George J. Morrow
NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCESAbout George J. Morrow
Independent director at Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) since October 2015; age 73 and Class I director with term through 2027 . Former EVP, Global Commercial Operations at Amgen (2003–2011) and senior commercial roles at Glaxo Wellcome/GlaxoSmithKline (1992–2001) . Education: B.S. Chemistry (Southampton College, LIU), M.S. Biochemistry (Bryn Mawr), MBA (Duke) . Core credentials: global commercialization leadership, large-cap biopharma operating experience, multi-board governance background .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amgen Inc. | EVP, Global Commercial Operations | 2003–2011 | Oversight of all commercial functions in >50 countries; multiple global launches |
| Amgen Inc. | EVP, Worldwide Sales & Marketing | 2001–2003 | Led global sales and marketing |
| Glaxo Wellcome (U.S./U.K.) | Group VP Commercial Ops (U.S.); Managing Director (U.K.); President & CEO (U.S.) | 1992–2001 | Senior commercial/GM leadership across geographies |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Align Technology, Inc. | Director | Current | Global medical device company (dental aligners) |
| Vical, Inc. | Director | Prior | Biotech |
| Otonomy, Inc. | Director | Prior | Biotech |
| Glaxo Wellcome, Inc. | Director | Prior | Pharma |
| Human Genome Sciences, Inc. | Director | Prior | Biotech |
| Safeway, Inc. | Director | Prior | Consumer retail |
| National Commerce Bank | Director | Prior | Banking |
| Johns Hopkins School of Public Health | Board/Advisory role | Prior | Academic/non-profit |
| Duke University Fuqua School of Business | Board/Advisory role | Prior | Academic/non-profit |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee (member) and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee (member) .
- Independence: Independent under Nasdaq standards (all directors except the current and former CEOs) .
- Attendance: All directors attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in 2024 .
- Compensation Committee interlocks: None among the 2024 Compensation Committee members (Morrow, Pops, Sharp) .
- Board practices: Separate Chair/CEO; executive sessions of independent directors at every regular Board meeting .
- Overboarding policy: Max five public boards (three for audit members; CEOs limited to three); all directors compliant .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 | Non-employee director base |
| Committee membership fees | $21,000 | Compensation ($12,000) + Nominating/Governance ($9,000) |
| Committee chair fees | $0 | Not a chair |
| Meeting fees | $0 | Not disclosed/per-meeting fees not used |
| Total cash earned | $81,000 | As reported in director compensation table |
Performance Compensation
| Grant Type | Grant Date Policy | Grant Value | Vesting | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director equity grant | At 2024 annual meeting | $400,025 | RSUs vest in full at 1-year; options (if elected) vest in full at 1-year | Morrow received RSUs (no options shown) |
- Program design: Directors may elect RSUs, options, or 50/50; options have 10-year term, strike at grant-day close .
- Clawback: Awards subject to company recoupment policies under the 2025 Equity Plan .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public board(s) | Align Technology, Inc. (Director) |
| Interlocks (Comp Committee) | No interlocking relationships in 2024 |
| Potential overlaps | Align Technology (medical device) is not a direct neuro/biopharma competitor to NBIX; no related party transactions in 2024 |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep commercial leadership in large-cap biopharma (Amgen; Glaxo Wellcome/GSK) .
- Global market operations and product launch experience .
- Governance: multi-company board service across biotech, pharma, consumer, and financial sectors .
- Education: BS Chemistry; MS Biochemistry; MBA .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (as of 3/24/2025) | 84,143 shares (<1%) |
| Ownership % of outstanding | ~0.085% (84,143 / 98,938,234) |
| Breakdown | 4,199 common; 77,075 options exercisable within 60 days; 2,869 RSUs vesting within 60 days |
| Director stock ownership guidelines | 3x cash retainer; all non-employee directors in compliance as of 3/24/2025 |
| Hedging/pledging/margining | Prohibited; Company reports no such transactions in 2024; 10b5-1 plans required for trades |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Morrow’s commercialization and global go-to-market experience complements NBIX’s scaled commercial portfolio; service on Compensation and Nominating/Governance supports pay design and board refreshment oversight .
- Independence and engagement: Independent status, ≥75% attendance, and executive sessions reinforce oversight quality .
- Pay alignment: Director compensation is equity-heavy (RSUs), with moderate cash; 2025 plan lowers non-employee director compensation cap to $750k, signaling restraint and alignment with governance best practices .
- Ownership alignment: Compliant with director ownership guidelines; meaningful equity exposure; prohibitions on hedging/pledging reduce misalignment risk .
- Conflicts/related-party: None disclosed for 2024; Compensation Committee reported no interlocks; current external board (Align Technology) poses low conflict with NBIX’s core business .
- Shareholder signals: Strong say-on-pay support (94% in 2024) and use of independent comp consultant (FW Cook) for program calibration bolster investor confidence in pay governance; no consultant conflicts noted .
RED FLAGS: None disclosed for Morrow—no related party transactions, no hedging/pledging, no overboarding concerns, no Section 16 delinquency noted for him (one late filing pertained to another director due to administrative oversight) .