Nicholas B. Hawkins
About Nicholas B. Hawkins
Nicholas B. Hawkins, age 63, is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) of Arteris, Inc. (ticker AIP), serving since November 2019. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Chemical Engineering from Exeter University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales; prior roles include CFO of Corsair Gaming and Zetex Semiconductors, and auditor at PwC in London . Under his tenure, Arteris reported revenue growth from $53.7M in 2023 to $57.7M in 2024, per the company’s CEO letters in successive proxy statements .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corsair Gaming, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Jan 2008 – Nov 2019 | Publicly traded provider of computer gaming hardware; served as CFO |
| Zetex Semiconductors plc | Chief Financial Officer | 2006 – 2008 | Semiconductor company listed on the London Stock Exchange; served as CFO |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), London | Auditor | Not disclosed | Worked as an auditor in London |
External Roles
- No public company directorships or committee roles for Hawkins are disclosed in the 2024 or 2025 proxy statements .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 326,200 | 326,200 |
| Target Bonus (% of salary) | 52% | 52% |
| Actual Annual Bonus Paid ($) | 127,218 | 159,447 |
| Bonus Achievement vs Target | 75% | 94% |
| 401(k) Match/All Other Comp ($) | 13,200 | 12,266 |
Notes:
- Company is an Emerging Growth Company and does not conduct a Say-on-Pay vote .
Performance Compensation
Annual Cash Incentive Plan
| Component | Metric(s) | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual bonus (2023) | Corporate and individual goals (not further specified) | Not disclosed | 52% of salary | Paid at 75% of target; $127,218 | Board certified results |
| Annual bonus (2024) | Corporate and individual goals (not further specified) | Not disclosed | 52% of salary | Paid at 94% of target; $159,447 | Board certified results |
Equity Awards (RSUs)
| Grant Year | Type | Shares Granted | Vesting Schedule | Status/Unvested at 12/31/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | RSUs | Not disclosed (NEO-level) | 12.5% on May 1, 2022; then 1/16 quarterly thereafter over remaining 14 quarters | 4,634 units unvested; $47,220 MV using $10.19 share price |
| 2023 | RSUs | 63,140 | 1/16 quarterly starting Apr 1, 2023 (quarterly anniversaries) | 35,517 units unvested; $361,918 MV using $10.19 share price |
| 2024 | RSUs | 64,000 | 1/16 quarterly starting Apr 1, 2024 (quarterly anniversaries) | 52,000 units unvested; $529,880 MV using $10.19 share price |
- Company policy indicates no stock options were granted to NEOs in 2024; equity mix emphasized RSUs .
Stock Options
| Grant Date | Options | Exercise Price | Expiration | Vesting | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/19/2019 | 197,396 (exercisable) | $0.56 | 12/18/2029 | 25% on 11/11/2020; 1/48 monthly thereafter | Exercisable shares reported; as of 12/31/24 reference price in proxy was $10.19 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| As-of Date | Outstanding Shares Beneficially Owned | Shares Exercisable/Vesting within 60 Days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Shares Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 2024 | 151,377 | 198,555 | 349,932 | <1% (indicated by “*”) |
| Apr 10, 2025 | 66,074 | 200,521 | 266,595 | <1% (indicated by “*”) |
Alignment policies and practices:
- Clawback: Policy for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation adopted Oct 2, 2023, covering incentive-based pay tied to financial reporting measures for the three completed fiscal years preceding any required restatement .
- Hedging/Pledging: Prohibited for employees and officers, including NEOs (no short sales, options/derivatives, hedges, margin purchases, or pledging) .
- Ownership guidelines: Newly adopted guidelines apply to non-employee directors (5x cash retainer); no executive ownership guideline disclosed .
Vested vs unvested snapshot (12/31/24):
- Options: 197,396 exercisable at $0.56 (exp. 12/18/2029) .
- RSUs unvested: 4,634 (2021 schedule), 35,517 (2023 grant), 52,000 (2024 grant), with quarterly vesting cadence continuing through the respective schedules .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position/Start | CFO since November 2019 |
| Agreements | Change in control and severance agreement renewed in July 2024 for a three-year term |
| Severance (no CIC) | 9 months base salary continuation and 9 months COBRA premiums (for Hawkins), upon termination without cause or resignation for good reason |
| CIC Double-Trigger (−3 months to +12 months window) | 12 months base salary continuation, pro‑rated target bonus, 12 months COBRA, and full vesting acceleration of unvested equity (performance awards per applicable terms), contingent on qualifying termination in the CIC window |
| Clawback | Applies to incentive-based compensation tied to financial reporting measures (per SEC/Nasdaq rules) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited under Insider Trading Policy |
| Perquisites | None provided to NEOs in 2024 |
Performance & Track Record
- Company revenue: $53.7M in 2023 and $57.7M in 2024, per CEO letters in the 2024 and 2025 proxies .
- Section 16(a) compliance: Company reports compliance for 2024 with exceptions noted for other insiders (Janac correction; Viana late filing); no exceptions noted for Hawkins .
Compensation Committee & Governance Context
- Compensation Committee members in 2024–2025 were independent; Compensia serves as the independent compensation consultant .
- As an Emerging Growth Company, Arteris does not hold advisory Say‑on‑Pay votes .
Investment Implications
- Pay mix and vesting cadence: Hawkins’ compensation is equity‑heavy via RSUs with 1/16 quarterly vesting (2023 and 2024 grants), implying a steady cadence of potential share settlements through the award lives—an element to monitor for periodic supply near vest dates .
- Option leverage: A legacy 2019 option (197,396 shares at $0.56, expiring 12/18/2029) offers long‑dated leverage; given the proxy’s reference price of $10.19 on 12/31/24, the option was in‑the‑money at that date (monitor disposition/exercises for signals) .
- Performance alignment: Annual bonuses are formulaic against corporate/individual objectives and scaled with performance (75% of target in 2023 vs 94% in 2024), while the clawback and hedging/pledging prohibitions strengthen alignment and risk controls .
- Ownership: Beneficial ownership is <1%, so ongoing alignment relies on continued RSU vesting and policy constraints rather than a sizable fixed equity stake; watch for updates to executive ownership guidelines (currently disclosed for directors only) .