Neha Krishnamohan
About Neha Krishnamohan
Chief Financial Officer and EVP, Corporate Development at Artiva Biotherapeutics since April 2024; age 38 as of April 25, 2025. She previously served as CFO and EVP, Corporate Development at Kinnate Biopharma (June 2021–April 2024) and spent 2008–2021 at Goldman Sachs in Healthcare Investment Banking (Associate 2011–2014; Vice President 2015–2021). She currently sits on the board of Arcutis Biotherapeutics and holds a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering and Economics from Duke University. Artiva’s compensation program ties annual bonuses to corporate R&D, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, and capital raising goals; for 2024, corporate achievement was 90% with a 115% individual multiplier producing a $141,123 bonus payout; the proxy does not disclose TSR or financial (revenue/EBITDA) performance metrics for her incentives. Ms. Krishnamohan notified Artiva on November 10, 2025 that she will resign effective no later than December 31, 2025; the company stated the resignation was not due to any dispute or disagreement. She will serve as a paid consultant through no later than February 28, 2026 with continued equity vesting during the consulting period.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinnate Biopharma Inc. | CFO and EVP, Corporate Development | 2021–2024 | Finance/Corp Dev leadership through Kinnate’s acquisition by XOMA in April 2024 |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | Healthcare Investment Banking (Associate; Vice President) | 2008–2021 | Healthcare financing and advisory experience; VP from 2015–2021 |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. | Director | Current | Public biopharmaceutical company board seat |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary (annual rate) | $480,000; increased to $498,200 effective July 19, 2024 (first trading day after IPO) | $520,000 effective Jan 1, 2025 |
| Salary actually paid (Summary Compensation Table) | $340,879 (joined April 2024) | — |
| Target bonus (% of base) | 40% | 40% (program structured similarly; proxy provides target rates) |
| Actual bonus paid | $141,123 (for 2024 performance; paid early 2025) |
Performance Compensation
Annual Bonus Plan (2024)
| Metric category | Weighting | Target | Actual result | Payout impact | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate goals (R&D, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, capital raising) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 90% corporate achievement | Individual multiplier 115%; payout $141,123 | Determined by Board/Comp Committee |
RSU Awards
| Grant date | Shares | Grant-date fair value ($) | Vesting schedule | CIC acceleration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2024 | 50,000 | $537,000 (ASC 718, Summary Comp) | 25% on Aug 15, 2025; remainder 1/12 quarterly each Feb 15/May 15/Aug 15/Nov 15 over 3 years, service-based | Full acceleration upon qualifying termination within 3 months before or 12 months after Change in Control (double trigger) |
| Feb 26, 2025 | 60,000 | Not disclosed (RSU count disclosed) | 16 equal quarterly installments on Feb 15/May 15/Aug 15/Nov 15 over 4 years; first vest May 15, 2025, service-based | Full acceleration upon qualifying termination within CIC window (double trigger) |
Stock Option Awards
| Grant date | Type | Shares | Exercise price | Expiration | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2024 | ISO | 29,703 | $13.465 | May 1, 2034 | 25% on first anniversary of IPO; then 1/48 monthly, service-based |
| May 2, 2024 | NQSO | 72,895 | $13.465 | May 1, 2034 | Same as above |
2024 Summary Compensation Table amounts: Stock Awards $537,000 and Option Awards $1,157,100 (grant-date fair values, ASC 718) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (3/31/2025) | 31,536 shares; comprised of 27,786 options exercisable within 60 days and 3,750 RSUs settleable within 60 days; <1% of outstanding shares (24,363,119 outstanding) |
| Outstanding awards at 12/31/2024 | Options: 102,598 unexercisable at $13.47; RSUs: 50,000 unvested |
| Insider trading/ownership policies | Hedging, short selling, publicly traded options, margin accounts prohibited; pledging prohibited (or requires Board approval/pre-clearance); pre-clearance of trades for covered insiders required |
| Trading plans | No adoption/termination of 10b5-1 plans in Q2 and Q3 2025 per 10-Q Item 5 . A Form 4 filed for 10/18/2025 notes transactions under a 10b5-1 plan adopted July 23, 2024 |
| Recent Form 4 activity | 11/15/2025: 3,490 shares withheld to cover taxes on RSU vesting at $3.25; not an open-market sale; post-transaction direct beneficial ownership reported as 99,356 shares |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Core terms |
