William Quinn
President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary at 
Bolt Biotherapeutics
Bolt BiotherapeuticsCEO
Executive
Board
About William Quinn
William P. Quinn (age 54) is President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and a Class II Director of Bolt Biotherapeutics; he became CEO in May 2024 and has served as CFO since May 2020. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and previously held leadership roles at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Bullet Biotechnology, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novation Biosciences, and Mobius Venture Capital . He is not an independent director; the board maintains an independent, non‑executive Chair (Brian O’Callaghan) to reinforce oversight and mitigate dual‑role risks . As CEO/CFO, he signed the FY2024 Form 10‑K as principal executive and financial officer .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt Biotherapeutics | President & CEO | May 2024–Present | Executive leadership during restructuring; principal exec officer |
| Bolt Biotherapeutics | Chief Financial Officer | May 2020–Present | Principal financial officer and Secretary |
| Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (Viracta) | CFO & SVP, Finance & Corp Dev | Nov 2017–May 2020 | Finance and corporate development leadership |
| Bullet Biotechnology | President & CEO | 2011–2017 | Early-stage biotech leadership |
| Jazz Pharmaceuticals | Various positions | 2003–2011 | Commercial-stage biotech experience |
| Novation Biosciences | COO & CFO | 2001–2002 | Operating and finance leadership |
| Mobius Venture Capital | Associate Partner | 1999–2001 | Early-stage venture investing |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Foundation Building Strength (non-profit) | Director | 2011–2021 | Focused on Nemaline Myopathy |
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Base Salary ($) | Target Bonus % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 463,500 | 55% | Per offer letter/2025 terms |
| 2024 | 450,000 | 55% | Bonus 100% based on company goals |
| 2023 | 441,800 | N/D | Per Summary Compensation Table |
Performance Compensation
| Year | Metric(s) | Weighting | Company Achievement | Personal Achievement | Actual Bonus Paid ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Company performance goals | 100% (Quinn) | 100% | N/A | 247,500 | Paid in 2025 |
| 2023 | Company + Personal goals | N/D | 80% (company) | 100% (Quinn) | 159,100 | Paid in 2024 |
- The company is an Emerging Growth Company and is exempt from advisory say‑on‑pay; no TSR/financial metric tables disclosed beyond the narrative above .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial Ownership (as of March 31, 2025)
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Breakdown | Reference Shares Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William P. Quinn | 1,003,254 | 2.6% | 41,272 common; 961,982 options exercisable within 60 days | 38,339,697 |
- Hedging and short positions are prohibited; purchasing on margin and pledging company stock as collateral are also prohibited. Rule 10b5‑1 trading plans are permitted with SEC‑compliant cooling‑off and no overlapping plans; “sell‑to‑cover” allowed .
- No stock ownership guidelines were disclosed; no deferred compensation or pension programs for NEOs in 2024 .
Outstanding Option Awards (as of December 31, 2024)
| Grant Date | Vesting Commencement | Exercisable (#) | Unexercisable (#) | Exercise Price ($) | Expiration | Vesting Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/29/2020 | 05/04/2020 | 152,301 | — | 2.80 | 07/28/2030 | Fully vested |
| 09/03/2020 | 09/03/2020 | 35,714 | — | 4.34 | 09/02/2030 | Fully vested |
| 09/03/2020 | 01/15/2021 | 42,857 | — | 4.34 | 09/02/2030 | Early exercisable; 1/48 monthly |
| 02/04/2021 | 02/04/2021 | 100,000 | — | 20.00 | 02/03/2031 | Early exercisable; 1/48 monthly |
| 02/18/2022 | 01/01/2022 | 204,167 | 5,833 | 3.08 | 02/17/2032 | 1/36 monthly |
| 02/27/2023 | 01/01/2023 | 159,722 | 90,278 | 1.59 | 02/26/2033 | 1/36 monthly |
| 03/04/2024 | 01/01/2024 | 71,806 | 163,194 | 1.27 | 03/03/2034 | 1/36 monthly |
| 07/23/2024 | 07/15/2024 | 61,111 | 378,889 | 0.73 | 07/22/2034 | 1/36 monthly |
- Note: Unvested options accelerate on certain terminations per Severance Plan (see Employment Terms) .
