Ron Philip
About Ron Philip
Ron Philip (age 51) joined Harmony Biosciences’ Board in April 2025 as an independent Class III director and serves on the Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees; he is Chief Executive Officer of Orbital Therapeutics and previously led Spark Therapeutics, with prior senior roles at Pfizer, Deloitte Consulting, and Merck; he holds a B.S. from Drexel University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbital Therapeutics | Chief Executive Officer | Sep 2024 – present | CEO and board member, leads RNA-based medicines strategy . |
| Spark Therapeutics | Chief Executive Officer; previously COO and CCO | Apr 2022 – Sep 2024 (CEO); broader roles 2018–2024 | Led commercial launch of a novel gene therapy for inherited blindness; expanded platform and executed BD for new technologies/assets . |
| Pfizer (incl. Wyeth) | Senior leadership roles (regional president Africa/Middle East; global BU strategy; BD search & eval; commercial development lead) | 2009 – 2016 | Led strategy, BD and commercial development across geographies and innovative products . |
| Deloitte Consulting | Strategy & operations | Not disclosed | Strategy and operations experience . |
| Merck & Co. | Manufacturing and marketing divisions | Not disclosed | Operational grounding in pharma . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Therapeutics | Board Member | Current | Not disclosed . |
| Life Sciences Cares Pennsylvania | Board Member | Current | Non-profit ecosystem engagement . |
| Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University | Board Member (prior) | Prior | Community and science advocacy . |
| Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia | Board Member (prior) | Prior | Regional business leadership . |
| Cure Duchenne | Board Member (prior) | Prior | Rare disease community engagement . |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ron Philip qualifies as an independent director under Nasdaq and SEC rules; no family relationships and no related-party transactions requiring Regulation S‑K Item 404(a) disclosure .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member, effective April 7, 2025 .
- Board structure: Chairman is Jeffrey S. Aronin; no lead independent director designated .
- Board activity: In FY 2024 the Board held 13 meetings; Audit Committee met 5 times, Compensation Committee 4, Nominating & Corporate Governance 2; all then‑incumbent directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Anti‑hedging: Directors and officers prohibited from hedging or monetization transactions in Company securities .
- Clawback policy: Recovery of erroneously paid incentive compensation for Section 16 officers on or after Oct 2, 2023; applies to time‑ and performance‑vesting equity .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2025 A&R Director Program Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (non‑employee director) | $50,000 | Paid quarterly; pro‑rated for partial service . |
| Audit Committee – Chair | $25,000 | Committee chair retainer . |
| Audit Committee – Member (non‑chair) | $12,000 | Committee member retainer . |
| Compensation Committee – Chair | $20,000 | Committee chair retainer . |
| Compensation Committee – Member (non‑chair) | $10,000 | Committee member retainer . |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance – Chair | $12,000 | Committee chair retainer . |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance – Member (non‑chair) | $5,250 | Committee member retainer . |
Ron Philip will receive compensation consistent with the Company’s director program; cash retainers are paid and pro‑rated per program terms .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant Type | Value Basis | Vesting | Change-in-Control | Applicability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial option grant (upon appointment) | $300,000 Black‑Scholes value | Monthly installments over 3 years, fully vested at 3‑year mark | Vests in full upon change in control (per 2020 Plan) | Eligible directors appointed/elected to the Board . |
| Annual option grant (at annual meeting) | $300,000 Black‑Scholes value | Vests in full on earlier of 1‑year anniversary or next annual meeting date | Vests in full upon change in control (per 2020 Plan) | Eligible directors serving as of annual meeting . |
Company states Mr. Philip “will receive compensation consistent with” the non‑employee director program .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Public/Private | Role | Overlap/Interlock Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Therapeutics | Not disclosed | Board Member | No HRMY related‑party transactions disclosed . |
| Life Sciences Cares Pennsylvania | Non‑profit | Board Member | No HRMY related‑party transactions disclosed . |
| Orbital Therapeutics | Private biotech | CEO & Director | Independence affirmed; no Item 404(a) transactions with HRMY . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Executive leadership across gene therapy, RNA therapeutics, and global commercial operations; led launch of approved gene therapy and platform expansion at Spark .
- Strategic, BD, and operational experience at Pfizer/Wyeth and Deloitte; manufacturing/marketing grounding at Merck .
- Education: B.S., Drexel University .
Equity Ownership
| Policy/Item | Requirement/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 1.5x annual cash retainer | Effective Jan 1, 2025; expected to satisfy by Dec 31, 2026 for then‑covered individuals; RSUs (vested/unvested) count, options do not . |
| Anti‑hedging/pledging | Hedging/monetization prohibited | Insider Trading Compliance Policy bans hedging/monetization transactions . |
| Individual holdings | Not disclosed in 2025 proxy ownership table | Mr. Philip appointed in April 2025; individual beneficial ownership not listed in the March 17, 2025 table . |
Insider Trades
| Date | Form | Shares | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | No HRMY Form 4 filings by Ron Philip disclosed to date in Company filings; Section 16(a) filings were timely for FY 2024, and Mr. Philip’s appointment occurred in April 2025 . |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status and no related‑party transactions disclosed; relevant audit and governance committee assignments; strong anti‑hedging and clawback frameworks; clear director ownership guidelines; robust say‑on‑pay support in 2023 (97.6%) signaling constructive shareholder alignment .
- Watch items / potential red flags: Board does not have a designated lead independent director; overall board has significant representation from entities affiliated with major holders (e.g., Valor), requiring continued attention to independence optics and committee effectiveness; related‑party right‑of‑use arrangement with Paragon ($0.3 million in 2024) warrants ongoing audit committee oversight though not involving Mr. Philip .
- Engagement/attendance: Board met 13 times in 2024; committee meeting cadence suggests active oversight; Mr. Philip’s attendance will be assessable in the next proxy cycle given April 2025 appointment .