|---|---|
| Start date | April 2024 (joined as CFO and EVP, Corporate Development) |
| Base/bonus eligibility | Initial base $480,000; increased to $498,200 from July 19, 2024; $520,000 effective Jan 1, 2025; target bonus 40% of base |
| Severance (non‑CIC) | If terminated without cause or resigns for good reason: 9 months base salary continuation, up to 9 months COBRA premiums, and accelerated vesting of service‑based equity as if 3 additional months of service were completed (release required) |
| Severance (CIC double‑trigger) | If terminated without cause or resigns for good reason within 3 months before or 12 months after a change of control: 12 months base salary, up to 12 months COBRA premiums, full target annual bonus for year of termination, and full acceleration of all unvested service‑based equity awards |
| Post‑termination option exercise | Extended to 3 years for vested options if she remained employed through 12/31/2024; shortened to 90 days if a “conflict” (defined as competing cell therapy activities) arises during the extended period |
| Separation and consulting | Resignation effective no later than Dec 31, 2025; consulting through no later than Feb 28, 2026 at ≥$20,000/month; eligible to receive 2025 annual bonus; continues to vest in options and RSUs through consulting period (subject to compliance) |
Performance & Track Record
- 2024 annual bonus reflected 90% corporate goal achievement with a 115% individual multiplier, signaling management judged execution against R&D/clinical/regulatory/manufacturing/capital raising objectives to be strong; payout of $141,123 for 2024. The proxy does not disclose TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA growth metrics tied to her pay.
- CFO transition was announced with Q3 2025 results; the company stated her resignation was not due to any dispute or disagreement. As of September 30, 2025, Artiva reported $123.0 million in cash, cash equivalents, and investments, guiding runway into Q2 2027.
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Hedging and pledging are prohibited under company policy, reducing alignment risk from monetization strategies; preclearance and blackout controls apply.
- Officer turnover: CFO resignation effective year‑end 2025; company states no disagreement; consulting arrangement mitigates near‑term transition risk by maintaining continuity and preserving equity vesting incentives through Feb 2026.
- No evidence of tax gross‑ups, option repricing, or related‑party transactions pertaining to Ms. Krishnamohan in the proxy disclosures reviewed.
Compensation Structure Analysis
- 2024 pay mix was predominantly equity/at‑risk (Stock Awards $537,000; Option Awards $1,157,100; salary actually paid $340,879), aligning compensation with long‑term outcomes in a clinical‑stage setting.
- Shift toward RSUs: in addition to September 2024 RSUs (50,000), the Compensation Committee granted 60,000 RSUs in February 2025 that vest quarterly over four years, indicating greater use of full‑value awards vs. options for retention and downside protection.
- Severance economics feature a double‑trigger CIC with full vesting of service‑based equity and payment of full target bonus, typical for emerging biotech but supportive of management continuity through strategic events.
Equity Ownership & Selling Pressure – Detail
| Date | Event | Shares | Price | Nature | Post-event ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/15/2025 | RSU tax withholding | 3,490 | $3.25 | Withheld by issuer to satisfy taxes (non‑open‑market) | 99,356 shares direct beneficial ownership reported on Form 4 |
| 10/18/2025 | Form 4 notes 10b5‑1 plan | — | — | Transactions reported pursuant to plan adopted 7/23/2024 | — |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: High equity/at‑risk mix and prohibitions on hedging/pledging support shareholder alignment; RSU cadence implies ongoing, programmatic vesting with predictable tax‑withholding events rather than open‑market selling pressure.
- Retention/transition: Announced CFO departure by year‑end raises near‑term leadership transition risk, partially mitigated by a paid consulting role through Feb 2026 and continued vesting, preserving institutional knowledge through key clinical and financing milestones.
- Change‑of‑control economics: Double‑trigger CIC with full acceleration and target bonus could be value‑relevant in strategic scenarios; post‑termination option exercise extension reduces forced selling risk and may influence exercise timing relative to catalysts.
- Trading signals: Recent Form 4 activity reflects tax withholding (non‑discretionary), not open‑market sales; a previously adopted 10b5‑1 plan suggests structured trading, lowering headline risk of opportunistic sales.