Kristen Pierce
About Kristen Pierce
Kristen Pierce, Ph.D., age 55, is CERo’s Chief Development Officer and has served in this role since October 2024. She has over 20 years of oncology experience, previously serving as Vice President, Translational Medicine at Pionyr Immunotherapeutics (Sep 2021–Jun 2023) and earlier as Executive Director, Asset Team Leader at Pfizer, leading late nonclinical and early clinical development for oncology antibody and small molecule programs. Dr. Pierce earned a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Arizona, completed a four-year postdoc at Duke University in Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz’s laboratory, and holds a B.A. from Bates College .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pionyr Immunotherapeutics | Vice President, Translational Medicine | Sep 2021–Jun 2023 | Led nonclinical and early clinical stage projects in oncology |
| Pfizer | Executive Director, Asset Team Leader | Not disclosed | Led late nonclinical and early clinical development of several oncology antibodies and small molecules |
External Roles
No current public company board service disclosed for Dr. Pierce in company filings .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Base Salary ($) | Target Bonus % | Actual Bonus ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 90,000 | Not disclosed (company uses annual bonus plans with targets set each year) | Not disclosed | — (none shown for Dr. Pierce) | 119,777 |
Performance Compensation
| Metric / Award | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option award (2,000 options at $10; Oct 1, 2024) | Not disclosed | FDA acceptance of IND (50% acceleration trigger) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Equal monthly vesting over 24 months; 50% accelerated upon FDA IND acceptance |
| Annual cash incentive bonus | Not disclosed | Company-set annual performance targets | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | N/A (bonus plan established; specific metrics/awards not disclosed) |
Equity Awards Detail (Grants)
| Grant Date | Number of Options | Exercise Price ($) | Expiration | Vesting Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2024 | 659 | 36.00 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Oct 1, 2024 | 2,000 | 10.00 | Sep 30, 2034 | Equal monthly over 24 months; 50% accelerates upon FDA IND acceptance |
| Oct 1, 2024 (aggregate approved to executives; Dr. Pierce total) | 2,659 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Outstanding Equity Awards (as of Dec 31, 2024)
| Grant Date | Vesting Start | Exercisable (#) | Unexercisable (#) | Exercise Price ($) | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2024 | Oct 1, 2024 | 1,784 | 875 | 10.00 | Sep 30, 2034 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 1,325 shares (via options exercisable within 60 days) |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | Less than 1% |
| Vested vs. unvested options | 1,784 exercisable vs. 875 unexercisable at $10 (Dec 31, 2024) |
| Shares pledged/hedged | Company policy prohibits pledging and derivative transactions/hedging for executives |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Rule 10b5-1 plans | No adoptions/amendments/terminations in Q4 2024 for directors/officers |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Chief Development Officer since Oct 2024 |
| Contract type | Consulting Agreement (effective Oct 1, 2024) |
| Monthly fee | $30,000 |
| Term length | Initial 12-month term, extendable by mutual agreement |
| Termination | Either party may terminate with at least 30 days’ prior written notice |
| Option grant under consulting agreement | 2,000 options vesting monthly over 24 months; 50% accelerated upon FDA IND acceptance |
| Severance | Not disclosed for Dr. Pierce |
| Change-of-control | Plan provides that awards may be subject to acceleration if specified in award/agreements; no automatic acceleration absent such terms |
| Clawback | Company Compensation Recovery Policy compliant with Nasdaq rules (recovers incentive pay tied to financial reporting measures upon restatement) |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit / Garden leave | Not disclosed for Dr. Pierce |
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Her primary at-risk compensation is options with milestone-based acceleration tied to FDA IND acceptance, aligning incentives with critical regulatory value inflection points .
- Retention dynamics: The consulting structure (12-month term, cancellable with 30 days’ notice) plus 24-month monthly vesting supports ongoing engagement but creates renewal/extension risk after the initial term; milestone acceleration enhances near-term retention until IND acceptance .
- Selling pressure and trading signals: Monthly vesting creates a steady unlock cadence; a successful IND acceptance would accelerate 50% of the consulting grant, increasing near-term exercisable supply, though any pledging/hedging is prohibited by policy and she holds less than 1% of shares outstanding, limiting systemic selling pressure .
- Governance/risk: Company-wide clawback policy for incentive-based compensation strengthens downside protection in case of restatements; change-of-control acceleration is only as provided in specific agreements, reducing automatic windfalls risk .
Note: 2024 bonus metrics, payouts, and detailed weighting for incentives were not disclosed; the company uses annual cash bonus plans with performance targets selected by the Compensation Committee each year .
Citations: .