Robert Booth
About Robert Booth
Robert Booth, age 71, has served as an independent director of Summit Therapeutics since September 2022. He brings 30+ years in biopharma, including Founder & CEO of Virobay (2010–2019), Executive Chairman of Myoforte Therapeutics (2019–2021), Chief Scientific Officer at Celera Genomics (initiated BTK inhibitor program leading to IMBRUVICA), and Senior Vice President at Roche in Palo Alto. He holds a BSc and PhD in biochemistry from the University of London . The Board has determined he is independent under Nasdaq rules; he meets Audit Committee financial literacy standards .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virobay Inc. | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | 2010–2019 | Built pipeline; biotech leadership |
| Myoforte Therapeutics | Executive Chairman | 2019–2021 | Governance and oversight |
| Celera Genomics | Chief Scientific Officer | Prior to 2010 | Conceived BTK inhibitor program → licensed to Pharmacyclics; resulted in IMBRUVICA approval |
| Roche (Palo Alto) | Senior Vice President | Prior to Celera | Global research management; business development committee |
| TPG Biotech | Operating Partner & Senior Advisor | Prior to Virobay | Investment and advisory in biotech |
| Pharmacyclics, Inc. | Director | Until acquisition by AbbVie | Board service during strategic phase |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acurex Biosciences | Director | Current | Private (neurodegenerative) |
| Thryv Therapeutics | Director | Current | Private (cardiovascular) |
| Maxymune Therapeutics | Director | Current | Private (immune-related) |
| Cymabay Therapeutics | Director | 2016–2020 | Public biotech |
| Glialogix Therapeutics | Director | 2013–2022 | Private biotech |
| Myoforte Therapeutics | Director/Executive Chair | 2019–2021 | Private biotech |
| Stanford School of Medicine | Adjunct Professor | Prior to 2022 | Academic appointment |
Board Governance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent under Nasdaq rules |
| Committee Memberships (2024) | Audit (Members: Jeffrey Huber—Chair, Robert Booth, Mostafa Ronaghi); Nominating & Corporate Governance (Members: Kenneth Clark—Chair, Robert Booth, Alessandra Cesano); Compensation (Members: Kenneth Clark—Chair, Mostafa Ronaghi) |
| Committee Memberships (as of 12/31/2023) | Audit (Kenneth Clark—Chair; Robert Booth; Ujwala Mahatme); Compensation (Kenneth Clark—Chair; Ujwala Mahatme); Nominating & Corporate Governance (Kenneth Clark—Chair; Robert Booth; Alessandra Cesano) |
| Meetings Held | 2024: Audit 6, Compensation 1, Nominating 0 ; 2023: Audit 5, Compensation 2, Nominating 1 |
| Attendance | All then-serving directors attended the 2023 annual meeting; directors expected to attend Board and committee meetings |
| Audit Committee Qualifications | Booth meets Nasdaq/SEC financial literacy; Huber is Audit Committee financial expert |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (Policy as disclosed post-Redomiciliation) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual base fee (non-employee director) | $42,000 | Paid quarterly in arrears |
| Committee membership fee (each committee) | $6,000 | Additional annual fee per committee |
| Audit Committee Chair | $33,000 | Additional annual fee |
| Other Committee Chairs | $12,000 | Additional annual fee |
| Expense reimbursement | Actuals | Reasonable travel/meeting expenses reimbursed |
Note: Upon his appointment, Booth is entitled to compensation in accordance with Summit’s non-employee director policy; specific current-dollar amounts beyond the 2020 policy were not disclosed in available filings .
Performance Compensation
| Award Type | Grant Basis | Vesting | Performance Linkage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options (upon appointment) | Granted per non-employee director policy | Terms not disclosed for Booth’s grant | Not specified for directors |
| RSUs (historical UK plc program for non-exec directors) | Annual RSUs replaced option practice (2017) | One-year vest; nominal cost options structure | No performance conditions on RSUs |
No director-level performance metrics (TSR/EBITDA/revenue) tied to non-employee director compensation were disclosed for Summit in the available documents .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Area | Findings |
|---|---|
| Public company interlocks | Former director Cymabay Therapeutics (2016–2020) |
| Private company boards | Current: Acurex, Thryv, Maxymune; prior: Glialogix, Myoforte |
| Related party transactions | The Company disclosed at appointment that Dr. Booth had no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Drug discovery and development leader; conceived BTK inhibitor program → IMBRUVICA approval .
- Senior operating roles in global pharma (Roche) and CSO at Celera; venture/investment exposure at TPG Biotech .
- Academic engagement (Stanford adjunct professor) .
- Financial literacy for Audit Committee service; Board confirms independence .
Equity Ownership
- Director beneficial ownership for Booth at Summit was not disclosed in the available filings reviewed. At appointment, the Company noted no related-party transactions involving Booth under Item 404(a) .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths:
- Independent director with deep R&D pedigree; significant value-creation track record (IMBRUVICA) .
- Active on Audit and Nominating & Governance committees; meets financial literacy criteria; committee structures with independent chairs .
- No related-party transaction concerns disclosed at appointment .
-
Watch items:
- Multiple concurrent biotech board roles (private companies) necessitate ongoing monitoring for potential conflicts should Summit enter partnerships or transactions involving those entities; none disclosed to date .
- Director compensation transparency: most recent explicit dollar schedule in filings dates to 2020 policy; confirm any updates in current proxy cycle for alignment and pay governance .
-
Shareholder confidence signals:
- Certain institutional N-PX filings recorded votes “FOR” Summit director elections including Robert Booth in 2025, indicating external support among reporting funds .
Committee evolution note: In October 2023, Manmeet Soni moved into an executive role and resigned committee seats; Booth was appointed to the Audit Committee, improving independent oversight continuity .