Lori Bisson
About Lori Bisson
Lori Bisson (age 55) is Executive Vice Chairman and a director at Autonomix Medical, Inc. (AMIX). She served as CEO from July 2023 to June 2024, then transitioned to Vice Chair on June 17, 2024; she is not an independent director under Nasdaq rules . Bisson is a CPA with a B.A. in Accounting from Baylor University and has deep medtech and finance experience (CFO and operating roles at Soliton, Zeno, and prior consulting) . Recent compensation outcomes indicate 95% achievement vs. corporate bonus goals for FY2025; company financials show ongoing negative EBITDA and net losses over the last eight quarters (context below) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soliton, Inc. (acquired by AbbVie) | Chief Financial Officer | 2015–Jun 2022 | Led finance during development and exit; continued transition support post-acquisition . |
| Condon & Company, PC | Financial/business development consultant (shareholder) | 2009–2014 | Advised multiple life science companies . |
| Zeno Corporation | CFO & VP Operations | 2005–2009 | Operated medtech platform in aesthetics; finance and operations leadership . |
| Gulfstream Trading, Ltd. | Chief Financial Officer | 2001–2005 | CFO of international oil trading organization . |
| Drypers Corporation | Various roles; ultimately VP Integrated Solutions | 1995–2001 | Led accounting, IT, logistics for U.S. ops at public consumer products company . |
| Arthur Andersen, LLP | Auditor (consumer products focus) | Early career | Foundation in audit/accounting; CPA credentials . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moleculin Biotech, Inc. | Advisor | n/a | Clinical-stage oncology; ongoing advisory role . |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Salary ($) | Target Bonus (%) | Actual Bonus Paid ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 210,000 | 50% | 93,813 | FY2025 salary reflects mix of CEO (pre-Jun 17, 2024) and Vice Chair pay; base rate cut to $150,000 upon transition . |
| 2024 | 225,000 | 50% | 150,000 | Bonus for FY2024 approved by Compensation Committee on Jun 21, 2024 . |
- FY2025 base salary rates: $375,000 (CEO) reduced to $150,000 effective Jun 17, 2024 (Vice Chair) .
- FY2026 base salary set at $150,000; target bonus remains 50% of base salary .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout ($) | Vesting/Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate goals composite (strategic partnerships, pivotal trial progress, financings, clinical PoC completion) | 100% baseline + 20% stretch | 100% | 95% of potential | 93,813 | Cash bonus for FY2025 | Compensation Committee measured achievement; FY2026 goals add catheter design lock and Phase 2 PoC completion . |
- Long-term incentives: 2023 Stock Plan enables options, RSUs, etc.; options typically vest 25% annually over 4 years; grants priced at Nasdaq close (or 5-day average if higher) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 3,750 shares; <1% of outstanding as of Aug 26, 2025 . |
| Vested vs unvested (3/31/25 snapshot) | See outstanding options table below; subsequent Aug 11, 2025 cancellation removed these positions . |
| Options – exercisable vs unexercisable (3/31/25) | See table below . |
| Pledging/hedging | Anti-hedging policy prohibits hedging transactions without prior approval . |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed in proxy (no guideline language found). |
Outstanding Equity Awards at FY-End (March 31, 2025)
| Grant Date | Exercisable (#) | Unexercisable (#) | Exercise Price ($) | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/21/2024 | – | 18,862 | 26.56 | 06/21/2034 |
| 06/30/2023 | 20,423 | 26,257 | 40.00 | 06/30/2033 |
- Vesting schedules: 06/30/2023 grant vests monthly over 48 months (1/48th per month); 06/21/2024 grant vests in four equal annual installments (25% per year) .
Option Cancellation Event (reducing overhang)
| Date | Description | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 08/11/2025 | Option cancellation agreement; Board members incl. Lori Bisson canceled options; company accelerated $3.7M SBC expense for period | 65,542 options canceled by Bisson; all from 6/30/23 and 6/21/24 grants . |
- In exchange for the cancellations, the company entered into severance agreements with certain employees, board members, and officers to govern future RIF events (terms not itemized by individual) .
Employment Terms
| Agreement | Effective Date / Term | Base / Bonus | Severance | Change-of-Control | Non-Compete | Equity Acceleration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Vice Chair Employment Agreement | Jun 17, 2024; initial 2-year term | $150,000 base; 50% target bonus | 12 months’ base + 100% target bonus if terminated without cause or for good reason; increases by 50% if within 3 months before or 12 months after CoC . | Immediate vesting of all unvested options upon CoC or qualifying termination . | 12 months post-termination . | All unvested options vest on CoC or qualifying termination . |
| Prior CEO Employment Agreement | Jun 30, 2023; initial 3-year term; auto-renewal | $300,000 base; up to 50% bonus | Immediate vesting of unvested options upon CoC or qualifying termination; severance waived upon entering Vice Chair agreement . | Single-trigger option acceleration on CoC; further vesting terms as above . | Not specified | Options: 46,680 at $40.00; monthly vesting (48 months) . |
- Clawback: Company adopted a Dodd-Frank Restatement Recoupment Policy to claw back erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation for the three completed fiscal years preceding a required restatement .
- Anti-hedging: Prohibits hedging transactions without prior approval; Insider Trading Policy applies to all insiders .
