David Simmons
ViatrisAbout David Simmons
David Simmons (age 61) is an independent director of Viatris (VTRS) since 2025. He is currently CEO of Caliber Holdings Corporation and previously served as Chairman and CEO of PPD, Inc., with earlier leadership roles at Pfizer overseeing Established Products and Emerging Markets—bringing deep global pharma and operations experience aligned with Viatris’ established brands strategy . He is nominated for re‑election at the 2025 annual meeting, with independence affirmed under NASDAQ rules .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caliber Holdings Corporation | Chief Executive Officer | Since 2023 | Leads multi-site operations; human capital leadership |
| Abingworth LLP | Senior Advisor | Since 2012 | Life sciences VC advisor; strategic insight |
| Hellman & Friedman LLC | Operating Partner | 2022–2023 | Private equity operating leadership |
| PPD, Inc. | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 2012–2022 | Led global CRO; strategic and capital markets experience |
| Pfizer | President & GM (Emerging Markets and Established Products); various roles | 1996–2012 | Overseen Established Products; international commercial leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordis (private) | Director | Since 2022 | Cardiovascular devices; healthcare adjacency |
| Launch Therapeutics, Inc. (private) | Chairman | 2022–2025 | Clinical development platform; governance leadership |
| Curia Global, Inc. (private) | Director | 2018–2020 | CDMO oversight |
| Medline Industries, Inc. (private) | Director | 2022–2024 | Healthcare products supply chain |
| PPD, Inc. (public; acquired) | Chairman | 2012–2022 | Board leadership through acquisition by Thermo Fisher |
| Owens & Minor, Inc. (NYSE: OMI) | Director | 2013–2018 | Distribution and healthcare supply chain oversight |
| David & Melissa Simmons Family Foundation | Trustee | — | Philanthropy governance |
| The Linsly School | Trustee | — | Education governance |
Board Governance
| Governance Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Committee assignments | None as of Oct 20, 2025 (no committee row assignments) |
| Independence | Independent under NASDAQ listing rules |
| Attendance | All directors standing for re‑election attended >75% of aggregate board and committee meetings in 2024 and in 2025 through Oct 20 |
| Years of service | Director since 2025 (nominated among 13 for the 2025 meeting) |
| Executive sessions | Independent directors met five times in 2024 and six times in 2025 through Oct 20; Chair presided |
| Board structure context | Independent Chair; committees fully independent; robust risk oversight across Audit, Compensation, Compliance & Risk, Finance, Governance & Sustainability, and Science & Technology – |
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board member retainer (cash) | $150,000 | Standard non‑employee director retainer |
| Chair of the Board compensation | $225,000 | Applies to Chair; not applicable to Simmons |
| Vice Chair compensation | $50,000 | Applies to Vice Chair; not applicable to Simmons |
| Committee chair fee | $25,000 | Per committee chair; Simmons has no committee roles |
| Executive Committee member fee | $25,000 | Only for members; Simmons is not listed |
| Annual equity grant (RSUs) | $225,000 | Standard non‑employee director RSU grant value |
| Matching gifts | Up to $20,000 | Director matching gift program per calendar year |
2024 director compensation table does not include Simmons (joined in 2025) .
Performance Compensation
- Non‑employee director equity is time‑based RSUs; no disclosed performance metrics attach to director equity grants (2025 structure specifies annual RSUs at grant date fair value; 2024 RSUs vested Mar 4, 2025) .
- Company‑wide clawback policy administration and anti‑hedging/anti‑pledging policies are maintained by the Compensation Committee, but no director‑specific performance metrics are disclosed for equity (policies reference executives broadly) –.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Potential Interlock/Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Cordis | Private medtech | Healthcare adjacency; no Viatris related‑party transactions disclosed |
| Owens & Minor (OMI) | Public healthcare distribution | Sector adjacency; no Viatris related‑party transactions disclosed |
| PPD (acquired) | Public CRO (historical) | Industry network; no Viatris related‑party transactions disclosed |
Related party transactions section lists matters involving Rajiv Malik; no transactions involving Simmons are disclosed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- CEO/public company leadership; global business; healthcare industry; strategy and M&A; human capital management .
- Direct experience with established products portfolios from Pfizer; CRO oversight at PPD; current operator experience at Caliber .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | Options/Restricted Shares vesting within 60 days | Percent of Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Simmons | 0 | — | <1% (based on 1,154,467,256 shares outstanding) |
- Non‑employee director ownership guidelines require holding common stock valued at 5x annual cash retainer within 5 years of start date; unvested RSUs (and related DEUs) count toward compliance .
- Anti‑hedging and anti‑pledging policy applies broadly (alignment safeguard) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; deep pharma leadership across Pfizer/PPD; current operating CEO perspective useful for oversight; board’s independent chair and committee structure support effective governance .
- Engagement: Board reports >75% attendance for directors standing for re‑election; frequent executive sessions enhance independent oversight .
- Alignment watchpoints: As of Oct 20, 2025, Simmons reported no beneficial ownership; while within the 5‑year window, near‑term ownership build‑up will improve alignment optics .
- Conflicts: No related‑party transactions disclosed involving Simmons; external roles are sector‑adjacent but no Viatris transactional ties are reported .
- Committee influence: No committee assignments as of Oct 20, 2025, limiting direct committee‑level oversight impact in the near term; future placement on Science & Technology, Governance, or Compliance committees would leverage his domain expertise .
Shareholder sentiment context: Board acknowledged 2024 say‑on‑pay disappointment driven by a former Executive Chairman consulting arrangement, which was terminated June 30, 2025; compensation rigor increased and ownership policy tightened—signals of responsiveness to investors .