Oleg Mikulinsky
About Oleg Mikulinsky
Oleg Mikulinsky, age 51, is Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Cryo-Cell International (CCEL) and has served in this role since March 2012. He is a software technologist and serial entrepreneur; prior roles include CTO at Partner-Community, Inc., CTO at uTIPu Inc. (2007–2009), and Director of Enterprise Architecture at WebLayers, Inc., with contributions to international interoperability standards at OASIS-OPEN and WS-I.ORG. He studied radio electronics at Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU), Russia. No TSR or corporate financial performance metrics are disclosed as explicit determinants of his pay beyond subjective reviews and select market-based option triggers.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner-Community, Inc. | Chief Technology Officer | Not disclosed | Led software/hardware integration technology; senior technology leadership experience applicable to CCEL’s IT strategy |
| uTIPu Inc. | Chief Technology Officer | 2007–2009 | Startup CTO experience; product and platform development leadership |
| WebLayers, Inc. | Director of Enterprise Architecture | Not disclosed | Defined enterprise architecture best practices for AT&T, DISA, and major banks; standards and governance expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role/Capacity | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OASIS-OPEN.ORG | Contributor to interoperability standards | Not disclosed | Standards development contributions |
| WS-I.ORG | Contributor to interoperability standards | Not disclosed | Standards development contributions |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $300,000 | $319,769 | $329,889 |
| Target Bonus (% of Base) | Up to 25% | Up to 25% | Up to 25% |
| Actual Cash Bonus Paid ($) | $60,000 | $63,000 | $63,000 |
| Current Base Salary (as disclosed in agreement narrative) | — | $330,000 (current at time of 2024 proxy) | $330,000 (current at time of 2025 proxy) |
Notes:
- Bonuses are discretionary (subjective) under his employment agreement, capped at 25% of base salary.
Performance Compensation
Option Grants and Vesting Design (focus: incentive alignment)
| Year | Instrument | Grant Size | Exercise Price | Vesting Schedule | Performance Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Stock Options | 10,000 | Not disclosed (grant narrative; see outstanding table for prior grants) | One-third on grant; one-third on Jan 21, 2026; one-third on Jan 21, 2027 | None (time-based) |
| 2023 | Stock Options | 10,000 | $4.34 (1/3/2023, 10,000) and $5.88 (12/22/2023, 10,000) shown in outstanding table by grant date; Mikulinsky holds 10,000 from each date | One-third on grant; one-third on Dec 22, 2024; one-third on Dec 22, 2025 | None (time-based) |
| 2022 | Stock Options | 10,000 | Not disclosed (immediate vest grant) | Vests immediately upon issuance | None (time-based) |
| 2021 | Market-based Stock Options | 20,000 | Not disclosed | Vests immediately if stock reaches $25 within 7-year term | Company stock price ≥ $25.00 |
| 2021 | Stock Options | 10,000 | Not disclosed | Time-based per plan | None (time-based) |
Vesting cadence and potential selling pressure:
- Remaining tranches from 2023 grant vest on Dec 22, 2025 (final one-third).
- 2024 grant tranches vest on Jan 21, 2026 and Jan 21, 2027 (after initial one-third at grant). These dates can create modest incremental liquidity windows but award sizes are relatively small (10,000 per year).
- A 2021 market-based option award vests only if CCEL shares hit $25 within seven years, providing price-based alignment without guaranteed dilution.
Outstanding Options (as of Nov 30, 2024)
| Grant (by description) | Exercisable (#) | Strike ($) | Expiration | Vesting Terms (per footnotes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2018 | 8,000 | 7.49 | May 21, 2028 | — |
| Sep 4, 2019 (1) | 4,444 | 7.13 | Sep 4, 2029 | 1/3 at grant; 1/3 at 1 year; 1/3 at 2 years |
| Feb 27, 2020 (1) | 1,333 | 6.55 | Feb 27, 2030 | 1/3 at grant; 1/3 at 1 year; 1/3 at 2 years |
| Sep 23, 2020 (5) | 10,000 | 8.00 | Sep 23, 2027 | Vests 1/5 per year starting Sep 23, 2021 |
| Apr 8, 2022 (4) | 20,000 | 12.27 | Dec 22, 2028 | Vests immediately if price reaches $25 during 7-year term |
| Jan 3, 2023 (6) | 10,000 | 4.34 | Jan 3, 2028 | Vests immediately upon issuance |
| Dec 22, 2023 (1) | 10,000 | 5.88 | Dec 22, 2028 | 1/3 at grant; 1/3 at 1 year; 1/3 at 2 years |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | As of Sep 5, 2023 | As of Sep 20, 2024 | As of Sep 15, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 124,126 | 129,459 | 136,126 |
| Ownership (% of outstanding) | 1.49% | 1.60% | 1.68% |
| Options exercisable within 60 days (included in above) | 39,777 | 45,110 | 31,777 |
| Pledged shares | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Additional alignment observations:
- Stock ownership guidelines and pledging/hedging policies are not disclosed in the provided materials; no pledging by Mikulinsky is reported.
