Independence: Not independent due to payments from Crossbow under a 2022 sublease; board determined Morrison is non-independent in April 2025 . Sublease: HOWL received ~$0.4m (2024) and ~$1.6m (2023) from Crossbow; Morrison is Crossbow’s CEO and holds 5% of its common stock .
- Committee memberships: Morrison is not listed as a member of the Audit, Compensation, or Nominating & Corporate Governance committees in 2024/early 2025 rosters .
- Attendance: The full board met five times in 2024; each director attended/participated in ≥75% of board and relevant committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Oversight: Audit committee reviews related person transactions; committee charters posted on the investor website .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Retainer (Board) | Committee Chair Fee | Committee Member Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Program | $40,000 (member); $70,000 (chair) | Audit $15,000; Comp $10,000; Nominating $8,000 | Audit $7,500; Comp $5,000; Nominating $4,000 | Paid quarterly; prorated if partial quarter |
| Director | Year | Fees Earned (Cash) | Option Awards (ASC 718 FV) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briggs W. Morrison, M.D. | 2024 | $40,000 | $64,479 | $104,479 |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Date | Shares | Price | Instrument | Vesting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-24 | 17,500 | $4.88 | Annual director stock option | Vests in full by earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting | Form 4 |
| 2025-06-12 | 27,000 | $1.29 | Annual director stock option (policy increased effective Jan 1, 2025) | Vests in full by earlier of 1-year anniversary or next annual meeting | Form 4 |
- Director equity program: New director grant 35,000 options in 2024; annual grant 17,500; options priced at fair market value; 10-year term; unvested director options fully accelerate upon change of control . Increased effective Jan 1, 2025: new director grant 54,000; annual grant 27,000 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship to HOWL | Interlock/Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Crossbow Therapeutics | Counterparty to 2022–2024 sublease; ~$0.4m (2024) and ~$1.6m (2023) paid to HOWL; Morrison is CEO and 5% holder | Board determined Morrison not independent due to these payments |
| MPM Capital-affiliated entities | 9.6% beneficial ownership in HOWL; board chair Luke Evnin is Managing Director at MPM | Potential influence via significant shareholder and shared affiliations |
| RA Capital-affiliated entities | 13.8% beneficial ownership; director Derek DiRocco associated with RA Capital | Significant shareholder representation on board (not directly Morrison) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Medical and development leadership across AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck; oncology clinical sciences expertise .
- Board experience at multiple public biopharmas (Arvinas, Carisma, Syndax; prior NextCure, Codiak, Oncorus, Repare) .
- Education/training: Georgetown (B.S. Biology), University of Connecticut (M.D.), MGH residency, Dana-Farber fellowship .
Equity Ownership
| As of | Common Shares | Options Exercisable ≤60 Days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Outstanding | Shares Pledged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2025 | 15,523 | 96,547 | 112,070 | <1% (out of 44,873,646 shares) | Prohibited by anti-hedging/pledging policy |
- Anti-hedging and pledging: Company policy prohibits short sales, hedging instruments, margin accounts or pledges for directors and employees .
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Transaction Date | Filing Date | Type | Quantity | Price | Post-Transaction Holdings | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-24 | 2024-05-24 | Award (A) – Stock Option | 17,500 | $4.88 | 17,500 options (director) [insider data] | |
| 2025-06-12 | 2025-06-13 | Award (A) – Stock Option | 27,000 | $1.29 | 27,000 options; total shown 27,000 on Form 4 [insider data] |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Deep oncology R&D and CMO background; extensive public board experience; consistent attendance (≥75%) and participation; audit committee oversight of related-party transactions; robust anti-hedging/pledging and clawback policies support alignment and accountability .
- RED FLAGS:
- Independence: Board has formally determined Morrison is not independent due to Crossbow sublease payments; this is a direct related-party transaction affecting independence and perceived objectivity .
- Interlocks: Significant MPM-affiliated ownership and shared affiliations (Morrison at MPM; board chair Evnin at MPM) raise potential influence concerns; governance controls (audit committee review) are in place but investors should monitor transactions and committee compositions .
- Ownership alignment: Morrison’s direct beneficial ownership is <1%, largely comprised of options; while director equity grants provide exposure, low common share ownership may be viewed as modest “skin in the game” .
- Compensation mix: Director pay is primarily cash retainer plus time-based options; acceleration upon change of control for director options increases sensitivity to corporate transactions; no performance-based equity metrics are disclosed for directors .
- Attendance/engagement: All directors met attendance thresholds and attended the annual meeting, mitigating concerns about engagement .