Kristofer Paul
About Kristofer Paul
Kristofer Paul is Chief Financial Officer of LINKBANCORP, Inc. (LNKB), serving since February 2021. He is 44 years old as disclosed in LNKB’s 2025 proxy statement and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, with prior senior finance roles at Hersha Hospitality Trust (VP & Controller, 2016–2021), Orrstown Bank (SVP & Controller, 2012–2016), Tower Bancorp, Inc. (Chief Accounting Officer, 2008–2012) and earlier at KPMG (2002–2008) . During his tenure, LNKB delivered FY2024 net income of $26.2 million (ROA 0.94%) and deposit growth of $161.8 million (+7.36%); 2025 MRQ investor materials show ROA/ROE within a 1.04–2.19% and 10.04–21.90% annualized range across Q1–Q3 2025, respectively . LNKB’s MRQ financials also reflect scaling across loans and deposits through 2025, supportive of CFO-led financial reporting and integration execution, including post-merger actions .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| KPMG LLP | Audit roles supporting public/private companies | 2002–2008 | Foundation in PCAOB/SEC reporting and controls |
| Tower Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: TOBC) | Chief Accounting Officer | 2008–2012 | Led public company reporting; contributed to value creation ahead of sale of Tower Bancorp to Susquehanna Bancshares |
| Orrstown Bank | Senior Vice President & Controller | 2012–2016 | Oversaw bank financial reporting, controls, and regulatory reporting |
| Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) | Vice President & Controller | 2016–2021 | Led public company financial reporting and accounting functions |
| LINKBANCORP, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Feb 2021–present | Oversight of financial reporting; involved in transactions totaling over $800M; contributed to public company transition and integrations |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed in DEF 14A biographies for Paul | — | — | No public company directorships noted |
Fixed Compensation
- CFO compensation is not itemized in LNKB’s Summary Compensation Table for 2023–2024, which covers CEO, President, and Bank President; Paul was not a named executive officer and his base salary/bonus are not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
- CFO plan participation is not disclosed. The Executive Incentive Plan covered the CEO, President, and Bank President in 2024 with quantified company metrics and payouts; plan mechanics are indicative of LNKB’s design philosophy but cannot be attributed to Paul without disclosure .
| 2024 Incentive Plan Outcomes (Company-Level) | FY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Net Income ($USD Millions) | $26.2 |
| ROA (%) | 0.94% |
| Non-Performing Assets / Total Assets (%) | 0.60% |
| Deposit Growth ($USD Millions) | $161.8 (7.36%) |
| Strategic Projects & Succession Planning | Completed integration of Partners Bancorp acquisitions; branch consolidation; retail product suite launch; succession plans updated |
| Payouts (as % of base salary, participants only) | CEO 50%; President and Bank President 40% |
- Equity plan design: LNKB’s 2025 Equity Incentive Plan mandates minimum one-year vesting for at least 95% of awards, prohibits option repricing/below-market grants, requires double-trigger vesting upon change in control, and subjects awards to clawback and anti-hedging/pledging policies .
- Typical vesting schedules (NEO awards disclosed): Restricted stock vests over 5 years (annual installments); RSUs vest over 3 years (annual installments) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Anti-hedging policy: Directors, officers, and employees are prohibited from hedging transactions designed to offset declines in LNKB’s stock; cashless option exercises are not deemed short sales .
- Clawback: Equity awards under the 2025 plan are subject to LNKB’s clawback policies .
- Anti-pledging and overhang: 2025 proxy indicates no shares are pledged by directors or named executive officers; requested 2025 plan share reserve implies an overhang of approximately 4.64% based on 37,377,342 shares outstanding .
- CFO-specific ownership: Not individually disclosed in beneficial ownership tables; Paul is not listed among directors/NEOs with enumerated holdings .
Employment Terms
- CFO employment agreement/severance terms: Not disclosed. The 2025/2024 proxies describe employment agreements for CEO, President, and Bank President only (rolling terms; severance equals 3x/2x salary+average cash bonus for CEO vs. Presidents; continuation of benefits; double-trigger change-in-control economics with 280G cutback if beneficial) .
- Equity plan change-in-control: Double-trigger required for award vesting acceleration under 2025 plan .
Performance & Company Metrics During Paul’s Tenure
| Metric | Q1 2025 MRQ | Q2 2025 MRQ | Q3 2025 MRQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROA (annualized) | 2.19% | 1.05% | 1.04% |
| ROE (annualized) | 21.90% | 10.04% | 10.33% |
| Total Loans ($USD Billions) | $2.27 | $2.36 | $2.46 |
| Total Deposits ($USD Billions) | $2.43 | $2.46 | $2.67 |
| Market Capitalization ($USD Millions) | $247.4 | $274.8 | $262.1 |
- Execution notes: LNKB cites successful multi-bank integration and branch optimization projects in 2024 (post Partners Bancorp), consistent with CFO oversight of reporting and transaction involvement; Paul is credited with oversight of public company reporting and involvement in transactions totaling over $800M per 2025 investor materials .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Composition and independence: 2024 Compensation Committee comprised of Parmer (Chair), Pierson, Tressler, Lehman, and Albertine; seven meetings in 2023; members independent per Nasdaq rules . In 2023, the committee comprised Parmer (Chair), Pierson, and Tressler; no compensation consultant engaged in 2022 .
- Program philosophy emphasizes competitive base pay, short-term cash incentives aligned to strategic metrics, and long-term equity incentives; options are not granted near closed trading windows and cannot be repriced without shareholder approval .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging frameworks reduce alignment risk concerns; clawbacks add enforcement capability .
- Option repricing prohibitions and minimum vesting guard against pay inflation or timing arbitrage .
- No CFO-specific insider selling/pledging disclosed; beneficial ownership tables do not enumerate Paul’s holdings .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: While CFO-specific pay and contract terms are not disclosed, LNKB’s equity plan architecture (double-trigger vesting, clawbacks, anti-hedging/pledging) and committee practices suggest institution-level alignment and risk controls, lowering governance risk from incentive design .
- Performance levers: CFO-led reporting during rapid integration coincides with FY2024 profitability (ROA 0.94%) and deposit growth (+7.36%), and 2025 MRQ ROA/ROE ranges consistent with ongoing operating leverage execution; however, without CFO-specific incentive metrics, direct pay-for-performance linkage is indeterminate .
- Trading signals and selling pressure: No Form 4 activity or personal pledging for Paul is disclosed in proxies; absence of CFO-specific ownership details limits read-through on near-term selling pressure. Further diligence on insider transactions would be required to assess timing or pressure risks .
- Change-in-control economics: Company-wide double-trigger vesting reduces windfall risk and indicates shareholder-friendly terms; CFO-specific severance economics remain undisclosed, constraining a full retention risk assessment .