Arjun Kampani
About Arjun Kampani
Arjun L. Kampani is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Rocket Lab, appointed April 11, 2022, leading the company’s legal and regulatory affairs . Company performance during his tenure includes 2024 revenue of $436.2 million (+78% YoY) with backlog rising to $1,067.0 million and a reported net loss of $190.2 million; Rocket Lab’s TSR-based “value of initial $100 investment” measured $244 for 2024 versus a peer ETF at $95 . Filings do not disclose Mr. Kampani’s age or education.
Past Roles
No prior roles beyond Rocket Lab are disclosed in the company’s proxy/10‑K exhibits searched .
External Roles
No external directorships or roles for Mr. Kampani are disclosed in the filings searched .
Fixed Compensation
Base salary and cash bonuses
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual base salary rate ($) | 400,000 | 400,000 | 416,000 (+4%) |
| Salary earned ($) | 284,615 | 400,000 | 439,381 |
| Bonus type | Discretionary | Discretionary | Discretionary (no formal plan) |
| Bonus paid ($) | 108,548 | 185,085 | 203,775 |
| Other comp ($) | 3,489 | 16,549 | 11,310 (401k match $10,350, cell phone $960) |
Performance Compensation
Equity awards and vesting mechanics
| Award | Grant date | Shares/Units (#) | Grant date fair value ($) | Vesting schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time-based RSUs | 5/12/2022 | — (award value $3,212,382) | 3,212,382 | 1/16 on Aug 22, 2022; then 1/16 each Mar 1, May 22, Aug 22, Nov 22; service‑based |
| Time-based RSUs | 1/6/2024 | 220,594 | 1,191,213 | 1/16 on Mar 1, 2024; then 1/16 each Mar 1, May 22, Aug 22, Nov 22; service‑based |
- Non‑equity incentive plan payments: none in 2024; bonuses were discretionary .
- Senior Executive Cash Incentive Bonus Plan adopted Aug 25, 2025: future cash bonuses will be tied to corporate financial/operational goals and individual objectives, with target bonus opportunities set per period; payment requires employment on pay date unless otherwise provided .
Pay-for-performance (company-level indicators)
| Indicator | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Value of $100 investment” (Rocket Lab TSR) | 118 | 36 | 53 | 244 |
| Net loss ($) | (117,320,000) | (135,944,000) | (182,571,000) | (190,175,000) |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial ownership (as of July 9, 2025)
| Holder | Shares | % of voting power |
|---|---|---|
| Arjun Kampani | 290,090; includes 52,471 RSUs vesting within 60 days | * (less than 1%) |
Outstanding equity awards (as of Dec 31, 2024; close $25.47)
| Award | Unvested units (#) | Market value ($) |
|---|---|---|
| RSUs (granted 5/12/2022) | 232,109 | 5,911,816 |
| RSUs (granted 1/6/2024) | 165,447 | 4,213,935 |
- Options: none disclosed for Mr. Kampani .
- Hedging/pledging: Company prohibits hedging and pledging absent pre‑clearance; April 2025 approval allowed CFO pledge; no pledges disclosed for Mr. Kampani .
- Stock ownership guidelines: not disclosed in filings reviewed.
Rule 10b5‑1 plans and sell‑to‑cover elections
| Plan type | Plan date | Earliest sell date | Max shares under plan | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule 10b5‑1 plan | Dec 12, 2024 | Mar 13, 2025 | 92,844 (gross RSUs; actual sale net of withholding) | Dec 31, 2025 |
| Rule 10b5‑1 plan | Sep 19, 2025 | Mar 4, 2026 | 132,519 (gross RSUs; actual sale net of withholding) | Mar 1, 2027 |
| Sell‑to‑cover election (RSUs) | Sep 19, 2025 | Dec 19, 2025 | Varies by tax obligation at vesting (RSUs only) | Dec 31, 2027 |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment start date | April 11, 2022; appointed SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary |
| Executive Severance Plan tier | Tier 2 Executive |
| Severance – no change in control | Cash severance = 6 months base salary ($208,000) |
| Severance – in connection with change in control | Cash severance = 12 months base salary ($416,000); accelerated equity vesting value = $10,125,751 (based on 12/31/2024 close) |
| COBRA premiums | None (both CIC and non‑CIC) |
| Bonus in severance | None; company had no formal bonus program; bonuses discretionary |
| Change‑in‑control trigger | Qualifying termination within CIC period (double‑trigger framework via plan) |
| Clawback | Dodd‑Frank compliant compensation recovery policy adopted Aug 2023 (3‑year lookback for restatements) |
| Anti‑hedging/pledging | Prohibited absent Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee approval |
Multi‑Year Compensation Summary (NEO disclosure)
| Year | Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock awards ($) | Other comp ($) | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 284,615 | 108,548 | 3,212,382 | 3,489 | 3,609,034 |
| 2023 | 400,000 | 185,085 | — | 16,549 | 600,634 |
| 2024 | 439,381 | 203,775 | 1,191,213 | 11,310 | 1,845,679 |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Shift in mix: 2023 featured no equity award for Mr. Kampani; 2024 reintroduced time-based RSUs (220,594 units, $1.19m) alongside a 4% base salary increase and higher discretionary bonus, reinforcing retention through equity while maintaining flexible short‑term cash incentives .
- Metrics evolution: Company adopted a Senior Executive Cash Incentive Bonus Plan in Aug 2025 to tie cash incentives to defined corporate/operational goals and individual objectives, representing movement toward formalized performance metrics from prior discretionary bonus practices .
Related Party Transactions and Governance Policies
- Anti‑hedging/pledging: Prohibitions in place with committee pre‑clearance; CFO pledge approved April 2025 (no pledges disclosed for Mr. Kampani) .
- Clawback: Dodd‑Frank-compliant policy adopted Aug 2023 .
- Say‑on‑Pay: 2024 vote supported by ~99% of votes cast; 2025 vote results showed strong support with 240,340,772 votes “For” versus 58,526,365 “Against” .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Mr. Kampani’s substantial unvested RSU balances (232,109 from 2022; 165,447 from 2024) vest quarterly on Mar 1/May 22/Aug 22/Nov 22, indicating ongoing retention hooks and alignment via share price exposure .
- Selling pressure signals: Disclosed Rule 10b5‑1 plans and sell‑to‑cover elections suggest periodic sales around vest dates to satisfy tax obligations and liquidity, which can create predictable flow‑through supply in the market, though net shares sold will depend on tax rates and share price .
- Pay-for-performance trajectory: Transition from discretionary bonuses to a formal bonus plan in 2025 should increase pay‑performance linkage and clarity of KPIs, reducing governance risk and improving investor visibility into incentive structures .
- Risk flags: No pledged shares for Mr. Kampani; anti‑hedging/pledging and clawback policies are in place. Severance economics are modest (6 months base salary outside CIC; 12 months in CIC) with accelerated vesting only in CIC, limiting golden‑parachute risk .