Tosha Perkins
Chief People and Partnerships Officer at ACHR
Executive
About Tosha Perkins
Dr. Tosha Perkins is Archer Aviation’s Chief People and Partnerships Officer (since April 2023) and previously served as Chief People Officer (June 2021–April 2023). She is 43, holds a B.S. in Psychology (Texas State University) and a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Alliant International University) . Company performance context: Archer’s 2024 total shareholder return (TSR) implied $161.42 on a $100 initial investment, relative TSR percentile of 91 vs S&P 600 (company-selected PSU peer measure), and net loss of $(537) million . The first tranche of 2024 PSUs paid at 200% of target on 98th-percentile relative TSR for the 3/26/2024–3/26/2025 period .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes/Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer Aviation | Chief People and Partnerships Officer | Apr 2023–present | Executive leadership across people and partnerships |
| Archer Aviation | Chief People Officer | Jun 2021–Apr 2023 | Executive human capital leadership |
| McDermott International, Inc. | SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer | Jan 2020–Sep 2020 | Global EPC HR leadership |
| McDermott International, Inc. | Vice President, Human Resources | Jul 2019–Jan 2020 | HR leadership |
| McDermott International, Inc. | Vice President, Talent & Organizational Development | May 2018–Jun 2019 | Talent & org development |
| CB&I Inc. | Senior Director, Talent & Organizational Development | Jun 2016–May 2018 | Talent & org development |
| Slalom | Client Service Lead | Sep 2014–Sep 2016 | Consulting leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed in the 2025 DEF 14A | — | — | No public-company board roles noted for Dr. Perkins in the executive biographies section |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 500,000 | 550,000 |
| Target Bonus (% of base) | — | 50% (NEO target) |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | — | 233,750 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | — | 8,845 (401(k) company contribution) |
Notes:
- In 2024, NEO bonus targets were 50% of base salary (CEO 100%; Acting CFO 35%). For non-CEO NEOs, bonus outcomes were weighted 50% corporate and 50% individual performance .
- Corporate goals were achieved at 70% of target; individual goals for NEOs were approved at 100%, resulting in an 85% of target bonus payout for NEOs (e.g., Dr. Perkins: $233,750) .
Performance Compensation
Annual Bonus Plan (2024)
| Corporate Metric (2024) | Weight (%) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing objectives | 10 | Not met |
| Flight test program objectives | 10 | Threshold (50% of target) |
| FAA certification objectives | 10 | Not met |
| Commercialization objectives | 10 | Stretch (200% of target) |
| Annual cash burn vs budget | 10 | Target achieved |
| Corporate Performance Result | — | 70% of target |
| Individual Performance Result (NEOs) | — | 100% |
| Total Payout vs Target (NEOs) | — | 85% of target |
| Individual Calculation (2024) | Value |
|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 550,000 |
| Target Bonus (% of base) | 50% |
| Target Bonus ($) | 275,000 |
| Corporate/Individual Weighting | 50%/50% |
| Achieved (Corporate/Individual) | 70% / 100% |
| Actual Bonus ($) | 233,750 |
2024 Equity Grants to Dr. Perkins
| Award Type | Grant Date | Target Units (#) | Max Units (#) | Grant Date Fair Value ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (time-based) | 3/26/2024 | 95,420 | — | 457,062 | Time-based RSUs; no option awards granted to NEOs in 2024 |
| PSUs (relative TSR) | 3/26/2024 | 95,420 | 190,840 | 664,123 | Vesting based on relative TSR; 0–200% payout scale |
- No stock options were granted to NEOs in 2024 .
PSU Performance Result (First Tranche from 2024 Grant)
| Performance Period | Relative TSR Percentile | Payout (% of Target) | PSUs Vested (#) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/26/2024–3/26/2025 | 98th percentile | 200% | 63,612 |
- Relative TSR for PSUs uses S&P 600 as the comparator peer group for percentile determinations .
- TSR is measured using average closing prices over 20 trading days at start/end, with dividends reinvested .
Outstanding Equity (as of 12/31/2024)
| Grant (Type) | Grant Date | Unvested/Unearned Units (#) | Reported Market Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (time-based) | 4/11/2022 | 194,740 | 1,898,715 |
| RSUs (time-based) | 5/1/2023 | 178,168 | 1,737,138 |
| RSUs (time-based) | 3/26/2024 | 77,528 | 755,898 |
| PSUs (relative TSR, unearned) | 3/26/2024 | 95,420 | 930,345 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (Class A shares) | 346,985 (less than 1%) |
| Directly Owned | 262,673 |
| RSUs Vesting within 60 Days of 3/31/2025 | 84,312 |
| Shares Outstanding (Class A) as of 3/31/2025 | 548,982,953 |
Additional alignment policies:
- Anti-hedging/anti-pledging: Employees and directors are generally prohibited from hedging or pledging Archer stock; pledging requires prior General Counsel approval .
- Clawback: Archer maintains a compensation recovery (clawback) policy covering executive officers .
Employment Terms
- At-will offer letter, with Change in Control and Severance Agreement in place for executive officers (excludes CEO’s separate agreement). Agreements (initiated Feb 2022) have a three-year term and automatically renew unless the company provides timely notice .
- Qualifying termination (no CIC): cash severance equal to 12 months base salary, pro rata bonus to extent earned, lump-sum COBRA for same period, and 12 months’ additional service credit for time-based equity (performance awards excluded unless otherwise specified) .
- Double-trigger (CIC + qualifying termination within 3 months before/18 months after): lump-sum cash equal to 12 months base salary + 100% target bonus, pro rata target bonus, COBRA, and 100% acceleration of unvested time-based equity (performance awards per plan rules) .
- No excise-tax gross-ups under Sections 280G/4999 for executive officers .
Estimated payments for Dr. Perkins (assuming termination on 12/31/2024):
| Scenario | Cash Severance ($) | Health ($) | Equity Acceleration ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying termination – no change in control | 825,000 | 30,318 | 1,573,738 | 2,429,056 |
| Qualifying termination – in connection with change in control | 1,100,000 | 60,637 | 5,011,981 | 6,172,618 |
Investment Implications
- Strong equity linkage: Significant unvested RSUs/PSUs and a 2024 PSU program that paid at 200% for the first tranche on 98th-percentile relative TSR align pay with stock performance but can create periodic supply as awards vest (e.g., 63,612 PSUs vested on 3/26/2025; 84,312 RSUs scheduled to vest within 60 days after 3/31/2025) .
- Retention protection with moderate cash severance: Double-trigger CIC terms (12 months base + 100% target bonus cash and full time-based equity acceleration) and 12-month vesting credit on non-CIC terminations support retention while limiting cash outlay relative to high-equity peers; absence of tax gross-ups and presence of a clawback are governance positives .
- Ownership and selling pressure: Beneficial ownership is <1% (346,985 shares), so personal alignment is meaningful but not concentrated; near-term RSU and PSU settlements can add to trading flow around vesting windows, though Archer’s anti-hedging/limited pledging policy reduces misalignment risks .
- Performance mix: Annual cash bonuses use balanced operational goals (manufacturing, flight test, FAA certification, commercialization, cash burn) with 2024 corporate performance at 70% and individual at 100%, yielding 85% of target—suggesting discipline with upside from clear milestones toward commercialization .