George Jones
About George Jones
George Jones is Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Biofrontera Inc., appointed to start August 25, 2025, reporting to the CEO and responsible for all commercial functions including sales, marketing, and market access . He is 52 years old and brings 25+ years of specialty pharma and biotech commercial leadership, with recent roles driving digital commercialization and telehealth-enabled demand generation; specific company-level TSR, revenue growth, and EBITDA growth metrics for his tenure are not disclosed . His appointment coincides with Biofrontera’s U.S. rights acquisition for Ameluz and RhodoLED and a shift from a 25–35% transfer-pricing model to a 12–15% royalty, intended to move the company closer to cash break-even, directly linking his mandate to near-term commercial execution .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| UpScriptHealth | Chief Operating Officer | Since 2021 | Led evolution of a leading telehealth technology platform; achieved >3x growth in partnership revenues; advanced innovative channels to enhance patient access |
| Currax Pharmaceuticals | VP Global Marketing & Commercial Operations | Since 2015 | Built commercial org post-restructuring; established marketing, sales force, training; developed first-in-market digital ecosystem linking social media to telemedicine to drive direct patient demand |
| Pernix Therapeutics | Vice President of Sales and Marketing | Not disclosed | Implemented efficient sales strategy supporting rapid growth while lowering cost structure |
| Depomed, Inc. | Senior Director of Marketing | Not disclosed | Led marketing integration and re-launch of five product acquisitions, supporting inorganic growth strategy |
External Roles
No public company board or external directorships disclosed for Mr. Jones; Item 5.02 notes no related-party arrangements and no family relationships with directors or executives .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2025 Terms |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | $315,000 annually |
| Bonus Target | Up to 50% of base salary, tied to individual and company goals set by the Board; no payout below 70% target achievement |
| Benefits | Eligible for health, welfare, pension, and other employee benefits per standard policies |
| Vacation/PTO | Paid time off per company policy |
| Principal Work Location | Primary residence in Green Brook, NJ with routine travel to HQ (Woburn, MA) as directed |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout Timing | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Bonus | Individual and company performance goals set in advance by Board | Not disclosed | Up to 50% of base; no bonus if achievement <70% | Not disclosed | Paid after completion of fiscal-year financials when bonuses paid to senior management | N/A (cash) |
| Stock Options | Time-based option awards under Omnibus Incentive Plan | Not disclosed | No less than 100,000 options in aggregate; one-third awarded following completion of each of first three full years of service | Not disclosed | Awards timing per Board discretion; tranches upon completing each full year | Each tranche subject to a one-year vesting schedule and plan terms |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership | As a new executive appointed August 2025, no Form 3/4 filings or proxy disclosures of Mr. Jones’ share ownership yet identified in document search . |
| Planned Equity | Minimum aggregate 100,000 options with one-third awarded after completion of each of first three full years of service; each tranche subject to one-year vesting . |
| Hedging Policy | Covered persons must obtain pre-clearance for hedging transactions (e.g., prepaid variable forwards, swaps, collars) under insider trading policy . |
| Clawback Policy | Incentive compensation recoupment aligned with Nasdaq/SEC rules; recovery of erroneously awarded incentive-based comp received by covered executives during 3 completed fiscal years preceding a required accounting restatement . |
| Plan-Level Recoupment | Awards may be subject to reduction/forfeiture/recoupment for specified conduct, including violation of policies, misconduct, breach of restrictive covenants; subject to clawback or minimum stock holding policies adopted by the company . |
| Pledging | No explicit prohibition on pledging of company equity identified in proxy disclosures; insider trading policy references hedging pre-clearance but not pledging . |
| Ownership Guidelines | No executive stock ownership guideline disclosures found . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Provision |
|---|---|
| Employment Type | At-will; term begins August 25, 2025 |
| Position & Reporting | Chief Commercial Officer; reports to CEO; overall authority for commercial functions |
| Non-Compete | One-year post-termination restricted period, covering competitive products/services in territories where the company operates; carve-out for ≤5% passive holdings in public companies |
| Non-Solicit | Prohibits solicitation of customers/suppliers, diversion of business, interference with relationships, and recruiting of employees during employment and the restricted period |
| Confidentiality | Broad definition of confidential and proprietary information; non-disclosure during and after employment |
| Severance (non-CIC) | Lump sum equal to one-twelfth of annual base for each full year of employment; floor of 6 months and cap of 2 years of then-current base; conditioned on execution of release |
| Death Benefit | Base compensation for three full calendar months post-death, paid monthly, plus accrued benefits |
| Good Reason | Material breach by Company not cured after notice; title/duty modifications alone not Good Reason |
| For Cause | Defined causes including breach, negligence, policy violations, felony/moral turpitude, addiction impacting duties, refusal to carry lawful directives; facts discovered post-termination can justify Cause |
| Change-in-Control (CIC) Severance | If terminated without Cause or resigns for Good Reason within 3 months prior to or 12 months after a CIC, severance equals current base salary plus target annual bonus; up to 3 months continued health coverage subject to copay and COBRA offset |
| Post-Termination Cooperation | Required cooperation in claims/proceedings; reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses |
| Governing Law | Massachusetts law; venue in Middlesex County, MA |
| Indemnification | Indemnification to fullest extent permitted by law/bylaws for good faith performance, except gross negligence/willful misconduct |
| Related Party/404(a) | Item 5.02 states no transactions requiring 404(a) disclosure related to Mr. Jones |
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment and retention: The moderate base with a sizable target bonus (up to 50%) and minimum 100,000 options awarded in tranches over the first three full years, each with one-year vesting, creates tangible retention hooks and periodic unlocks that could introduce selling pressure around vesting dates if options become in-the-money .
- Governance and downside protection: Robust clawback policy aligned with Nasdaq/SEC and plan-level recoupment language, plus pre-clearance for hedging, mitigate misalignment and reputational risk; absence of explicit pledging prohibition or ownership guidelines is a gap to monitor .
- Severance economics: Non-CIC severance ranges from 0.5x to 2.0x base salary depending on tenure (with release), while CIC terms provide base plus target bonus upon specified termination conditions within the CIC window, signaling market-standard double-trigger protections without tax gross-ups disclosed .
- Execution risk and value creation: Jones’ history of building commercial organizations, digital demand generation, and telehealth growth (>3x partnership revenues) aligns with Biofrontera’s shift to U.S. ownership of Ameluz/RhodoLED rights and lower royalty burden, making commercial ramp the key performance lever under his remit; track record is positive, but company-specific performance metrics tied to his incentive plan are not disclosed, requiring monitoring of bonus goal-setting and option grant details as they occur .