Alexander Cumbo
About Alexander (Bo) Cumbo
Alexander (Bo) Cumbo joined the Vor Bio Board of Directors effective July 16, 2025; he is a seasoned biotech commercial executive and currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Solid Biosciences. He previously was founding CEO of AavantiBio, and spent nearly eight years at Sarepta Therapeutics as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Technology from Auburn University . Vor’s Board (as of April 2025) affirmed that all directors other than the CEO are “independent” under Nasdaq rules; committees are composed of independent directors, with executive sessions at least twice per year .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Biosciences | President & Chief Executive Officer | Current (as of July 2025) | Led company as CEO; public company leadership |
| AavantiBio | Founding Chief Executive Officer | Prior to Solid; tenure not disclosed | Company backed by Bain, Perceptive, RA Capital; gene therapy strategy |
| Sarepta Therapeutics | EVP & Chief Commercial Officer | Nearly 8 years | Central role in launching multiple rare disease therapies; built global commercial ops |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verve Therapeutics | Director | Current | Cardiovascular genetics exposure; commercial/go-to-market expertise |
| Climb Bio | Director | Current | Early-stage company building experience |
| RA Pharma | Director | Prior | Board through successful transactions |
| CSM | Director | Prior | Board through successful transactions |
Board Governance
- Appointment: Joined Vor Bio’s Board effective July 16, 2025 (announced July 21, 2025) .
- Independence: Vor’s Board determined all directors other than the CEO are independent under Nasdaq rules; audit, compensation, and nominating committees require independence per Nasdaq/Rule 10A‑3 .
- Leadership structure: Independent chair; separation of chair and CEO roles to reinforce oversight; executive sessions at least twice annually .
- Attendance context: In 2024 the Board met 5 times (Audit 4; Compensation 2; Nominating did not meet); directors other than Dr. Namouni attended ≥75% of meetings. Cumbo was appointed in 2025, so 2024 attendance did not apply .
- Committee assignments for Cumbo: Not disclosed in the 2025 proxy or appointment press release; Board membership changed in August 2025 due to multiple resignations and a new independent director (Sarah Reed) appointment, but committee rosters not detailed in those filings .
Fixed Compensation
Vor’s non‑employee director compensation policy (amended April 12, 2023) applies to board service.
| Component | Amount / Terms |
|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer (Director) | $40,000 |
| Chair of Board additional retainer | $30,000 |
| Committee member retainers | Audit $7,500; Compensation $5,000; Nominating $4,000 |
| Committee chair retainers | Audit $15,000; Compensation $10,000; Nominating $8,000 |
| Initial equity grant (options) | 60,000 options at appointment; 36 equal monthly vesting; 10‑year term |
| Annual equity grant (options) | 30,000 options at each annual meeting; vest on earlier of 1‑year or next annual meeting |
| Change‑in‑control treatment | Director options subject to accelerated vesting upon change in control under the 2021 Plan |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited by Insider Trading Policy (no short sales, derivatives, hedging, margin or pledging) |
| Annual director compensation cap | ≤$750,000 total value; ≤$1,000,000 in first appointment year (equity valued at grant‑date fair value) |
Performance Compensation
Directors are compensated via fixed cash retainers and time‑based option grants; no performance‑based RSUs/PSUs or explicit performance metrics are disclosed for non‑employee director compensation.
| Performance Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Revenue, EBITDA, TSR, ESG goals tied to director pay | None disclosed in director policy |
| Director equity performance conditions | Options vest time‑based; accelerated vesting on change in control |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current outside boards: Verve Therapeutics (public) and Climb Bio (private) .
- Prior boards: RA Pharma and CSM through successful transactions .
- Investor influence context: RA Capital is a >5% holder in Vor and designated Sarah Reed (RA Capital General Counsel) to the Board per a 12/26/2024 purchase agreement; Cumbo previously led RA Capital–backed AavantiBio. This network may improve capital access and strategic insight, but investors should monitor potential influence dynamics in governance decisions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Commercialization: Led rare disease launches and built global commercial infrastructure at Sarepta .
- Company building: Founding CEO (AavantiBio) and current CEO (Solid Biosciences) with gene therapy and biotech scaling experience .
- Education: B.S. in Laboratory Technology, Auburn University .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Cumbo | 3,333 | <1% | Consists of shares issuable upon exercise of options exercisable within 60 days of July 18, 2025 |
| Shares outstanding (reference) | 126,637,075 | — | Basis for % ownership per 7/18/2025 |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited | — | Alignment safeguard |
Governance Assessment
-
Positives:
- Independent, seasoned commercial operator with a track record in rare diseases and gene therapy; adds commercialization and partnering strength as Vor advances telitacicept .
- Director compensation is modest (cash) and primarily equity‑based options with time‑based vesting, plus change‑in‑control acceleration—standard biotech board practices; annual cap reduces pay inflation risk .
- Strong governance framework: majority independent board, independent chair, executive sessions, and prohibition of hedging/pledging .
-
Watch items / potential conflicts:
- Time commitments and related‑party network: Cumbo’s concurrent CEO role at Solid Biosciences and prior RA Capital–backed leadership may create perceived influence dynamics, especially with RA Capital as a major Vor holder and an RA Capital executive (Sarah Reed) on Vor’s Board. Continued disclosure and robust recusals where applicable mitigate concerns .
- Equity plan repricing authority: Vor’s Amended 2021 Plan allows option/award repricing or exchange actions with participant consent. While not evidence of repricing for directors, investors should monitor for any repricing decisions, which can be viewed as shareholder‑unfriendly if used broadly. RED FLAG if repricing is applied to director awards without compelling rationale .
-
Committee engagement: Cumbo’s committee assignments were not disclosed in reviewed filings around his appointment and the August 2025 board changes; updated committee rosters should be monitored to assess his governance footprint (audit/comp/nom‑gov participation) .