Joseph DosSantos
About Joseph DosSantos
Joseph DosSantos is Interim Chief Financial Officer of Celularity (appointed June 10, 2025), concurrently serving as Senior Vice President, Finance; the company stated he would not receive any additional compensation for the interim CFO role . He is 57 years old, a licensed CPA, with a B.S. in Accountancy from Kean University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Seton Hall University . DosSantos previously served in senior finance roles at biopharma and life sciences companies, including CFO posts and finance operations leadership, contributing deep sector and public company experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celularity | Senior Vice President, Finance | Apr 2024–present; previously Aug 2017–Aug 2021 | Corporate finance leadership across growth and restructuring cycles |
| Celularity | Interim Chief Financial Officer | Appointed Jun 10, 2025 | Continuity of finance leadership; no incremental comp for interim role |
| Defender Pharmaceuticals (private) | Chief Financial Officer | Jan 2023–Apr 2024 | CFO of life sciences firm focused on medical countermeasures/therapies |
| Luzsana Biotechnology (subsidiary of Jiangsu Hengrui) | Chief Financial Officer | Aug 2021–Sep 2022 | CFO in global biopharma subsidiary context |
| MYOS RENS Technology (Nasdaq-listed) | Chief Financial Officer | May 2014–Jul 2017 | Public biotherapeutics company CFO; business combination completed in Nov 2020 |
| Allergan (formerly Actavis plc) | Executive Director, Finance Operations | Jan 2011–Apr 2014 | Finance operations leadership at global specialty pharma |
| Celgene Corporation | Senior Director & Assistant Corporate Controller | Aug 2003–Jan 2011 | Corporate accounting leadership; Celgene later acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb |
| Cytec Industries; National Starch & Chemical | Various finance roles | Earlier career | Progressive finance responsibilities at multinational chemical companies |
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Interim CFO role compensation | No additional compensation for interim CFO appointment (effective June 10, 2025) |
| Benefits/perquisites | Company generally does not provide perquisites beyond standard insurance and 401(k); executives participate on same basis as other employees |
Performance Compensation
- Clawback policy: Board adopted a compensation recovery policy compliant with Rule 10D-1 and Nasdaq Rule 5608, enabling recoupment of incentive compensation upon required accounting restatements; applies to current and former executive officers .
- Company-level note (context): In 2024, named executive officers were not awarded stock options; timing practices restrict grants around MNPI releases; RSUs are permitted under these restrictions . In prior periods (2022–2023), the compensation committee did not approve performance-based compensation for NEOs; DosSantos was not disclosed as an NEO in those tables .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Security | Amount/Units | Exercise/Price | Expiration | Vesting | Ownership form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Option (Right to Buy) – Class A Common | 30,000 | $3.02 | 05/01/2034 | 4-year vest; 25% at 1-year anniversary of grant, remainder monthly; subject to continuous service | Direct (D) |
- Stock trading, pledging and hedging policy: Insider trading policy prohibits short sales and derivatives; purchases/sales of puts, calls or derivative securities require audit committee approval; discussion highlights risks of margin/pledged shares potentially being sold at restricted times .
- Equity plan context: Company has approved equity plans (2017 Plan, 2021 Plan, ESPP) with evergreen provisions; RSUs outstanding and shares available for issuance disclosed at fiscal year-end (company-level context) .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Interim CFO appointment | Appointed Interim CFO on June 10, 2025; continues as SVP Finance; no additional compensation for interim role |
| Role/tenure | Executive officer listed as Interim CFO, age 57, as of Oct 30, 2025 in proxy |
| Governance protections | Company maintains clawback policy; code of business conduct and ethics; governance principles available on corporate governance site |
| Transition support | Company retained CFO Squad for outsourced accounting and consulting support during transition, under direction of Senior EVP/Chief Administrative Officer |
Investment Implications
- Cost discipline and alignment: The interim CFO appointment without incremental compensation suggests stringent cost control and disciplined capital management, beneficial for cash-constrained operations .
- Retention and selling pressure: Option grant vests over four years with monthly vesting after year one, which gradually increases liquidity but reduces near-term block selling risk; absence of disclosed pledging and the restrictive insider trading policy mitigate misalignment risks .
- Governance safeguards: Presence of a formal clawback policy enhances pay-for-performance accountability and reduces downside risk from restatement-related incentive payouts .
- Information gaps: No specific employment agreement, severance, or change-of-control terms for DosSantos were disclosed in reviewed filings; monitoring future 8-K Item 5.02 updates and proxy statements is warranted for any compensatory arrangements .