Alex Kim
About Alex Kim
Alex Kim, age 54, is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Standard BioTools Inc. (LAB); he was appointed full-time CFO effective November 11, 2024 after serving as Interim CFO since September 1, 2024, and previously joined the company as Chief Operating Officer on April 4, 2022 . He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University . Company performance in 2024 included total revenue of $174.432 million, a 33% improvement in adjusted EBITDA, and non-GAAP operating expense reduction of 22% amid integration of SomaLogic and subsequent transactions; cumulative TSR value of a fixed $100 investment measured $29.17 for 2024 (company vs peer TSR also disclosed) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard BioTools Inc. | Interim CFO → CFO | Sep 1, 2024 → Nov 11, 2024 onward | Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer; transitioned from COO; no additional compensation awarded for CFO role . |
| Standard BioTools Inc. | Chief Operating Officer | Apr 4, 2022 → Nov 11, 2024 | Oversaw operations; co-founded Standard BioTools with CEO; led integration initiatives . |
| Standard BioTools, LLC | Chief Business Officer | Oct 2021 → Apr 2022 | Predecessor role before company structure change . |
| Milliken & Company | EVP & President, Healthcare Division | Jun 2019 → May 2021 | Led healthcare division operations and strategy . |
| Milliken & Company | EVP, Growth Ventures Group | Apr 2017 → Jun 2019 | Drove new ventures growth initiatives . |
| Milliken & Company | EVP, Corporate Strategy & Corporate Development | Oct 2015 → Jun 2019 | Corporate strategy and M&A leadership . |
| Pall Corporation | SVP, Strategy & Business Development | 2012 → 2015 | Corporate strategy and BD leadership . |
| Danaher Corporation | Various leadership roles (Water Quality Group; Motion Group; Corporate Strategy/M&A) | 2002 → 2012 | General management, M&A, business development across businesses . |
External Roles
- The company’s executive officer disclosures do not list public-company board roles for Alex Kim .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary (paid) | $298,485 | $430,000 | $485,000 | Base salary rate $515,000 effective Apr 1, 2025 |
| Target bonus % | 55% (per offer letter) | 55% (increased to 60% eff. Apr 1, 2024) | 60% | — |
| Actual bonus paid | $62,687 | $290,000 | $210,000 | — |
Performance Compensation
Annual Cash Incentive (2024)
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout Factor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | Not disclosed | $205 million | $174.4 million | 70% of target for all NEOs | Company also reported total 2024 revenue $174.432 million in Pay vs Performance . |
| Annualized cost synergies | Not disclosed | $57 million | $80 million | 70% of target for all NEOs | Synergies tied to SomaLogic merger integration . |
Equity Awards and Vesting
| Award | Grant Date | Quantity | Vesting Schedule | Exercise Price | Expiration | Outcome/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options (2024 annual grant) | May 20, 2024 | 750,000 | 1/16 on Aug 20, 2024; remaining quarterly over 4 years | $2.58 | May 19, 2034 | At 12/31/2024: 93,750 exercisable; 656,250 unexercisable . |
| RSUs (2024 annual grant) | May 20, 2024 | 333,333 | 1/16 on Aug 20, 2024; remaining quarterly over 4 years | N/A | N/A | At 12/31/2024: 291,667 unvested (market value calc in proxy) . |
| PSUs (granted 2023) | Apr 11, 2023 | 77,185 target | Performance vesting (criteria not fully disclosed) | N/A | N/A | 91.6% achievement; 70,702 vested as of Mar 31, 2024 . |
| Options (inducement grant, 2022) | Apr 4, 2022 | 1,617,775 | 25% at first anniversary; then monthly over 3 years | $3.99 | Apr 4, 2032 | At 12/31/2024: 1,078,524 exercisable; 539,251 unexercisable . |
| RSUs (inducement grant, 2022) | Apr 4, 2022 | 280,732 | 25% at first anniversary; remaining annually over 3 years | N/A | N/A | At 12/31/2024: 140,366 unvested (market value calc in proxy) . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial Ownership (as of April 15, 2025)
| Category | Shares/Units |
|---|---|
| Common shares held | 339,534 |
| Options exercisable (or becoming exercisable within 60 days) | 1,499,963 |
| RSUs vesting within 60 days | 41,979 |
| Policy notes | Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging and pledging; pre-clearance and blackout periods apply . |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Executives: hold shares equal to 1x base salary (CEO 3x); includes shares owned and vested in-the-money options; achieve by end of fiscal year following five-year anniversary; maintain 50% of net shares until compliant . |
Outstanding Awards (as of December 31, 2024)
| Instrument | Exercisable | Unexercisable | Exercise Price | Expiration | Unvested RSUs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Options (2022 grant) | 1,078,524 | 539,251 | $3.99 | 4/4/2032 | — |
| Options (2024 grant) | 93,750 | 656,250 | $2.58 | 5/19/2034 | — |
| RSUs (2022 grant) | — | — | — | — | 140,366 |
| RSUs (2024 grant) | — | — | — | — | 291,667 |
Employment Terms
| Topic | Key Terms |
|---|---|
| Employment status | At-will; moved from COO to CFO on Nov 11, 2024; no additional compensation for the CFO appointment . |
| Offer letter (initial) | Base salary $400,000 in 2022 with 55% target bonus; relocation reimbursement up to $150,000 . |
| Severance plan (2024, Non-CEO Executives) | Outside COC period: 12 months’ base salary; up to 12 months COBRA; outplacement; 100% acceleration of unvested equity awards (PSUs assume target) . |
| Change-of-Control (COC) + termination (double trigger) | Within COC period: lump sum 150% of (base salary + greater of target bonus or 3-year average bonus); pro-rated target bonus; up to 18 months COBRA; 100% acceleration of unvested equity (PSUs assume target) . |
| Potential payments (illustrative at 12/31/2024) | Change-in-control + involuntary termination: total $2,198,969 for Alex Kim (components listed in proxy table) . |
| Clawback policy | Adopted Oct 2023; recover excess incentive compensation in event of required accounting restatement, regardless of fault . |
| Anti-hedging/pledging | Prohibited under Insider Trading Policy; trading windows and pre-clearance apply . |
| Tax gross-ups | Company policy indicates no tax gross-ups and no option repricings without shareholder approval . |
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: 2024 cash incentive tied to revenue and cost synergies with a 70% payout based on actuals ($174.4m revenue vs $205m target; $80m synergies vs $57m target), indicating balanced emphasis on growth and integration discipline .
- Retention and equity supply: Significant unvested RSUs (432,033 aggregate as of 12/31/2024 across 2022/2024 grants) and staged option vesting (monthly/quarterly) support retention but create a defined cadence of potential share issuance and insider liquidity over 2025–2028; anti-hedging/pledging mitigates misalignment risk .
- Change-of-control economics: Double-trigger severance and full equity acceleration at target under the 2024 plan could incentivize continuity through strategic transactions but may concentrate payout value under M&A scenarios; estimated Kim COC+termination package $2.2m as of 12/31/2024 .
- Governance context: 2024 say-on-pay support of ~87% and use of an independent compensation consultant (Pearl Meyer) suggest responsive compensation oversight; stock ownership guidelines (1x salary) add long-term alignment, though compliance timing is multi-year .
- Track record: Company highlighted adjusted EBITDA +33% and integration progress; total revenue of $174.432m and TSR at $29.17 for 2024 position the finance function’s execution focus amid ongoing integration, with Kim’s CFO appointment carrying no incremental compensation, signaling cost discipline .