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Chief Information Officer |
| Effective Date of Current Agreement | New two-year agreement dated July 29, 2021; effective Aug 1, 2021; auto-renews for 1-year periods unless notice ≥30 days before term end |
| Base Salary | $300,000 initial under agreement; current base salary disclosed as $330,000 (2024–2025 proxies) |
| Target/Cap Bonus | Subjective cash bonus up to 25% of base salary |
| Long-term Incentives | Eligible for stock options/long-term awards under plans at Compensation Committee discretion |
| Severance (termination without cause or for “Good Reason,” including post-CoC) | Lump sum equal to 1× current base salary within 90 days; continued life, medical, dental, disability coverage for 24 months |
| Disability | Lump sum equal to six months of base salary in equal installments over three years (offset by other disability payments); all unvested shares/options fully vest upon disability |
| Death | Lump sum equal to 1× base salary (within 30 days); medical and dental for family for two years |
| Post-termination Covenants | Non-compete: 1 year; Non-solicit: 18 months |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Cash vs equity mix: Pay leans toward fixed cash (salary + capped subjective cash bonus), with relatively modest annual option grants (10,000 in 2023 and 2024). This structure provides stability but limits pay-for-performance sensitivity outside stock price triggers on select grants.
- Performance linkage: Bonuses are subjective (no disclosed financial KPIs), while 2021 included market-based options that vest only if CCEL stock hits $25 during the term—supporting alignment with shareholders via price-based vesting. Later grants are predominantly time-based.
- Vesting calendar and supply overhang: Time-based vesting dates on Dec 22, 2025 (final tranche of 2023 grant) and Jan 21, 2026/2027 (2024 grant) create minor windows where selling could occur; however, award sizes are small (10,000 per year).
- Modifications/repricing: No disclosures of repricing or award modifications for Mikulinsky.
Related Party Transactions
- The Audit Committee reported no related-party transactions other than disclosures involving the Co-CEOs’ family relationship and the Audit Chair’s accounting services to a Co-CEO; none involve Mikulinsky.
Investment Implications
- Retention risk: Moderate. The agreement auto-renews with a 1× base salary severance and 24 months of benefits; strong restrictive covenants (1-year non-compete; 18-month non-solicit) discourage departure but severance economics are not outsized.
- Alignment: Ownership of ~1.68% as of 2025 plus market-based options granted in 2021 align incentives to share price appreciation; later time-based options add stickiness but do not condition payout on operating metrics.
- Selling pressure: Upcoming time-based vestings (Dec 22, 2025; Jan 21, 2026/2027) could create limited incremental supply; scale is small relative to float and should not be a primary overhang.
- Pay-for-performance: Absence of disclosed quantitative KPIs (e.g., revenue/EBITDA/TSR targets) for bonus determination limits transparency; investors should watch for increased use of objective performance metrics in future awards to strengthen incentive alignment.
- Governance: No pledging/hedging disclosures for Mikulinsky and no related-party transactions involving him reduce governance red flags; options remain the primary equity vehicle (no RSUs/PSUs disclosed).
Block quotes and key references:
- “The Chief Information Officer received a cash bonus of $63,000 … and was granted 10,000 stock options” with one-third immediate and remaining tranches in 2024–2025 (for 2023 grant) and 2026–2027 (for 2024 grant).
- “Market-based stock options … vest immediately if the Company’s common stock reaches $25.00 per share within the seven-year option term” (2021 grant).
- Severance and covenants: 1× base salary severance; 24 months of benefits; non-compete (1 year); non-solicit (18 months).