Elena Ridloff
About Elena Ridloff
Elena Ridloff, CFA, is an independent Class III director of Kymera Therapeutics (since March 2021), age 45 as of March 31, 2025. She chairs the Audit Committee and is designated the Board’s “audit committee financial expert.” Her background spans CFO and capital markets leadership at public biopharma companies and a decade as an institutional investor; she holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and is a CFA charterholder .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACADIA Pharmaceuticals | EVP & CFO; earlier SVP, Investor Relations | CFO Oct 2018–Sep 2021; IR Apr 2018–Oct 2018 | Led finance and investor communications during commercialization phase |
| Alexion Pharmaceuticals | Executive Director & later VP, Investor Relations | Apr 2014–Mar 2018 | Senior IR leadership across FTSE- and S&P-scale biotech; governance exposure |
| BIOVISIO (consulting) | CEO & Managing Member | Jan 2012–Apr 2014 | Strategic and IR counsel to life sciences companies |
| Maverick Capital (hedge fund) | Managing Director (biopharma/medtech coverage) | Jul 2005–Jan 2012 | Buy-side lead for healthcare sectors; capital allocation perspective |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sionna Therapeutics, Inc. (public) | Chief Financial Officer & Head of Corporate Development | Since Sep 2021 | Public company operating role alongside KYMR board seat |
| Kronos Bio, Inc. (public) | Director | Current | External public board directorship |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined all directors except CEO are independent; Ridloff is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Committees: Audit Committee Chair; members include Pamela Esposito and Jeffrey Albers .
- Financial expert: Designated as the Audit Committee financial expert .
- Attendance: In 2024, each director attended at least 75% of aggregate board and relevant committee meetings; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Board leadership: Chair and CEO roles separated; Felix J. Baker appointed Lead Independent Director in March 2024 .
- Say-on-Pay context: Shareholder approval of NEO compensation was 91% (2023 meeting) and 94% (2024 meeting), signaling supportive governance backdrop .
Fixed Compensation
Kymera’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy (amended March 2025) and Ridloff’s actual FY2024 compensation:
| Component | Policy Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Board retainer (member) | $40,000 | Excludes Chair/Lead Independent premiums |
| Audit Chair retainer | $20,000 | Increased from $15,000 prior to Mar 27, 2024 |
| Audit member retainer | $10,000 | Increased from $7,500 prior to Mar 27, 2024 |
| Comp & Talent member retainer | $7,500 | Increased from $5,000 prior to Mar 27, 2024 |
| Nominating & Gov member retainer | $5,000 | — |
| Lead Independent Director retainer | $60,000 | Policy premium |
| Non-executive Chair retainer | $70,000 | Policy premium |
| Annual equity (options) | 16,000 shares | Vests fully by next annual meeting; accelerated on sale |
| Initial equity (options) | 32,000 shares | Vests monthly over 3 years; accelerated on sale |
| Director | FY2024 Fees Earned (USD) | FY2024 Option Awards (USD, grant-date FV) | Total (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elena Ridloff | $58,750 | $302,722 | $361,472 |
Notes: Director equity and cash comp are capped at $750,000 per year ($1,000,000 in the initial election year) .
Performance Compensation
Kymera’s non-employee directors receive time-vested stock options; there are no performance-vesting metrics for director equity.
| Performance Element | Terms |
|---|---|
| Annual option grant | 16,000 options; vests in full at earlier of next annual meeting or one year |
| Initial option grant | 32,000 options; 36 equal monthly installments over 3 years |
| Change-in-control | Director equity vests in full upon sale of the company |
| Performance metrics | None disclosed for director awards (time-based vesting only) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| External Entity | Type | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sionna Therapeutics, Inc. | Public biotech | CFO & Head of Corp Dev | Operating role; no Kymera related-party transactions disclosed |
| Kronos Bio, Inc. | Public biotech | Director | No Kymera related-party transactions disclosed |
Kymera disclosed significant shareholder-related participation by funds affiliated with BVF Partners and Baker Bros. Advisors in a January 2024 offering; these relate to other directors/5% holders, not Ridloff .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial expertise: Audit Committee Chair and SEC-designated financial expert .
- Capital markets and IR: CFO roles at ACADIA; VP/ED IR at Alexion; hedge fund MD at Maverick .
- Education/credentials: B.A. University of Pennsylvania; CFA charterholder .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elena Ridloff | 64,128 | <1% (asterisk) | Ownership includes shares acquirable within 60 days per SEC rules |
- Outstanding options: As of Dec 31, 2024, Ridloff held options to purchase 80,378 shares, including 16,000 granted in 2024; vesting follows director policy .
- Hedging/pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging, short sales, margin, and generally prohibits pledging; no waivers reported .
- Stock ownership guidelines: Not disclosed for directors in proxy; no pledging/hedging red flags indicated .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with deep finance and investor background; serves as Audit Chair and SEC “financial expert,” enhancing financial oversight .
- Attendance and engagement meet board standards; overall board attendance ≥75% and annual meeting attendance confirmed .
- Conservative trading policy (anti-hedging/pledging) and clawback policy adopted Nov 1, 2023; no restatement-driven recoveries disclosed .
- Shareholder support for pay (91% in 2023, 94% in 2024) suggests alignment with investors .
-
Watch items
- Time commitments: Concurrent public-company CFO role (Sionna) and Kymera Audit Chair; no attendance issues disclosed, but investors may monitor capacity as Kymera advances programs .
- Related party/Interlocks: No Ridloff-specific related-party transactions disclosed; principal shareholder transactions involve other directors/affiliates (BVF, Baker Bros.) .
-
Compensation alignment
- Director pay relies on cash retainers plus time-vested options with clear vesting schedules and reasonable policy caps; no director performance-vesting features that could bias oversight .
-
Committee effectiveness
- Audit Committee met four times in 2024 and acted via written consent once; responsibilities include auditor oversight, ICFR, ERM, related-party review, and earnings releases .
- Compensation and Nominating committees are fully independent; Lead Independent Director role in place for board oversight .
No material legal proceedings or adverse interests involving directors are disclosed; no family relationships among directors or executives .