Arvind Kush
Inhibikase TherapeuticsAbout Arvind Kush
Arvind Kush, 42, has served as an independent, non-employee director of Inhibikase Therapeutics since October 2024 and chairs the Audit Committee, designated as the board’s “audit committee financial expert” under SEC rules; he also serves on the Compensation Committee . He is currently Chief Financial and Chief Business Officer of Candid Therapeutics (since July 2024), previously CFO of RayzeBio until its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in February 2024, and earlier a Managing Director in BofA Securities’ Healthcare Group; he holds a BE in Computer Science (Visvesvaraya Technological University) and an MBA (Emory Goizueta) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candid Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Financial & Chief Business Officer | Jul 2024 – present | Senior finance/BD leadership in biotechnology |
| RayzeBio, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Nov 2021 – Feb 2024 (acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in Feb 2024) | Led finance through strategic transaction (BMS acquisition) |
| BofA Securities (Global Corporate Investment Banking – Healthcare) | Managing Director (after increasing responsibility) | Feb 2018 – Nov 2021 | Advised biopharma on strategic and financing transactions |
External Roles
- No other public company directorships disclosed in the proxy for Mr. Kush .
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Board determined all non-employee directors (including Kush) are independent under Nasdaq and Exchange Act Rules 10A-3/10C-1 . |
| Board leadership | Chairperson role separated from CEO; Chairperson is Amit Munshi . |
| Committees | Audit (Chair; financial expert) and Compensation (Member); both committees comprised solely of independent directors . |
| Meetings & attendance | Board met 16 times in 2024; each director attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings during their tenure . |
| Committee activity | Audit Committee held 4 meetings in 2024 ; Compensation Committee held 2 meetings in 2024 . |
| Audit report | Audit Committee (Kush as Chair) recommended inclusion of FY2024 audited financials in Form 10-K; confirmed auditor independence; approved non-audit services . |
| Related-party oversight | Audit Committee reviews related party transactions under written policy; threshold $120,000; none since Jan 1, 2023 meeting materiality criteria . |
Fixed Compensation
(Effective January 1, 2025 director cash program; amounts paid quarterly in arrears)
| Component | Annual Cash Retainer ($) |
|---|---|
| Board member retainer | 60,000 |
| Audit Committee Chair | 24,000 |
| Compensation Committee Member | 9,000 |
Based on Mr. Kush’s roles (Audit Chair; Compensation Committee member), the disclosed rates imply an annual cash retainer structure totaling $60,000 + $24,000 + $9,000, paid pro rata if service begins mid-quarter .
Performance Compensation
| Policy element | Grant size | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial grant to new non-employee directors | 60,000 options | 50% on each of first two anniversaries; service-contingent | Grants made Oct 21, 2024 to new non-employee directors . |
| Annual grant to continuing non-employee directors | 30,000 options | 100% by earlier of 1-year anniversary or day prior to next AGM; service-contingent | Annual cadence; example annual grants on Jul 16, 2024 (general policy) . |
Key events and metrics:
- Company repriced eligible director options on Oct 9, 2024 to $1.26 (closing price), with shareholder approval on Jan 3, 2025; additional tranches linked to warrant exercises at $1.45 and $1.56, subject to conditions .
- Mr. Kush’s 2024 director compensation (pro-rated) totaled $113,775, comprised of $17,717 cash and $96,058 option grant-date fair value (ASC 718, including incremental repricing value) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- None disclosed for Mr. Kush beyond IKT board membership (no public company board interlocks reported) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit committee financial expert with financial sophistication under Nasdaq rules; extensive investment banking and biotech finance experience .
- Education: BE in Computer Science and MBA (Emory Goizueta) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 201,600; less than 1% of outstanding |
| Composition | 145,000 shares held of record |
| Options exercisable within 60 days (as of May 1, 2025) | 56,600 |
| Aggregate options granted as of Dec 31, 2024 | 60,000 |
| Shares outstanding reference date | 74,341,540 (used for percentage computation by company) |
No pledging or hedging disclosures specific to Mr. Kush noted in the proxy; company states no related party transactions above policy thresholds since Jan 1, 2023 .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director; Audit Committee Chair and designated financial expert; clear separation of Chair/CEO; active committee oversight (audit report and risk oversight) .
- Alignment: Director pay structure blends cash retainers with equity options; Mr. Kush’s 2024 mix skewed to equity ($96,058 options vs $17,717 cash), supporting long-term alignment .
- Attendance: Met the ≥75% attendance threshold in 2024 during period of service; board/committees met frequently (Board 16; Audit 4; Compensation 2) .
- RED FLAGS: Company-wide option repricing for directors (Oct 9, 2024 to $1.26) is a governance risk indicator; while approved by shareholders, repricing generally dilutes pay-for-performance discipline and may weaken investor confidence if repeated .
- Conflicts/Related Parties: Proxy disclosures report no related party transactions meeting materiality thresholds since Jan 1, 2023; Audit Committee oversees and pre-approves related-party arrangements per policy .