Leslie Gautam
ENTXAbout Leslie Gautam
Leslie Gautam is Chief Business Officer of Entera Bio (ENTX), appointed May 8, 2025; age 44 . She holds a B.S. in Psychobiology and Computer Programming from UCLA and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School, with 20+ years across biopharma advisory, investment banking, and business development at Stifel, Houlihan Lokey, Purdue Pharma, Noven Pharmaceuticals, UBS, and BMO Capital Markets; she also co‑founded and served as CEO of a women’s health startup in December 2023 . Company context: Entera’s cumulative TSR metric reached $212 per $100 initial investment by year-end 2024; net loss was $9.54M in 2024 and $8.89M in 2023, framing pay-for-performance discussions at the company level .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stifel (via acquisition of Torreya Capital) | Senior member, Healthcare investment banking | Oct 2019 – Nov 2023 | Provided strategic advice on biopharma M&A, board advisory and capital raising |
| Houlihan Lokey | Senior banker | May 2016 – Oct 2019 | Biopharma advisory experience |
| Purdue Pharma | Business Development team | Not disclosed | Corporate BD role |
| Noven Pharmaceuticals | Business Development team | Not disclosed | Corporate BD role |
| UBS | Institutional Investor-ranked equity research analyst (pharma sector) | Not disclosed | Sell-side coverage and capital markets insight |
| BMO Capital Markets | Healthcare investment banking group | Not disclosed | Early investment banking experience |
| Early-stage women’s health company | Co-founder & CEO | Dec 2023 | Care delivery and innovation for hyperemesis gravidarum |
External Roles
No current public company directorships or committee roles disclosed for Leslie Gautam .
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed for Leslie Gautam. The 2025 proxy includes specific revised terms only for the CEO, Chief R&D, and CFO; no individual salary/bonus detail was provided for the Chief Business Officer .
Performance Compensation
Company policy applicable to officers, including Chief Business Officer:
- Annual cash bonus based on measurable performance measures (e.g., capital investment, cash balance, regulatory approvals) plus up to 20% qualitative component; CEO sets measures for other officers .
- Equity awards (options, RSUs, performance awards) with annual grant value cap for officers of 18× monthly salary; proposed amendment increases cap to 25× monthly salary if approved (shareholders approved the amended policy July 16, 2025) .
- Options must have exercise price ≥ fair market value; typical maximum term ≤10 years .
- Clawback policy adopted Nov 30, 2023 for incentive-based compensation following accounting restatements .
Example vesting constructs (policy-level; CBO-specific grants not disclosed):
- Under the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, the Compensation Committee may accelerate vesting upon change in control or assume/convert awards; actions include vesting, cancellation, or cash-out at the Committee’s discretion .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of May 8, 2025) | The security ownership table lists “Leslie Gautaum” with “-,-” (no reportable holdings shown); other executives’ holdings are enumerated. This suggests no reportable beneficial ownership for Leslie at that date (name appears misspelled in table) . |
| Hedging and pledging | Prohibited by compensation policy and Insider Trading Policy; officers and directors may not hedge, short, use margin, or pledge company securities; pre-clearance and blackout procedures apply . |
| 10b5‑1 trading plans | Permitted only when not in possession of MNPI; require pre‑clearance; modifications/terminations restricted; broker notification required for Section 16 persons . |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Compensation Committee may recommend adoption; no adopted guideline disclosed . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start date & role | Joined May 8, 2025 as Chief Business Officer . |
| Contract term, severance | Individual employment agreement terms for Leslie not disclosed; company policy permits retirement/termination awards under defined conditions and outlines officer severance constructs; specifics vary by role and approval . |
| Change‑of‑control | 2018 Plan permits award treatment changes (e.g., vesting acceleration) at the Compensation Committee’s discretion upon change in control; applies to officer equity awards . |
| Non‑compete/non‑solicit | Not disclosed for Leslie; CEO agreement includes standard restrictive covenants, but no CBO agreement disclosed . |
| Trading compliance | Insider Trading Policy mandates pre‑clearance, special blackout periods, and prohibits margin/pledging/hedging/short sales . |
Governance and Shareholder Signals
| Item | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 2025 Say‑on‑Pay (advisory) | Passed: For 19,508,920; Against 443,752; Abstentions 543,295; No broker non‑votes for auditors item . |
| Amended compensation policy | Passed: For 19,520,049; Against 432,623; Abstentions 543,295 . |
| Executive additions | Entera highlighted Leslie’s appointment and experience in women’s health and biopharma transactions . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Strict prohibitions on hedging, pledging, short sales, and margin accounts, plus pre‑clearance and blackout protocols, reduce misalignment and mitigate forced‑selling risk around negative catalysts; change‑in‑control provisions under the 2018 Plan can accelerate vesting, aligning incentives in strategic transactions .
- Retention: Shareholders approved an amended compensation policy (raising equity award caps) and broader officer pay updates to attract/retain management; this supports retention of newly hired executives like the CBO amid competitive talent markets .
- Trading signals: No Form 4 activity for Leslie was disclosed in company documents; with pre‑clearance and 10b5‑1 scaffolding, any future sales would likely be structured and transparent under policy . The high say‑on‑pay approval and policy updates indicate investor support for management incentive design .
- Execution: Leslie’s transaction and women’s health background complements Entera’s focus on women‑centric conditions and commercialization partnerships; role emphasis is on BD and strategic execution (e.g., OPKO collaborations), which may be accretive to value creation pathways .