Deborah Dunsire
MCKESSONAbout Deborah Dunsire
Deborah Dunsire, M.D., age 63, is an independent director of McKesson (MCK) since 2024. She serves on the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee, and previously served on the Compensation and Talent Committee until May 22, 2025. A physician by training (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa), she is the former President & CEO of H. Lundbeck A/S and brings deep biopharma leadership and clinical expertise aligned with McKesson’s oncology and specialty focus. She joined McKesson’s Board on June 3, 2024.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| H. Lundbeck A/S | President & CEO | 2018–2023 | Led a global biopharma focused on neuroscience; senior P&L leadership relevant to MCK’s manufacturer partnerships. |
| XTuit Pharmaceuticals | President & CEO | 2017–2018 | Oncology-focused biotech leadership; informs specialty strategy oversight. |
| FORUM Pharmaceuticals; Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company; Millennium Pharmaceuticals | Various executive leadership roles | Prior to 2017 | Executive roles across R&D/commercial in oncology; enhances Board oversight of specialty/biopharma services. |
| Primary care physician | Physician | Early career | Clinical grounding aids governance of compliance and patient-impact lens. |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. | Director | Current | Current public company directorship; biopharma sector. |
| Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Director | 2018–2021 | Prior public board service. |
| Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director | 2021–2024 | Prior public board service. |
Board Governance
- Independence: McKesson’s board has 11 of 12 independent nominees; all directors other than the CEO are independent (includes Dunsire).
- Committee assignments: Audit; Finance; previously Compensation & Talent (through May 22, 2025).
- Attendance and engagement: FY2025 Board met 6 times; “100% Board Meeting Attendance,” >75% committee attendance; each director attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings; independent directors held executive sessions at every regular meeting.
- Board leadership: Independent Chair structure (Donald R. Knauss); regular executive sessions and robust risk oversight including AI/cybersecurity and controlled substances.
- Policies limiting overboarding: McKesson guideline of no more than four other public company boards; Governance Committee confirmed compliance across nominees.
- Anti-hedging/pledging: Prohibited for directors; strict insider trading and ownership policies.
- Related-party transactions: None disclosed for FY2025.
Fixed Compensation
| Component | MCK Policy | FY2025 Amounts for Dunsire |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $120,000 for non-employee directors; additional cash for Chairs (Audit $25,000; other committees $20,000); Independent Chair premium $240,000 (50% cash/50% RSUs) [policy-level] | $98,526 fees earned/paid in cash (pro-rated given June 3, 2024 start) |
| Deferred cash (optional) | Directors may defer up to 100% of retainers under DCAP III; 5-year minimum deferral; investment choices mirroring 401(k); default interest per policy | Available; individual elections not disclosed. |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed as part of program (program is retainer + equity) | Not disclosed. |
Notes: Non-employee director program reviewed by Governance & Sustainability Committee; designed to be simple, transparent, and equity-aligned.
Performance Compensation
| Element | Structure | FY2025 Detail for Dunsire |
|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU grant | Approx. $215,000 grant date fair value; number of RSUs = $215,000/closing price; vested upon grant; dividend equivalents accrue; if below ownership guideline, share issuance is deferred until separation; no options granted under current program | $247,437 in stock awards: comprised of a prorated portion of the 2023 annual RSU grant ($32,097) upon joining on June 3, 2024, plus the full 2024 annual RSU grant ($215,340) [grant values; number of units not disclosed] |
| Option awards | None (program currently discontinues stock options for directors) | None disclosed. |
| Performance metrics | Not applicable for directors (time-based RSUs; immediate vesting upon grant with deferral mechanics tied to ownership guideline) | Not applicable. |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. |
| Prior 5-year public boards | Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (2018–2021); Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2021–2024) |
| Interlocks/conflicts | McKesson policies require review of related-person transactions; none reported for FY2025. Overboarding policy caps at four other public boards; Dunsire appears within limits. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Healthcare and clinical leadership: Former CEO of Lundbeck; prior executive roles in oncology-focused organizations; clinical MD background.
- Finance/risk oversight: Assigned to Audit and Finance Committees, indicating Board confidence in her financial literacy and transaction oversight capabilities.
- Strategic transformation: “Business Transformation” and healthcare experience highlighted in Board skills profile.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deborah Dunsire, M.D. | 28 | Held by the Jireh Foundation (charitable foundation) where she is co-trustee; she disclaims beneficial ownership; <1% of outstanding shares. |
| Director ownership guideline | 6x annual board retainer ($720,000) within 6 years; if not met at grant election window, RSU share issuance is automatically deferred until separation; dividend equivalents accrue until distribution. | |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for directors. |
Section 16 compliance: The proxy notes one late Form 4 for another officer; no late Section 16 filings were reported for Dunsire in FY2025.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths for board effectiveness: Deep biopharma and clinical background directly relevant to McKesson’s oncology and biopharma services strategy; placement on Audit and Finance strengthens financial and risk oversight. Attendance and independence standards met; robust anti-hedging/pledging and related-party policies reduce conflict risk.
- Compensation/ownership alignment: Director pay is equity-heavy and aligned via RSUs; however, her current beneficial ownership disclosure is minimal (28 shares via a foundation with disclaimed ownership). The automatic deferral of RSU share delivery until guidelines are met partially mitigates alignment concerns by deferring liquidity.
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: No related-party transactions disclosed in FY2025; overboarding policy in place and appears satisfied. Prior service on pharma boards could indicate network benefits without disclosed transactions at MCK.
Overall signal: Dunsire’s recent addition brings sector-specific depth to financially material committees, which is positive for investor confidence. Monitoring her progress toward the director stock ownership guideline will be relevant for long-term alignment analysis.