Katharyn Field
About Katharyn Field
Katharyn (Katie) Field is iSpecimen’s Chief Executive Officer, Secretary and Treasurer (appointed November 7, 2025) and continues to serve as President (since February 28, 2025) . Filings list her age inconsistently (41 in the November 7, 2025 8-K; 32 in a November 10, 2025 preliminary proxy), and disclose an MBA in Economics from Columbia Business School and a BA in Public Policy (honors) from Stanford University . Prior to becoming CEO she served as a director (September 2024–February 19, 2025) and then President; no changes to her compensation or terms were made at the time of her CEO appointment . Her compensation design does not disclose performance (TSR/revenue/EBITDA) metrics tied to pay; she is eligible to participate in the company’s stock incentive plans .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| iSpecimen | President | Feb 28, 2025–Nov 7, 2025 | Senior operating leadership prior to CEO appointment; at-will agreement set base pay and equity eligibility . |
| iSpecimen | Director | Sep 26, 2024–Feb 19, 2025 | Board service prior to executive transition; minimal 2024 director compensation reported . |
| iSpecimen | CEO, Secretary, Treasurer | Nov 7, 2025–present | Leadership transition; no immediate compensation changes at appointment . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halo Collective Inc. | Chief Executive Officer & Chairman | Since May 2019 | Industry/operator experience; potential network benefits, time-allocation consideration . |
| Akanda Corporation (Nasdaq: AKAN) | Executive Director | Since Jun 2022 | Public cannabis exposure and governance experience . |
| Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director & Vice President | Since Jul 2024 | Preclinical pharma perspective; additional external commitment . |
| Elegance Brands | Director | Mar 2021–Mar 2022 | Prior consumer/brands governance role . |
| The White House; Brookings Institution; Bain & Company | Various roles | Prior | Policy/strategy/consulting credentials . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base salary | $240,000 per year as President effective Feb 28, 2025 . |
| CEO appointment terms | No changes to compensation or other terms at time of CEO appointment on Nov 7, 2025 . |
| 2024 Director fees (historical) | $9,226 in cash fees; $104 option award value while serving as a director in 2024 . |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed for Ms. Field | — | — | — | — | Eligible to participate in stock incentive plans; no specific performance metrics disclosed . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership | Nil (0.00% of outstanding) as of November 2025; directors and officers as a group also below 1% . |
| Prior (Oct 2025) ownership snapshot | Nil (0.00%) . |
| Outstanding equity (12/31/2024) | 168 stock options at $5.12, expiring September 24, 2034 (shown in outstanding equity awards table) . |
| Vested vs unvested | Option table shows 168 exercisable; no unexercisable amounts reported for Ms. Field . |
| Hedging/pledging | Hedging prohibited by company insider trading policy; no pledging policy disclosed . |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Agreement type | Employment agreement as President (effective Feb 28, 2025); employment is at-will . |
| Notice period | Either party may terminate with 30 days’ notice . |
| Severance | None disclosed for Ms. Field in her employment agreement . |
| Change-of-control | Not specified in her employment agreement; company equity plans include change-in-control treatment at the committee’s discretion . |
| Clawbacks | 2021 plan amended to include recoupment; 2025 stock incentive plan also includes clawback provisions . |
| Current titles | CEO, President, Secretary, Treasurer (since Nov 7, 2025 for CEO/Secretary/Treasurer; President since Feb 28, 2025) . |
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: With base salary of $240,000 and eligibility for equity under the company’s plans (including the proposed 2025 plan), upside is likely via future equity awards; however, no explicit performance metrics for Ms. Field’s incentives are disclosed, weakening near‑term line‑of‑sight pay-for-performance linkage .
- Retention and transition risk: Her employment is at-will with only a 30‑day notice period and no severance protection, while she holds multiple external leadership roles (Halo CEO/Chair; Akanda Executive Director; Virpax Director/VP), which can create time‑allocation and potential conflict risks without robust retention mechanisms .
- Insider selling pressure: Beneficial ownership is nil and only a small legacy option position was reported as of year‑end 2024 (168 options at $5.12), implying limited near‑term insider selling overhang directly from Ms. Field; any future pressure would stem from new awards or broader capital actions rather than her current holdings .
- Governance and protections: Hedging is prohibited and clawbacks are in place across equity plans, which support alignment and enforceability; change‑in‑control acceleration is discretionary at the plan level, but Ms. Field’s individual agreement does not disclose CIC/severance protections .
- Dilution watch: The proposed iSpecimen Inc. 2025 Stock Incentive Plan reserves 1,000,000 shares (no evergreen), which could be a source of future equity compensation and potential dilution; investors should monitor grant practices under the plan .
Notes on disclosures: Filings report Ms. Field’s age inconsistently (41 vs 32). Role effective dates and compensation terms are consistent across filings cited .