Nicole Sweeny
About Nicole Sweeny
Nicole Sweeny (age 50) is Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of KalVista Pharmaceuticals, serving since July 25, 2023; she holds a B.S. in Marketing from Boston College and has deep rare-disease commercialization expertise in HAE from Takeda and Shire . Company performance during her tenure includes improved TSR: the proxy’s pay-versus-performance shows the $100 TSR index rising from 89.16 (FY2024) to 108.17 (FY2025), while net loss widened from $(126.6)M to $(183.4)M . She joined to build and lead the global commercial launch of EKTERLY (sebetralstat), approved in July 2025 in the US and UK, with EU positive CHMP opinion .
Company Performance Metrics
| Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| TSR Index ($100 initial investment) | 89.16 | 108.17 |
| Net Income ($USD Millions) | (126.6) | (183.4) |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praxis Precision Medicines | Chief Commercial Officer | Aug 2020 – Apr 2023 | Built commercial strategy/capabilities for global launches in CNS/rare disease |
| Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | VP, Franchise Head, Rare Diseases (HAE) | Feb 2019 – Jul 2020 | Led US launch of Takhzyro prophylaxis in HAE; expanded commercial footprint |
| Shire plc | VP Head of US Marketing; Global Product Strategy Lead | Aug 2010 – Jan 2019 | Drove HAE franchise marketing (Cinryze, Firazyr, Kalbitor) and global strategy |
| AMAG Pharmaceuticals; Sanofi Genzyme | Commercial roles | Prior to 2010 | Progressively senior commercial leadership in specialty therapeutics |
Fixed Compensation
- Not specifically disclosed for Nicole Sweeny in KalVista’s scaled proxy filings (company is a “smaller reporting company”). Executive cash compensation is set by the Compensation Committee using market data and discretionary annual bonuses aligned with corporate/individual objectives .
Performance Compensation
Equity Awards (grants and structure)
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares | Terms | Vesting | Strike | Grant Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inducement Stock Options | Jul 24, 2023 | 100,000 | Amended & Restated 2021 Equity Inducement Plan | 25% on 1-year anniversary; remainder monthly over next 3 years (10-year term) | $9.51 | |
| RSUs (Outstanding) | — | 55,000 (outstanding as of Aug 27, 2025) | Each RSU converts to 1 share at settlement for no consideration | 1/16th quarterly from vesting commencement (stated as May 21, 2025 in Form 4 footnotes) | — |
RSU Vesting and Settlement (2025)
| Event | Aug 21, 2025 | Aug 22, 2025 | Aug 25, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs Settled (shares) | 6,250 | 5,000 | — |
| Sell-to-Cover (shares) | — | 1,864 @ $13.2228 (tax withholding) | 1,480 @ $13.42 (tax withholding) |
- Notes: Form 4 footnotes specify RSUs vest at 1/16th on each quarterly anniversary from the vesting commencement date, and sell-to-cover transactions were to satisfy tax withholding obligations, not discretionary sales .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Date | Direct Shares Held After Transactions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2025 | 28,771 | After settlement and sell-to-cover of 1,864 shares at $13.2228 |
| Aug 25, 2025 | 32,291 | After settlement and sell-to-cover of 1,480 shares at $13.42 |
- Anti-pledging/hedging: Company insider trading policy prohibits pledging and hedging by employees/officers/directors unless expressly approved by General Counsel .
- Clawback: Compensation recovery policy compliant with SEC/Nasdaq requires recoupment of incentive compensation upon financial restatements (look-back up to 3 years) .
- Rule 10b5-1 plans: Executives may use pre-established trading plans; company describes usage and governance .
Employment Terms
- Role: Chief Commercial Officer since July 25, 2023 (appointment announced) .
- Contract economics: Specific severance/change-of-control terms for Ms. Sweeny are not disclosed in the proxy (scaled reporting); severance and CIC provisions disclosed for NEOs only .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Significant ongoing equity vesting (inducement options and RSUs) aligns incentives with long-term value creation; company policy prohibits pledging and enables clawbacks, reinforcing alignment and risk controls .
- Retention: Time-based monthly option vesting through 2027 and RSU vesting 1/16th quarterly from May 2025 support retention; absence of discretionary selling (sell-to-cover only) reduces near-term selling pressure .
- Trading signals: Reported transactions were tax-withholding sell-to-cover at ~$13.22–$13.42; with an option strike at $9.51, inducement options are in-the-money at those dates, potentially increasing realized value upon exercise while continuing to vest .
- Execution risk: Despite TSR improvement in FY2025, losses widened materially; commercialization execution (pricing, access, uptake for EKTERLY) is critical to drive revenue inflection and reduce cash burn, a core area under Sweeny’s remit .