Koti Meka
QLGNAbout Koti Meka
Koti Meka was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Qualigen Therapeutics effective October 2, 2025, and is age 56 with an MBA (University of Michigan–Dearborn), an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Wayne State University), and a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering (JNTU, India) . He serves concurrently as CFO of Faraday Future (since February 2016) and previously held finance and engineering roles at Ford Motor Company (2002–2016), Accenture, and Detroit Diesel, with core credentials in FP&A, process improvement, cost optimization, and corporate finance . For context, Qualigen’s pre-2025 performance showed steep TSR declines and losses; these precede Meka’s tenure but frame the turnaround challenge .
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value of $100 investment (TSR) | $38.21 | $4.29 | $1.83 |
| Net Loss ($USD Millions) | $(17.9) | $(18.6) | $(13.4) |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: QLGN) | Chief Financial Officer | Oct 2025–present | Appointed to lead finance in a restructuring context; no comp terms disclosed at appointment |
| Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Feb 2016–present | Led finance operations, FP&A, target setting, and cost reduction at a public EV company |
| Ford Motor Company | Finance roles (cost optimization, product development finance, corporate finance) | 2002–2016 | Long tenure in operational and corporate finance across product development and optimization |
| Accenture | Management Consultant | Not disclosed | Process improvement and advisory experience |
| Detroit Diesel | Product & Application Engineer | Not disclosed | Technical foundation supporting data-driven cost analysis |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Feb 2016–present | Public-company CFO experience potentially beneficial for QLGN capital markets and controls |
Fixed Compensation
- As of appointment, “there are no compensation arrangements, plans, or agreements” entered into between QLGN and the newly appointed officers, including Meka .
- The October 2025 DEF 14A focused on financing approvals and a new equity plan rather than executive pay; no CFO salary/bonus figures were disclosed .
Performance Compensation
- No performance award grants or CFO incentive plan metrics (weights/targets/payouts) have been disclosed for Meka at QLGN .
- Company-level 2025 Equity Incentive Plan was approved (subject to stockholder approval) with an initial share reserve equal to 20% of post-offering outstanding common stock and a 10% annual evergreen increase through 2046, and it permits performance awards across measures such as revenues, EBITDA, TSR, margins, cash flow, and strategic KPIs .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (% of shares outstanding) | Less than 1% |
| Vested vs. unvested shares | Not disclosed for Meka |
| Pledging/Hedging | Company prohibits hedging or offsetting transactions; formal clawback policy in place |
| Ownership guidelines | Not disclosed |
Employment Terms
- Start date and role: Appointed Chief Financial Officer effective October 2, 2025 .
- Contract/severance/change-of-control: No employment agreement, severance, or change-of-control economics disclosed for Meka at appointment . Plan-level change-in-control mechanics allow the Board to accelerate, cash out, or substitute equity awards upon a CIC event, but award-level details for Meka are not disclosed .
- Clawback: Company has adopted a formal clawback policy for erroneously awarded incentive compensation .
- Non-compete/other covenants: Not disclosed for Meka .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance visibility is limited near term: No disclosed CFO cash/equity compensation structure, targets, or vesting schedules; this reduces immediate clarity on incentives and retention but may reflect rapid leadership changes and ongoing financing priorities .
- Dilution risk vs. talent retention: The 2025 Equity Incentive Plan’s 20% initial pool and 10% evergreen through 2046 can support competitive equity grants but also introduces long-term dilution; careful grant governance will be key .
- Alignment and red flags: Meka’s reported ownership is <1%, with firm-wide hedging bans and a clawback policy helping alignment; no pledging disclosures specific to Meka .
- Governance and controls: QLGN executed major board/leadership transitions in 2024–2025 and changed auditors to MGO in October 2025 following Withum’s resignation (which cited going-concern emphasis and internal control weaknesses previously); robust internal controls and audit oversight will be essential under new finance leadership .
- Capital structure and listing status: Reverse split approvals and the new equity plan indicate continued focus on listing compliance and capital access; execution on strategic financing and operational milestones under the new CFO will be the key trading signal .