Julie S. Cooke
NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCESAbout Julie S. Cooke
Julie S. Cooke, age 59, is Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Neurocrine Biosciences (appointed September 2017). Her background spans senior HR leadership across research institutes and biopharma, with a BA in Economics from Colorado College. Company performance context during her tenure: 2024 GAAP net income was $341.3M and net product sales were $2,330.6M; cumulative TSR (value of initial $100 investment) reached $126.99 for 2020–2024 versus $118.20 for the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index peer group .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Research Institute | Senior Vice President, Human Resources; member of executive management team | Not disclosed | Led HR and executive-level people strategy for a leading biomedical research institute |
| Life Technologies | HR partner to COO, Division Presidents, and Global Function Leads | Not disclosed | Drove HR alignment to operations and global functions in a complex, multi-division environment |
| SGX Pharmaceuticals | Head of Human Resources; member of executive management team | Not disclosed | Built HR architecture supporting an emerging biopharma; executive team member |
| PepsiCo / The Pepsi Bottling Group | HR roles of increasing responsibility | Not disclosed | Scaled HR capabilities in large consumer enterprise settings |
| Gateway | HR roles of increasing responsibility | Not disclosed | Supported organizational HR needs in technology/manufacturing contexts |
External Roles
No public company board roles or external directorships disclosed for Cooke .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Policy/Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Target annual cash incentive (as % of base) | 50% for all other executive officers | Applies to executive officers other than CEO; no changes to other exec targets in 2024 |
| Base salary | Not disclosed | Base salaries disclosed for NEOs; CHRO not a named executive officer in 2024 proxy |
Compensation philosophy emphasizes at-risk pay, with at least one-third of target total cash compensation at risk for executive officers; CEO at 50% at-risk for cash incentives. Long-term equity includes performance-based and time-based awards, governed by strong compensation practices (no option repricing, clawbacks, no hedging/pledging) .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting/Mechanics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INGREZZA net sales (core corporate goal) | Not specifically weighted; holistic assessment | Not disclosed | Exceeded high-end of target range | Corporate goal achievement determined at 115% for 2024 | Annual cash incentive plan; NEO payouts capped at 150% of target |
| CRENESSITY (crinecerfont) launch readiness (NDAs, Q4 2024 launch) | Not specifically weighted | Not disclosed | NDAs submitted; launch readiness completed | Included in 115% corporate achievement | Annual cash incentive plan |
| Pipeline progression (4 Phase 2 top-line results) | Not specifically weighted | Not disclosed | Over-achieved critical pipeline goals | Included in 115% corporate achievement | Annual cash incentive plan |
| Company-selected performance measures (PVP) | N/A (SEC PVP) | N/A | Net Product Sales $2,330.6M; GAAP Net Income $341.3M; TSR $126.99 vs peer $118.20 | Informational (links CAP to performance) | PVP disclosures; CAP calculated per SEC rules |
PRSUs vest only upon achievement of objectively measurable long-term metrics tied to strategy (e.g., sales, net income, regulatory/pipeline milestones); stock options vest monthly over four years; RSUs vest over multi-year schedules per award specifics .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Policy Element | Cooke-Specific Status | Company Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership guideline | Executive officers compliant as of March 24, 2025 | CEO: 6x base salary; all other executive officers: 1x base salary; 5-year compliance window; restrictions on sales until compliant; includes in-the-money vested options in measurement; excludes unvested RSUs/PRSUs |
| Hedging/pledging/margining | Prohibited; no such transactions in 2024 or as of record date | Prohibits options/shorts/hedges/margining; requires use of 10b5-1 plans with waiting periods; pre-clearance and blackout policy applies |
| Equity grant timing controls | Grants timed post earnings; PRSU grant dates may be delayed pending term finalization | Company avoids timing grants around MNPI; does not time MNPI release to affect award values |
Ownership compliance: “As of March 24, 2025, each of our executive officers was in compliance with the equity ownership guidelines.”
Employment Terms
| Term | Cooke-Specific | Company Framework |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment date | Appointed CHRO September 2017 | Executive officers serve at Board’s discretion |
| Annual cash incentive target | 50% of base (as an “all other executive officer”) | CEO 100%; others 50% in 2024; 2024 corporate achievement at 115% |
| Severance (outside change-in-control) | Not individually enumerated | Executive Severance Plan (Feb 7, 2025): cash severance = salary + target bonus × 1 (or 1.5 for CEO); pro-rata bonus based on actuals; up to 12 months health premiums (18 for CEO); acceleration of time-vesting awards scheduled within next 12 months (15 for CEO); performance awards vest if goals met (Comp Committee discretion) |
| Severance (within change-in-control period; double trigger) | Not individually enumerated | Executive Severance Plan: cash severance = salary + target bonus × 1.5 (or 2 for CEO); pro-rata target bonus; up to 18 months health premiums (24 for CEO); full acceleration of all equity; PRSUs vest at greater of target or actual as determined by Comp Committee |
| Clawbacks | Applies | Multiple recoupment policies (pre/post Oct 2, 2023) and any exchange/Dodd-Frank requirements; compensation subject to recoupment |
| Parachute payments | Applies if eligible | “Best-after-tax” reduction to optimize after-tax economics (2025 Equity Plan §280G/4999 clause) |
Note: The Severance Plan specifically lists covered executives (CEO, CFO, CCO, CSO, CMO) as examples; it applies to “executive officers” generally. Cooke’s individual coverage terms were not separately disclosed; investors should confirm her inclusion via the 10-K exhibits referenced .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Executive ownership guidelines (1x salary for non-CEO execs), strict prohibitions on hedging/pledging, and mandatory 10b5-1 trading plans reinforce alignment and reduce trading signal noise; Cooke is in compliance per company-wide assessment .
- Incentive quality: Annual incentives are holistically tied to commercially critical and regulatory pipeline goals; 2024 corporate goal achievement at 115% suggests disciplined payouts against meaningful milestones (INGREZZA sales, CRENESSITY launch readiness, pipeline execution) .
- Retention and change-of-control protections: The Severance Plan provides meaningful but market-standard double-trigger CIC protection with full equity acceleration and 1.5× (others) to 2× (CEO) cash multiples, reducing retention risk during strategic transactions without tax gross-ups; Cooke’s specific terms are not separately disclosed, but policy-level coverage applies to executive officers .
- Pay-for-performance and shareholder sentiment: NBIX’s pay program historically garners strong say-on-pay support (over 92% approval in 2022–2024), indicating investor confidence in alignment; company PVP shows rising net product sales and improving TSR relative to peer index over 2020–2024, providing a constructive backdrop for HR-led talent strategies under Cooke’s remit .
Related-party transactions: None in 2024; governance practices (clawbacks, no option repricing, no hedging/pledging) mitigate red flags .