Julia Gregory
About Julia P. Gregory
Julia P. Gregory, age 72, is Chair of the Board at Nurix Therapeutics and has served on the board since August 2019; she became Chair in May 2024 . She is designated by the Board as independent under Nasdaq rules and as an audit committee financial expert, reflecting deep finance and life sciences experience . Education: B.A. from George Washington University and M.B.A. from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania . Her career spans executive leadership (CEO/CFO roles) and 20 years in investment banking focused on life sciences, providing strategic finance and governance expertise to NRIX .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isometry Advisors, Inc. | Chair & CEO | Current | Biotech financial, strategy, and management advisory leadership |
| ContraFect Corporation | CEO; Director | CEO: Nov 2013–Mar 2016; Director: Apr 2014–Mar 2016 | Led anti-infectives strategy; board oversight during clinical-stage development |
| ContraFect Corporation | EVP & CFO | Jul 2012–Nov 2013 | Built finance/org capabilities pre-CEO role |
| Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. | President & CEO | 2009–Aug 2011 | Led preclinical/clinical portfolio strategy |
| Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | EVP Corporate Development & CFO | 2000–2008 | Corporate strategy, BD, financing leadership |
| Dillon, Read & Co.; Punk, Ziegel & Company | Investment banker; Head of Investment Banking/Life Sciences | ~20 years | Led life sciences practice; capital formation and M&A expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biohaven Ltd. | Director | Current | Public company board; neuroscience focus |
| Spinal Simplicity, LLC | Director | Current | Private device company board |
Board Governance
- Board leadership: CEO and Chair roles are split (CEO Arthur T. Sands; Chair Julia P. Gregory), strengthening oversight and independence .
- Independence: Gregory is one of eight independent directors on a nine-member board .
- Committees:
- Audit Committee member; served as Audit Chair for FY2024 financials, with chair role transitioning to Paul Silva on Jan 28, 2025 .
- Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member .
- Not a member of Compensation or Clinical & Commercialization Committees .
- Attendance and engagement: In FY2024, Board met 5 times; Audit 5; Compensation 6; Nominating 5; Development Advisory (now Clinical & Commercialization) 6; no director attended fewer than 75% of meetings; independents meet regularly in executive session .
- Related-party oversight: Audit Committee reviews and approves related party transactions under formal policy .
| Committee | Role | FY2024/2025 Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Audit | Member; Audit Chair through FY2024 reporting | Chair duties covered FY2024 statements; Silva became Chair Jan 28, 2025 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Member | ESG and governance oversight |
| Compensation | Non-member | Committee uses independent consultant Aon; no conflicts found |
| Clinical & Commercialization | Non-member | Scientific and commercialization oversight by other directors |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $50,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer |
| Chair of Board fee | $35,000 | Additional cash for Chair responsibilities |
| Audit Committee member fee | $7,500 | Annual cash for committee membership |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member fee | $5,000 | Annual cash for committee membership |
| Total fees earned (actual) | $95,437 | Paid quarterly; pro-rated for partial service periods |
Performance Compensation
- Equity program: Directors receive stock options (no RSUs) — 50,000 initial grant vesting monthly over 36 months; 25,000 annual grant vesting at one year (or next annual meeting), subject to service continuity .
- FY2024 equity: Option awards grant-date fair value $276,179 for Gregory .
- Grant execution example (latest year): On May 19, 2025, Gregory received 25,000 director stock options at $9.51 exercise price (annual grant) .
| Equity Grant Detail | Date | Shares | Exercise Price | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual director option grant | May 19, 2025 | 25,000 | $9.51 | Fully vests at one year from grant or by next annual meeting, subject to service |
| FY2024 director option awards (fair value) | FY2024 | — | — | $276,179 fair value under ASC 718 |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards: Biohaven Ltd .
- Private boards: Spinal Simplicity, LLC .
