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# Xeris Biopharma Adds Ex-Viatris Emerging Markets Chief Menassie Taddese To Its Board
- URL: https://www.bullished.co/xeris-biopharma-adds-ex-viatris-emerging-markets-chief-menassie-taddese-to-its-board-18ab6bef/
- Published: 2026-11-02T13:22:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-02T13:22:54.000Z
- Description: The drugmaker expanded its board from eight to nine seats and put the new director on its Audit Committee.
- Author: Matteo Parrino
- Tags: SEC Filings, XERS, Industry: Healthcare

[Xeris Biopharma](https://www.bullished.co/tag/xers/), which sells endocrine and rare-disease drugs, [grew its board from eight to nine members](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001867096/000186709626000095/xers-20261102.htm?ref=bullished.co) on Monday to seat Menassie Taddese, a former president of emerging markets at Viatris, according to an [8-K](https://www.bullished.co/learn/8-k-items-explained/) filing. Taddese is an independent director and also joins the board's Audit Committee.

## A Class II seat through 2029

Taddese fills the new vacancy as a Class II director, and his term runs to the 2029 annual meeting of stockholders. The board determined he meets Nasdaq independence standards, including the stricter test that applies to audit committee members.

The filing reports no arrangement or understanding behind his selection and no family ties to any Xeris director or executive officer.

His initial award of stock options and restricted stock units has a combined grant-date fair value of about $450,000 and vests in three equal annual installments. Starting at the 2027 annual meeting, he becomes eligible for annual equity grants worth about $300,000 each.

## From Pfizer finance to Viatris

Taddese ran Viatris' Emerging Markets business from November 2020 to December 2022\. The [company's press release](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261102898192/en/Xeris-Biopharma-Welcomes-Menassie-M.-Taddese-to-Board-of-Directors?ref=bullished.co) describes it as an approximately $3 billion business across more than 125 markets, with about 3,500 employees.

Before that he spent more than 20 years at Pfizer, in corporate finance, treasury, commercial and general management roles. There he served as vice president and chief financial officer of its Global Innovative Pharma Segment North America, which the release calls an approximately $8 billion business.

He is a senior advisor at Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research, a Dubai advisory firm, and chairs the audit committee at Medexus Pharmaceuticals, a Toronto-listed specialty drugmaker.

## What Xeris sells

Xeris markets three products: Recorlev for Cushing's syndrome, Gvoke, a ready-to-use liquid glucagon for severe low blood sugar, and Keveyis for primary periodic paralysis. Its pipeline is led by XP-8121, a once-weekly injection for hypothyroidism that the company calls Phase 3-ready.

Chairman and CEO John Shannon said Taddese's experience overseeing public company audit and governance matters "will bring a valuable perspective to our Board." Taddese said he was pleased to join as the company continues to grow its commercial portfolio and advance XP-8121.

Taddese's first annual equity grant comes with the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders.

Learn

- [Item 5.02: directors and officers leave or join, or executive pay is set →](https://www.bullished.co/learn/8-k-items-explained/#item-502-directors-and-officers-leave-or-join-or-executive-pay-is-set)  
From 8-K Items Explained: What Every Item Code From 1.01 To 9.01 Tells You, With Examples

### Sources

- [8-K Filing — Xeris Biopharma Holdings, Inc. (XERS)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001867096/000186709626000095/xers-20261102.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR
- [Exhibit exh991boardappointmentpres.htm — Xeris Biopharma Holdings, Inc. 8-K exhibit](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001867096/000186709626000095/exh991boardappointmentpres.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR
- [Xeris Biopharma Welcomes Menassie M. Taddese to Board of Directors](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261102898192/en/Xeris-Biopharma-Welcomes-Menassie-M.-Taddese-to-Board-of-Directors?ref=bullished.co) — businesswire.com

### More on Xeris Biopharma Holdings

- [Xeris Files Two Patent Suits Over Generic KEVEYIS, Citing Newly Granted '502 Patent](https://www.bullished.co/xeris-files-two-patent-suits-over-generic-keveyis-citing-newly-granted-502-patent-bfbb4226/)

[All Xeris Biopharma Holdings (XERS) coverage →](https://www.bullished.co/tag/xers/)