Employment Terms
| Topic | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Status | At‑will; offer letter dated April 14, 2020 | |
| CEO Base/Bonus (2025) | Base $463,500; target bonus 55% of base | |
| CEO Base/Bonus (2024) | Base $450,000; target bonus 55% of base | |
| Severance (no CIC) | If involuntary termination without cause or resignation for good reason: 12 months base salary continuation (CEO); continued health premiums during salary continuation; prorated target bonus for year of termination; any earned but unpaid prior‑year bonus | |
| Change‑in‑Control (double trigger) | If qualifying termination within 3 months before to 12 months after CIC: lump sum of 18 months base (CEO) + 150% of target bonus; health premiums for same months; full vesting of unvested equity at release/effective date | |
| CEO Single‑Trigger Vesting | CEO also entitled to immediate vesting acceleration of any equity awards if CEO continues service through the CIC date | |
| Clawback | Dodd‑Frank–compliant recoupment policy for incentive comp upon accounting restatement | |
| 401(k) | Company match up to 3% of eligible comp; Quinn received $10,350 (2024) and $9,900 (2023) in match | |
| Deferred Comp/Pension | None in 2024 | |
| Confidentiality/IP | Standard confidential information and invention assignment agreement executed | |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited (hedging, shorting, margin purchases, pledging as collateral) | |
| Rule 10b5‑1 | Amended guidelines adopted April 4, 2023; cooling‑off, no overlapping plans; sell‑to‑cover allowed |
Board Governance and Director Compensation
- Board service: Class II Director; not independent due to executive role .
- Committee roles: Audit, Compensation, and Nominating/Corporate Governance committees are composed of independent directors; Quinn is not listed as a member of any committee .
- Leadership structure: Independent, non‑executive Chair (Brian O’Callaghan); separation of Chair and CEO roles aims to enhance oversight and mitigate dual‑role risks; the board also references a lead independent director for risk coordination .
- Director pay: As an employee‑director, Quinn receives no additional compensation for board service; non‑employee director policy provides $35,000 annual retainer (Chair $65,000) plus committee retainers and annual option grants (illustrative amounts disclosed) .
Compensation Committee, Peer Group, and Say‑on‑Pay
- Compensation Committee: Independent directors (transitioning from three to two members as of May 1, 2025) oversee executive pay and engaged Aon/Radford to develop a peer group and provide market analysis; target percentile policy not disclosed .
- Say‑on‑Pay: As an Emerging Growth Company, Bolt is exempt from holding advisory say‑on‑pay votes and CEO pay ratio disclosure .
Performance & Track Record, Risks, and Red Flags
- Management transition risk: The FY2024 10‑K notes Bolt initiated a restructuring and appointed Quinn as CEO in May 2024; management transitions can create uncertainty and execution risk that may affect operations and strategy .
- Related party transactions: Policy in place; 10‑K/Proxy do not disclose related‑party transactions involving Quinn beyond standard compensation; IRA terminated per its terms (no continuing registration rights) .
- Certifications: Quinn signed SOX 302 and 906 certifications for the FY2024 10‑K as principal executive and financial officer .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: High equity linkage with 1,003,254 beneficially owned shares (2.6%); large option component and prohibition on hedging/pledging support alignment with shareholders .
- Retention/COC economics: Strong protections—12 months severance without CIC and 18 months + 150% target bonus with CIC double trigger; full equity acceleration upon CIC termination and separate CEO single‑trigger vesting at CIC create potential event‑driven payout leverage .
- Selling pressure/vesting supply: Substantial unvested options (e.g., 378,889 unexercisable from July 2024 grant) vest monthly over 36 months; Rule 10b5‑1 “sell‑to‑cover” can facilitate steady insider sales, a consideration for flow‑of‑funds–sensitive strategies .
- Governance checks on dual roles: Although Quinn holds CEO and CFO titles and is a director (not independent), an independent Chair and independent committees mitigate concentration-of-power concerns .
- Pay‑for‑performance visibility: 2024 bonus paid at 100% of target on company goals; limited disclosure of specific performance metrics constrains external assessment of rigor; EGC exemption means no say‑on‑pay signaling from shareholders .