Adrian McKemey

About Adrian McKemey

Adrian McKemey, Ph.D., 61, is President, Certara Drug Development Solutions, effective March 3, 2025. He previously led Enterprise Transformation at IQVIA (2022–Feb 2025), and was SVP & Head of R&D Strategy Solutions at IQVIA/Quintiles (2016–2022); earlier he was a Principal in BCG’s Life Sciences practice. He holds a BSc (First Class) and a PhD in High Energy Nuclear Particle Physics from the University of London. His appointment coincided with a planned leadership transition of the Drug Development Solutions unit and emphasizes scaling biosimulation and scientific services.

Recent operating context (last four quarters) indicates mid-100s $mm revenue and mid-20s $mm EBITDA per quarter during his onboarding period (see table below). This frames his mandate against a growing software-and-services platform advancing model-informed drug development.

Past Roles

External Roles

Fixed Compensation

• Base salary and annual target bonus for Dr. McKemey were not disclosed in the appointment press release or subsequent 8-K filings to date; the company’s Annual Incentive Bonus Plan structure (for NEOs) weights Adjusted EBITDA (80%) and Revenue (20%) for corporate/divisional multipliers, suggesting a similar framework could apply once his terms are filed. No sign-on cash bonus disclosed.

Performance Compensation

Newly Granted Equity (May 2025)

Notes: The company’s 2024 LTI PSUs for other executives used annual Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA targets with a TSR modifier, but McKemey’s 2025 PSUs are explicitly TSR-based per Form 4, signaling a tighter alignment with shareholder return for his package.

Annual Cash Bonus Framework (Company Program Reference)

• Metrics and weights (2024 AIB Plan): Adjusted EBITDA (80%) and Revenue (20%), combining company and division metrics by role. Payout curve ranges typically span 50%–200% on EBITDA and 50%–150% on Revenue, subject to threshold rules; no payouts if company adjusted EBITDA <90% of target.

Equity Ownership & Alignment

Beneficial Ownership and Awards

• Hedging/pledging: Hedging is prohibited; pledging requires pre-clearance by the General Counsel. Short sales, margin purchases, and borrowing against accounts holding company stock are restricted. No pledging or hedging by McKemey has been disclosed.
• Stock ownership guidelines: Executives (NEOs, EVPs, SVPs) are expected to own company stock equal to 2x base salary within five years; until compliant, 100% of net shares from time-based awards must be retained. McKemey’s compliance timing begins from his appointment.

Upcoming Vesting/Selling Pressure Map

Insider activity since appointment: One Form 4 (5/22/2025) reporting the new-hire PSU/RSU grants; no sales disclosed in that filing.

Employment Terms

• Start date: March 3, 2025.
• Contract/severance/COC: No executive-specific employment agreement terms for McKemey were disclosed in available filings; company practice for other executives includes severance upon qualified terminations and Dodd-Frank-compliant clawback policy adopted in 2023.
• Restrictive covenants and policies: Insider Trading Policy, hedging/pledging restrictions, stock ownership guidelines, and clawback policy apply to executive officers.

Performance & Operating Context

Values retrieved from S&P Global.*

Notes:

• Company overview reiterates leadership in biosimulation/MIDD and diversified software/services base across 2,400+ customers and regulatory agencies; 2024 revenue was $385.1M (+9% YoY), reflecting environment and scale relevant for his role.

Compensation Structure Analysis

• Equity mix and risk alignment: His 2025 PSUs are 100% TSR-linked with 0–200% payout, increasing alignment with shareholders versus purely operating-metric PSUs. Time-based RSUs introduce retention value with three-year vesting.
• Guaranteed vs at-risk: No guaranteed cash elements disclosed; equity is entirely at-risk (PSUs) or service-based (RSUs).
• Clawback and anti-hedging provisions are in place, supporting governance-friendly design.

Risk Indicators & Red Flags

• Hedging/pledging: Prohibited/restricted per policy; no exceptions disclosed for McKemey.
• Option repricing/tax gross-ups: None disclosed; company states no excise tax gross-ups on COC.
• Related party transactions: None disclosed related to McKemey.

Investment Implications

• Alignment: A fully TSR-based PSU grant directly ties a meaningful portion of his upside to relative shareholder returns over a three-year window; combined with RSU vesting through April 2028, this creates retention hooks and reduces near-term departure risk.
• Selling pressure: RSU tranches in April 2026/2027/2028 will likely entail net share sales-for-taxes on vest; PSU settlement in 2028 can add distribution volume depending on performance. Monitor pre-planned 10b5-1 adoption and tax-withholding rates.
• Unknown severance/COC economics: Lack of disclosed McKemey-specific severance and COC terms limits visibility on potential change-in-control and termination costs; watch for a future 8-K/Proxy update.
• Operating backdrop: Stable quarterly revenue with mid-20s $mm EBITDA provides a solid base for transformation initiatives in the services unit he leads, but TSR outcome will hinge on both execution and broader market conditions over 2025–2028.

Sources

• 2025 DEF 14A (executive officers, biography, ownership, policies):
• Appointment press release (role, start date, education, mandate):
• Form 4 (2025-05-22) for new-hire equity grants and terms:
• Operating context and financials: Revenues per GetFinancials with citations above; EBITDA values from S&P Global as marked with asterisks.*