- Interlocks and conflicts: NRIX reports no related-party transactions over $120,000 for FY2024 and through the proxy date; policy requires Audit Committee approval for any such transactions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit committee financial expert designation (Reg S-K 407(d)(5)(ii)) .
- Strategic finance and life sciences expertise from CEO/CFO roles and two decades of investment banking .
- Governance and ESG oversight via Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee remit .
- Degrees: B.A. (George Washington University); M.B.A. (Wharton) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As of Mar 21, 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 136,666 | Represents options exercisable within 60 days |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% | Outstanding shares 76,235,594 |
| Common shares owned | 0 (not disclosed) | Beneficial ownership entry reflects exercisable options only |
| Options (exercisable within 60 days) | 136,666 | Director options; additional unexercisable options may exist outside 60-day window |
| Options outstanding (total, FY2024) | 136,666 | As of Nov 30, 2024 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for directors; pledging only with pre-approval | Insider Trading Policy bars hedging and most pledging |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed | Proxy contains governance guidelines but no explicit director stock ownership guideline |
Insider Trades
| Date | Security | Action | Quantity | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2025 | Director Stock Option | Grant (Annual) | 25,000 | $9.51 | |
| Sep 17, 2025 | Common Stock (via option exercise) | Option Exercise | 10,750 | $1.86 |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent Chair separated from CEO enhances oversight and accountability .
- Audit committee financial expert; prior Audit Chair experience during FY2024 financials strengthens financial reporting oversight .
- Active committee participation (Audit; Nominating & Corporate Governance) and no attendance shortfalls in FY2024 indicate engagement .
- Clear related-party policy and no material related-party transactions reported; anti-hedging/pledging safeguards alignment .
- Alignment considerations:
- Beneficial ownership consists of options; limited direct common stock reported may temper perceived “skin in the game” vs. peers with larger shareholdings .
- Multi-board commitments (Biohaven; Spinal Simplicity) require attention to time demands; NRIX guidelines expect adequate time and effort from directors .
- Compensation and pay practices:
- Director pay modest and option-heavy (cash $95,437; option fair value $276,179 in FY2024); program uses independent consultant (Aon) with no conflicts identified .
- Company-wide governance features include clawback policy and double-trigger change-in-control for executives; no hedging/pledging and no excise tax gross-ups .
- Shareholder feedback:
- Say-on-pay support at ~88.3% in 2024 suggests investor acceptance of compensation framework, indirectly supportive of board oversight .
Director Compensation
| Metric | FY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Annual retainer (cash) | $50,000 |
| Chair fee (cash) | $35,000 |
| Committee fees (cash) | Audit member $7,500; Nominating member $5,000 |
| Meeting fees | None disclosed |
| Equity (annual option grant) | 25,000 options; vest at one year |
| Equity (initial option grant) | 50,000 options; vest monthly over 36 months |
| FY2024 cash earned (actual) | $95,437 |
| FY2024 option grant fair value | $276,179 |
Board Governance (Attendance & Independence)
| Attribute | FY2024 Outcome |
|---|---|
| Board meeting count | 5 |
| Audit/Comp/Nominating meeting counts | 5 / 6 / 5 |
| Director attendance | No director <75% |
| Independence status | Independent (Nasdaq) |
| Executive sessions | Independents met separately regularly |
Related Party & Conflicts
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Related-party policy | Audit Committee approval required for any >$120k related person transaction |
| Transactions (FY2024-present) | None reported >$120k; only standard compensation |
Compensation Committee Analysis (Context)
| Topic | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Consultant | Aon Human Capital Solutions (independent; no conflict) |
| Peer group (2024) | 23 pre-commercial biotech peers; criteria by market cap, headcount, stage, geography |
| Clawback | SEC/Nasdaq-compliant clawback policy adopted July 2023 |
| Say-on-pay 2024 | Approved ~88.3% “For” |
RED FLAGS
- None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, attendance, or option repricing .
- Watch items: limited direct share ownership vs. options may be viewed as lower immediate equity alignment, and multi-board commitments require monitoring for time allocation .