Shawn Olsson
About Shawn Olsson
Shawn Olsson (age 42) is Chief Commercial Officer of LENZ Therapeutics, serving since March 2024 after holding the same role at LENZ OpCo from April 2021 through the merger; he previously led North American marketing and global portfolio roles at Xellia Pharmaceuticals (2018–2021), and market strategy and commercial leadership for sterile injectables at Pfizer (2015–2018) . He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Purdue), an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (University of Michigan), and an MBA in Strategic Management and Finance (University of Chicago) . Under his commercialization leadership, LENZ prepared for and executed the U.S. launch of VIZZ, the first FDA‑approved aceclidine eye drop for presbyopia, initiating nationwide sample distribution and consumer shipments in Q4’25 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| LENZ Therapeutics (OpCo) | Chief Commercial Officer | Apr 2021 – Mar 2024 | Built commercialization foundation for presbyopia asset; led sales/marketing design and vendor selection ahead of FDA submission . |
| LENZ Therapeutics (public post‑merger) | Chief Commercial Officer | Mar 2024 – Present | Led U.S. launch readiness and market entry for VIZZ; nationwide sample distribution and consumer shipments commenced in Q4’25 . |
| Xellia Pharmaceuticals | VP North American Marketing & Global Portfolio; VP North American Marketing | Mar 2018 – Apr 2021 | Senior commercial leadership across portfolio; prepared for product launches (company‑level roles) . |
| Pfizer | Director, Global Sterile Injectables – Market Strategy Lead and Commercial Lead (Opioids & Syringe Technology) | Sep 2015 – Mar 2018 | Led market strategy and commercial execution in sterile injectables . |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Mr. Olsson .
Fixed Compensation
- Base salary: Not disclosed in public filings for Mr. Olsson; he is not listed among named executive officers with reported salary figures .
- Target annual bonus: 40% of base salary for 2024 under the company’s annual cash incentive program .
Performance Compensation
| Component | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Bonus (Incentive Compensation Plan) | Corporate performance goals (administrator may set goals incl. revenue, EPS, EBITDA, TSR, R&D/Reg milestones, sales growth, cash flow, etc.) | Not disclosed for Olsson | Target opportunity = 40% of base salary | Not disclosed for Olsson; 2024 payouts at 130% of target were approved for named executives (CEO, CFO, CMO) after goals were exceeded | Paid in cash in early 2025 for 2024 performance |
- Plan governance: Compensation committee may adjust awards up/down; awards subject to company clawback policy adopted March 21, 2024 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| As of | Shares Owned | Options Exercisable ≤60 days | Total Beneficial Ownership | % of Shares Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2025 (DEF 14A) | 4,733 | 152,971 | 157,704 | <1% | Company prohibits hedging and pledging; employees/officers may not pledge LENZ stock or use derivative hedges . |
| Mar 12, 2025 (10‑K) | 3,333 | 151,123 | 154,456 | <1% | Beneficial ownership definition includes options exercisable within 60 days . |
- 10b5‑1 plan: On Aug 12, 2025 Mr. Olsson adopted a 10b5‑1 trading plan to sell 66,891 shares tied to option exercises; effective Nov 17, 2025, terminating Oct 19, 2026 (subject to earlier termination) .
Employment Terms
- At‑will employment: Executive officers are at‑will employees (confirmatory/employment letters disclosed for CEO/CFO/CMO; general at‑will framework applies) .
- Severance Policy (effective at merger close): For executive officers other than CEO (i.e., Senior VPs and Executive Officers), if terminated without cause or for good reason outside the CIC window (Non‑CIC Qualified Termination), cash severance equals 9 months of base salary plus up to 9 months of company‑paid COBRA; unvested equity remains outstanding for up to 3 months pending potential CIC before forfeiture .
- CIC economics (double trigger): If a Qualified Termination occurs within the CIC period (3 months before to 12 months after a Change in Control), executive officers other than CEO receive 12 months of base salary, up to 12 months COBRA, 100% of target bonus in lump sum, and 100% acceleration of unvested equity (performance awards vest at target unless otherwise specified) .
- Equity treatment on CIC under 2024 Plan: If awards are not assumed/substituted, options/RSUs vest fully at CIC and become exercisable for an administrator‑set window; outside directors also vest fully at CIC .
- Clawback policy: Adopted March 21, 2024; requires recovery of incentive compensation upon certain accounting restatements under SEC/Dodd‑Frank rules .
- Ownership/insider policy: Strict prohibitions on short sales, public derivatives, hedging, margin accounts, and pledging of LENZ securities .
Equity Grants and Vesting Framework
- Plan architecture: Options granted under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan generally vest over four years; exercise price set at fair market value on grant date; term up to 10 years .
- Typical vesting cadence (examples for named execs): 25% cliff after one year from grant, then 1/36th monthly thereafter (illustrated for 2024 option grants) .
- Awards available under 2024 Plan include stock options, RSUs, SARs, performance awards; administrator retains broad authority including exchange programs and adjustments for corporate actions .
Performance & Track Record
- Commercial launch: Led commercial execution for VIZZ, enabling nationwide sample distribution to eye care professionals and consumer shipments beginning October 2025, with broad retail availability by mid‑Q4’25 .
- Team build‑out: Completed senior leadership hires and designed sales org (100–150 reps) timed to FDA approval and launch readiness .
- Product positioning: VIZZ differentiated via aceclidine mechanism achieving sub‑2mm pupil without myopic shift; 93% achieved 20/40 near vision within 30 minutes lasting up to 10 hours in Phase 3 CLARITY .
Governance and Policies Relevant to Compensation
- Compensation committee oversight includes executive compensation, equity plans, stock ownership guideline monitoring, and clawback policy administration .
- EGC/Smaller Reporting Company status: LENZ utilizes scaled disclosure and is exempt from say‑on‑pay advisory votes while EGC, with reduced executive compensation disclosures .
Investment Implications
- Alignment vs. liquidity: Beneficial ownership is <1% and largely comprised of options; the Aug 2025 10b5‑1 plan to sell 66,891 shares suggests scheduled liquidity and potential near‑term selling pressure during the plan window following option exercises .
- Incentive structure: Target bonus at 40% of base and participation in a broad, corporate‑goal based cash incentive plan align CCO pay with commercial execution milestones; exact 2024 payout for Olsson not disclosed, but named executives received 130% of target for 2024 after exceeding goals .
- Retention/cycle protection: Double‑trigger CIC benefits (12 months base + 100% target bonus + full equity acceleration) provide retention through strategic events but create dilution/overhang and potential vesting acceleration risk in M&A scenarios .
- Risk controls: Strict anti‑hedging/pledging policy and Dodd‑Frank‑compliant clawback reduce misalignment and mitigate governance risk; lack of disclosed personal pledging is positive .