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board role | Executive Vice Chairman (director since July 2023) . |
| Independence | Not independent; Board determined only Bisson and Executive Chairman Klemp are not independent . |
| Committees | Audit: Foster (Chair), Robins, Capelli; Compensation: Foster (Chair), Robins, Capelli; Nominating & Gov: Robins (Chair), Foster, Capelli. Bisson is not listed on any committee . |
| Board leadership | Executive Chairman: Walter V. Klemp; CEO: Brad Hauser . |
| Annual meeting attendance | Company states 4 directors attended 2024 annual meeting (individual rates not disclosed) . |
| Director pay plan (non-employee) | Cash: $50k annual + $40k additional director pay; Committee chairs: Audit $15k, Comp $10k, N&G $7.5k; Members: Audit $7.5k, Comp $5k, N&G $3.75k; Initial 3,750-share option vesting over 3 years (non-employee directors) . |
Governance implications: Dual-role dynamics are mitigated by majority-independent committees; however, Bisson’s executive role means she is not independent, and an Executive Chairman also serves on the Board .
Performance & Track Record
- FY2025 bonuses were based 100% on corporate goals (strategic partnerships, pivotal trial progress, financings, clinical PoC); “stretch” goals could add 20%; Committee awarded 95% of potential to Bisson (payout reflected in SCT) .
- Equity plan and grants emphasize option-based alignment; significant August 2025 cancellation of 65,542 options by Bisson reduces overhang and may recalibrate future incentive mix .
- The company’s EBITDA and net income remained negative across eight recent quarters; context for pay-for-performance alignment is provided below (pre-commercial profile implied by lack of revenue disclosure in S&P feed).
Financial Performance Context (last 8 quarters)
| Metric (USD) | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 | Q1 2025 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | Q4 2025 | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBITDA | -2,912,333* | -2,370,000* | -2,710,000* | -2,791,000* | -2,700,000* | -3,204,000* | -3,418,000* | -7,532,000* |
| Net Income (IS) | -3,113,000* | -5,408,000* | -2,699,000* | -2,807,000* | -2,712,000* | -3,191,000* | -3,337,000* | -7,451,000* |
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Director Compensation (if applicable to Bisson)
- Non-employee director program detailed above; as an executive director, Bisson’s compensation is captured in the executive Summary Compensation Table (SCT) and employment agreements, not under non-employee director fees .
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Mix shift and leverage: FY2025 shows a material reduction in fixed pay with her transition from CEO to Vice Chair ($375k rate to $150k), lowering fixed cash burn while retaining 50% target bonus opportunity tied to corporate milestones .
- Metric design: Annual incentives are primarily tied to clinical and financing milestones; FY2025 payout at 95% suggests strong execution against those non-financial KPIs .
- Equity design and risk: Options vest over time (monthly or annual schedules) with single-trigger acceleration on change-of-control; August 2025 cancellation removed 65,542 options (entirety of her disclosed FY-end outstanding), reducing potential near-term selling pressure from option exercises but also reducing in-the-money retention value if shares recover .
- Shareholder protections: Dodd-Frank clawback adopted; anti-hedging policy in place .
Related Party Transactions and Red Flags
- Related party policy: Audit Committee reviews and approves related party transactions per Item 404 thresholds; board and management had participated in prior convertible note financing (aggregate $500,000 by insiders); no Bisson-specific related party transactions disclosed .
- Equity award timing policy: Company states it does not time grants around MNPI and avoided grants in the four business days before and one business day after periodic filings in the last fiscal year .
- No pledging policy disclosed; anti-hedging policy is explicit .
- Section 16 compliance: One director (Robins) had a late Form 4; no Bisson delinquency disclosed .
Equity Awards Detail
| Grant | Shares | Price | Vesting | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option (CEO agreement) – 06/30/2023 | 46,680 | $40.00 | 1/48 monthly; 10-year term; single-trigger CoC acceleration | As of 3/31/25: 20,423 exercisable; 26,257 unexercisable . |
| Option (Vice Chair period) – 06/21/2024 | 18,862 | $26.56 | 25% annually over 4 years; 10-year term; CoC acceleration | Unexercisable as of 3/31/25 . |
| Cancellations – 08/11/2025 | 65,542 | n/a | n/a | Entirety canceled per 8/11/25 board/officer program; includes Bisson . |
Employment Terms (Key Economics)
| Provision | Bisson (Vice Chair, 6/17/24) |
|---|---|
| Severance (no cause/good reason) | 12 months’ base + 100% target bonus; +50% bump if within 3 months before or 12 months after CoC . |
| Equity acceleration | All unvested options vest on CoC or qualifying termination . |
| Non-compete | 12 months post-termination . |
| Waiver | Waived severance under prior CEO agreement as part of transition to Vice Chair . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and overhang: The August 2025 option cancellation (65,542 options) removes a sizable potential overhang and near-term exercise-related selling pressure, but also reduces her equity-based retention value unless new grants are made under the refreshed 2023 Plan pool .
- Pay-for-performance: Annual bonus design is tied to clinical and financing milestones—appropriate for a pre-commercial device company—and FY2025 payout at 95% indicates strong internal execution vs. plan despite negative EBITDA and net losses, suggesting management focus on development/financing progress over short-term P&L .
- Governance checks: Bisson is a non-independent executive director; however, all three key committees are fully independent, which mitigates dual-role concerns; equity has single-trigger acceleration on CoC, which investors may view as less protective than double-trigger structures .
- Retention and change-in-control: Severance is meaningful (12 months’ base + 100% target bonus; +50% in CoC window) and options accelerate on CoC or qualifying termination, which can facilitate strategic flexibility but increases potential golden-parachute optics in an M&A scenario .
- Ownership and “skin-in-the-game”: Reported beneficial ownership is modest (3,750 shares; <1%); with options canceled, future equity alignment will depend on new awards and adherence to anti-hedging policies; no pledging policy disclosed .
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