James Aralis
About James Aralis
James Aralis is Chief Technology Officer at Mobix Labs (MOBX) since May 2022. He has 40+ years of experience in analog/digital/mixed-signal ICs, systems, software/firmware, and has contributed to custom analog device/process technologies and CAD systems. He previously served as CTO and SVP of Advanced Development at Microsemi (now Microchip Technology) from 2007–2018. Education: UCLA B.S. in Math Applied Science and Physics; M.S. in Electrical Engineering. Age: 69. The proxy does not disclose company TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA growth for his tenure, nor pay-for-performance targets specific to Aralis.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsemi (now Microchip Technology) | Chief Technology Officer; SVP Advanced Development | 2007–2018 | Led advanced development across communications, defense/security, aerospace and industrial markets |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various companies & philanthropic organizations (unspecified) | Board member/advisor; consultant | 2018–present | Post-retirement consulting/advisory and board service; specifics not disclosed |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Salary (USD) | $192,000 | $161,000 |
| Bonus (USD) | — | — |
| Stock Awards (USD) | — | — |
| Option Awards (USD) | $769 | — |
| All Other Compensation (USD) | — | $11,250 |
| Total Compensation (USD) | $192,769 | $172,250 |
| Employment Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start date | May 18, 2022 (Aralis Employment Agreement) |
| Base salary terms | $120,000/year based on one day per week; if a month exceeds four days, $2,000/day for additional days |
| Benefits | Standard employee benefits; eligible for 401(k) |
Performance Compensation
No PSU/RSU program or bonus targets tied to explicit metrics (revenue, EBITDA, TSR, ESG) are disclosed for Mr. Aralis. His equity incentives are stock options with time-based vesting and one award with change-of-control vesting.
| Grant Date | Instrument | Strike | Expiration | Vesting Schedule | Exercisable | Unexercisable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2022 | Stock option | $6.84 | 4/4/2032 | 40% immediately; 5% monthly thereafter over 1 year | 10,000 | — |
| May 15, 2022 | Stock option | $6.84 | 4/4/2032 | Four-year schedule: 1/4 on annual anniversary of 5/18/2022; 1/48 monthly thereafter | 8,889 | 17,778 |
| Apr 15, 2023 | Stock option | $6.84 | 4/4/2032 | Vests upon change of control or 12 months after grant if Merger not consummated | — | 183 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership – Class A shares | 59,493 shares; less than 1% (“*”) |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 36,850 shares |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | * (<1%); Class A outstanding 34,912,774 and Class B outstanding 2,004,901 as of Jan 10, 2025 |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None disclosed; equity awards under 2023 Plan generally may not be pledged/transferred except as permitted by Plan Administrator; no transfers to third-party financial institutions allowed |
| Hedging policy | Company maintains an insider trading policy governing transactions by insiders; policy filed as exhibit to FY2024 10-K |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed for Aralis in proxies reviewed |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Aralis |
|---|---|
| Contract term length | Not disclosed; employment agreement effective May 18, 2022 |
| Auto-renewal | Not disclosed |
| Non-compete / non-solicit | Not disclosed |
| Severance | Not disclosed for Aralis; severance/change-of-control economics are disclosed for CEO/CFO, but no analogous terms for CTO found in proxy |
| Change-of-control treatment | April 15, 2023 option vests upon change of control (see Performance Compensation table) |
| Clawback | Company clawback policy applies to stock awards under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan |
Investment Implications
- Pay mix and alignment: Aralis’ compensation is predominantly fixed cash with modest option grants and no disclosed annual bonus or PSU program; equity ownership is de minimis (<1%), reducing direct pay-for-performance sensitivity versus CEO/CFO peers. Monitor potential future equity grants for improved alignment.
- Vesting-driven supply and trading signals: Options have ongoing monthly vesting from May 2022 grants and change-of-control vesting for the April 2023 award; while in-the-money status depends on market price, calendar-driven vesting can create sporadic exercise/sale opportunities—watch insider filings around vesting dates.
- Retention risk: The part-time employment arrangement (one day per week, with daily rate for extra days) suggests flexible engagement but could pose execution bandwidth risk in high-cadence R&D cycles; no severance protections disclosed for CTO diminishes lock-in.
- Governance and risk controls: Clawback policy for equity awards and insider trading policy are positive controls; plan-level restrictions limit pledging/transfer of awards, reducing hedging/pledging red flags.
Note: This analysis is based on MOBX DEF 14A (Jan 22, 2025; May 16, 2025) and FY2024 10-K; if you want insider Form 4 transaction tracking for Aralis to quantify selling pressure, request an insider trading analysis to incorporate recent filings.