Suzanne Bruhn
About Suzanne Bruhn
Suzanne Bruhn, Ph.D., age 61, has served as an independent director of Travere Therapeutics since April 2020. She is currently Chief Executive Officer of The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) and brings extensive biopharma leadership in rare disease development and regulatory affairs; she holds a B.S. in Chemistry (Iowa State University) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry (MIT) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiaki Therapeutics Inc. | President & CEO | May 2019–Dec 2023 | Led R&D strategy and company operations |
| Proclara Biosciences, Inc. | President & CEO | Apr 2017–Sep 2018 | Corporate restructuring and portfolio leadership |
| Promedior, Inc. | President & CEO | May 2012–Nov 2015 | Advanced fibrosis programs; strategic partnering |
| Shire Human Genetic Therapies (formerly Transkaryotic Therapies) | Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning & Program Management | Earlier career | Increasing responsibility in rare disease therapies; portfolio/program management |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) | Chief Executive Officer | Nov 2023–Present | Patient advocacy leadership; rare neuropathy focus |
| Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Current | Board service; committee roles not specified |
| Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. | Director | Current | Board service; committee roles not specified |
| Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. | Director | Current | Board service; committee roles not specified |
| Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. | Director (prior) | Apr 2011–Oct 2016 | Served until acquisition by Horizon Pharma plc |
| Novelion Therapeutics, Inc. | Director (prior) | Oct 2017–Jan 2020 | Board service in biopharma |
| Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. | Director (prior) | Feb 2017–Aug 2020 | Clinical-stage biotech governance |
| Avalo Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly Cerecor, Inc.) | Director (prior) | Apr 2020–Nov 2021 | Board service |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined Dr. Bruhn is independent under Nasdaq standards; no disqualifying relationships were found .
- Committee assignments: Member, Compensation Committee; Member, Science & Medical Technology Committee .
- Chair roles: None; committee chairs are Orwin (Compensation) and Baynes (Science & Medical Technology) .
- Attendance: The Board held four meetings in 2024; all directors who served attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings .
- Executive sessions: Independent directors met in executive session at each regularly scheduled Board meeting during 2024 .
- Tenure on TVTX Board: Since April 2020 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board Retainer (cash) | $50,000 | Non-employee director policy |
| Compensation Committee Member Fee | $10,000 | Annual; $20,000 for Chair (she is a member) |
| Science & Medical Technology Committee Member Fee | $7,500 | Annual; $15,000 for Chair (she is a member) |
| Non-Employee Director Annual Limit | $750,000 | Combined cash + equity cap; $1,250,000 in first year |
| Elect Retainers in Options | Policy allows option in lieu of cash | Valued via Black-Scholes/binomial on grant date |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Grant Type | Grant Size | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Director Equity (on first election) | 29,250 stock options; 9,750 RSUs | Options/RSUs vest over 3 years | Standard initial non-employee director grants |
| Annual Director Equity (each annual meeting, ≥6 months service) | 19,500 stock options; 6,500 RSUs | Options/RSUs vest over 1 year | Ongoing annual equity |
| Change-in-Control Treatment | No automatic single-trigger vesting | Plan allows case-by-case acceleration | Amended 2018 Plan governance protections |
| Clawback | Subject to company clawback policy | Per listing standards/Dodd-Frank | Governance safeguard |
Director equity awards are time-based; performance stock awards under the plan may use metrics for employees/executives, but director grants are options/RSUs with specified vesting (no director-specific performance metrics disclosed) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Overlap/Interlock Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Pliant Therapeutics, Vigil Neuroscience, MindMed | Public company boards | Company guidelines limit ≤4 other boards; she is within limits; Board independence affirmed (no disqualifying relationships) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Rare disease development and regulatory expertise; senior program management and strategic planning at Shire HGT .
- CEO experience across multiple biopharma companies; current patient advocacy leadership at CMTA .
- Chemistry Ph.D. (MIT) and B.S. (Iowa State) .
- Selected for TVTX Board for extensive global biopharma experience in rare disease .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suzanne Bruhn | 63,000 | <1%* | Includes 47,250 stock options vested/will vest within 60 days of Mar 3, 2025 |
| Shares Outstanding (reference) | 88,757,341 | — | As of Mar 3, 2025 |
| Ownership Guidelines | Met | — | All directors/executives have met applicable stock ownership guidelines |
* Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Bruhn brings relevant rare disease and regulatory expertise; active on Compensation and Science & Medical Technology committees, aligning with TVTX’s pipeline and human capital oversight priorities .
- Independence and conflicts: Independence affirmed; company found no disqualifying relationships; service on three other public boards complies with TVTX policies (≤4 other boards), mitigating overboarding concerns .
- Attendance and engagement: Board met four times in 2024; all directors met ≥75% attendance; independent directors held executive sessions at each meeting, indicating robust independent oversight .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay combines cash retainers and standardized option/RSU grants with clear vesting schedules; ability to elect options for cash retainers enhances equity alignment; non-employee director compensation cap ($750k; $1.25M first year) reflects governance discipline .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed specific to Bruhn (no related-party transactions, pledging/hedging, or low attendance indicated); continued monitoring warranted for aggregate board commitments and any future related party interactions given multiple external board roles, though independence currently affirmed .