Leah R. Neufeld
About Leah R. Neufeld
Leah R. Neufeld, 52, has served as Immuneering’s Chief People Officer since October 2022. She holds a B.A. in psychology from American University and an M.S. in career counseling and organization development from Johns Hopkins University. Her prior HR leadership spans large biopharma and emerging biotech, including roles at Luzsana Biotechnology, Prevail Therapeutics, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, NPS Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo Pharma Development, and Johnson & Johnson/Ortho Biotech . Performance metrics such as TSR, revenue or EBITDA growth specific to her tenure are not disclosed in SEC filings.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luzsana Biotechnology (subsidiary of Hengrui Medicines) | Chief Human Resources Officer | Aug 2021 – Oct 2022 | Helped establish Luzsana globally as part of the executive team |
| Prevail Therapeutics | Vice President, People | Sep 2019 – Aug 2021 | Served until Prevail’s acquisition by Eli Lilly |
| Intercept Pharmaceuticals | Head of Human Resources | Aug 2015 – Sep 2019 | Led HR during high-growth phase |
| NPS Pharma | Global Head of Human Resources | Jan 2014 – Jul 2015 | Served until NPS’s acquisition by Shire Pharmaceuticals |
| Daiichi Sankyo Pharma Development | HR roles of increasing responsibility; Director of HR | Apr 2009 – Jan 2014 | Led HR for R&D-focused organization |
| Johnson & Johnson (Consumer; Ortho Biotech) | Various HR positions incl. Manager in Consumer and Oncology (Ortho Biotech) | Nov 2002 – Apr 2009 | Early career HR roles in large-cap healthcare |
External Roles
- Not listed among Immuneering’s directors in the proxy; no public-company board roles disclosed for Ms. Neufeld .
Fixed Compensation
- Individual base salary, target bonus %, and actual bonus paid for Ms. Neufeld are not disclosed; the 2025 proxy’s Summary Compensation Table covers only named executive officers (CEO, CSO, CLO) and outlines the company’s general framework of base salary, annual performance bonus, and stock options .
Performance Compensation
Option Award Details (2025)
| Grant Date | Derivative Security | Number of Options | Exercise Price ($) | Vesting Start | Vesting Schedule | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2025 | Stock Option | 110,000 | 1.91 | Feb 1, 2025 | Vests in equal monthly installments over 4 years; fully vested Jan 1, 2029 | Feb 5, 2035 |
Insider Transactions (2025)
| Metric | Jul 2, 2025 | Sep 15, 2025 | Oct 1, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction type | Open-market purchase | ESPP purchase (voluntary reporting) | Open-market purchase |
| Shares acquired | 700 | 11,815 | 800 |
| Price per share ($) | 3.5695 | 1.428 (ESPP pricing feature) | 6.3792 |
| Beneficial shares after transaction | 10,729 | 22,544 | 23,344 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Common shares outstanding: 35,985,702 as of April 17, 2025 (proxy basis for % ownership calculations) .
- Ms. Neufeld’s reported beneficial ownership increased from 10,729 to 23,344 shares through 2025 purchases/ESPP participation (see table above) .
- Options held: 110,000 granted Feb 5, 2025; monthly vesting through Jan 1, 2029; expiration Feb 5, 2035 .
- Policies:
- Anti-hedging: company prohibits directors, officers, and employees from hedging transactions (e.g., collars, swaps, exchange funds) .
- Clawback: Nasdaq Rule 10D-1 compliant policy; mandatory recovery of erroneously received incentive-based compensation during the three years preceding a required restatement .
- Ownership guidelines: Company states it does not have formal equity ownership guidelines for executive officers; equity grants are used to align interests and retain talent .
- Pledging: No pledging policy disclosure found in the proxy; no pledging reported for Ms. Neufeld in cited filings .
Employment Terms
- Role/tenure: Chief People Officer since October 2022 .
- Employment agreement, severance, and change-of-control terms: Not disclosed for Ms. Neufeld in the 2025 proxy or item 5.02 8-Ks reviewed; such terms are disclosed for other named executives (CEO, CSO, CLO) but not for CPO .
- Equity grant timing practices: Annual equity awards typically granted at the Compensation Committee’s regular February meeting; no grants within four business days before/one business day after material filings in 2024 .
Investment Implications
- Alignment signals: Multiple 2025 insider purchases and ESPP participation (700 shares at $3.5695; 11,815 ESPP shares at $1.428; 800 shares at $6.3792) indicate incremental ownership accumulation rather than selling pressure in the period reviewed .
- Retention: The Feb 2025 option grant (110,000 options; monthly vesting through Jan 2029) creates ongoing vesting that supports retention through a multi-year period .
- Governance safeguards: Anti-hedging and clawback policies reduce misalignment/recoupment risks; absence of formal ownership guidelines is a neutral factor offset by observed insider purchases and option-based at-risk compensation .
- Data gaps: CPO cash compensation specifics (salary, target/actual bonus), severance/change-of-control economics, and any non-compete specifics are not disclosed; monitor future proxies and 8-Ks for updates .