Christina Rossi
About Christina Rossi
Christina Rossi (age 49) is an independent director of Xilio Therapeutics (XLO) serving since April 2021; she is currently Chief Operating Officer of Blueprint Medicines Corporation and previously held senior commercial leadership roles at Sanofi Genzyme, Biogen, and the Boston Consulting Group. She holds a B.S. in Biology (cum laude) from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard Business School .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueprint Medicines Corporation | Chief Operating Officer | Apr 2022–present | Senior operating executive at a biopharma company |
| Blueprint Medicines Corporation | Chief Commercial Officer | Oct 2018–Apr 2022 | Led commercial strategy and execution |
| Sanofi Genzyme | Multiple Sclerosis BU Head, North America | Jan 2016–Oct 2018 | P&L and leadership for MS franchise |
| Sanofi | VP, Multiple Sclerosis Sales | May 2014–Dec 2015 | Commercial leadership |
| Sanofi | VP, Multiple Sclerosis Patient & Provider Services | Jun 2012–May 2014 | Patient/provider engagement strategy |
| Biogen | Various roles incl. Head, Commercial Strategy (Eidetica Biopharma GmbH) and U.S. Brand Leader for TYSABRI | Prior to 2012 | Strategy and brand leadership |
| Boston Consulting Group | Consultant, Healthcare Practice | Prior | Strategic advisory experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueprint Medicines Corporation | Chief Operating Officer | Apr 2022–present | Current operating executive role |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (with Sara M. Bonstein, Chair; and Aoife Brennan, M.D.); Compensation Committee Chair (members Paul J. Clancy and Robert Ross, M.D.) .
- Independence: Board determined in March 2025 that all directors except the CEO (Dr. Russo) are independent under Nasdaq rules; Audit and Compensation committees meet SEC independence criteria (Rules 10A-3 and 10C-1) .
- Attendance: Board met 7 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings; six of eight directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: Paul J. Clancy serves as Chair of the Board .
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation Committee | Chair; member | 3 | |
| Audit Committee | Member | 5 |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Cash Fees ($) | Option Awards ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 52,500 | 19,058 | 71,558 |
| Director Compensation Policy Element (effective Apr 14, 2025) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Board annual cash retainer | $40,000 |
| Chair of the Board annual cash retainer | $70,000 |
| Audit Committee member / chair | $7,500 / $15,000 |
| Compensation Committee member / chair | $5,000 / $10,000 |
| Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member / chair | $4,000 / $8,000 |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Component (Non-Employee Directors) | Grant Size | Exercise Price | Vesting | Change-in-Control/Accelerator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial stock option grant upon board election | 62,000 shares | Closing price on grant date | 1/3 annually over 3 years, contingent on service | 100% acceleration upon death, disability, or change in control |
| Annual stock option grant (continuing directors) | 31,000 shares | Closing price on grant date | Vests in full on earlier of first anniversary or prior to next annual meeting | 100% acceleration upon death, disability, or change in control |
| Annual limit under 2021 Plan (director capacity) | $1,000,000 aggregate cash+equity value | — | — | — |
Note: Non-employee directors are excluded from the October 2025 one-time employee stock option repricing and from grants under the 2025 employee-focused Stock Incentive Plan .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- No other public company directorships are disclosed in Ms. Rossi’s proxy biography for the past five years .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior operating and commercial leadership across biopharma (Blueprint, Sanofi, Biogen), indicating deep market access, launch, and franchise management experience .
- Audit Committee member with financial literacy; Compensation Committee Chair overseeing executive pay design, clawback policy administration, and independent consultant engagement .
- Education: B.S. Biology (Duke; cum laude) and MBA (Harvard Business School) .
Equity Ownership
| Date (Reference) | Shares Owned | Right to Acquire within 60 days | Total Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2024 (Options held table) | — | 104,613 | 104,613 | * (<1%) |
| Mar 31, 2025 (Beneficial ownership table) | — | 79,613 | 79,613 | * (<1%) |
| Oct 1, 2025 (Beneficial ownership table) | — | 104,613 | 104,613 | * (<1%) |
(“Right to Acquire” generally reflects exercisable options and certain warrants within 60 days of the reference date per proxy methodology .)
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director serving as Compensation Committee Chair with documented use of an independent compensation consultant (Aon) and committee executive sessions without management; committee independence evaluated and affirmed; robust Board and committee attendance; director equity grants with clear vesting rules and double-trigger acceleration provisions .
- Alignment: Director equity compensation in stock options aligns incentives with shareholder value; annual cash and committee fees are modest relative to small-cap biotech norms; directors excluded from employee option repricing and from the 2025 employee equity plan, reducing conflicts in pay decisions .
- Potential risks/considerations: Low personal ownership (<1%) limits “skin in the game” optics; as Compensation Committee Chair, oversight of sensitive measures (e.g., 2025 Plan design amid significant warrant dilution and employee option repricing) demands continued transparency and rigorous pay-for-performance alignment; concurrent senior operating role at another biopharma may raise time-commitment perceptions though board independence is affirmed .
- Red flags: Company pursued a one-time employee option repricing (not covering non-employee directors); this can be shareholder-sensitive but was structured with higher executive exercise prices, a 12-month retention exercise-price condition, and subject to shareholder approval, mitigating governance concerns; Aon engagement assessed for conflicts with none found .