Emily English
About Emily English
Emily English, Ph.D., is Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Cartesian Therapeutics (RNAC) and has served in this role since January 2025, following her promotion from Senior Vice President, Head of Manufacturing Operations; she is age 45, holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison . Her recent achievements include leading the expansion of RNAC’s new state-of-the-art cGMP manufacturing facility in Frederick, MD, which management highlighted as instrumental to advancing the pipeline . No personal TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA growth metrics tied to her tenure are disclosed.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartesian Therapeutics (RNAC) | Chief Operations Officer | Jan 2025–present | Led expansion of new cGMP manufacturing facility supporting pipeline scale-up . |
| Cartesian Therapeutics (RNAC) | SVP, Head of Manufacturing Operations | Apr 2024–Jan 2025 | Oversaw manufacturing operations during post-merger integration and scale-up . |
| Cartesian Therapeutics (RNAC) | Vice President, Quality | Nov 2023–Apr 2024 | Led quality during transition post-merger . |
| Old Cartesian | Vice President, Quality | Dec 2022–Nov 2023 | Senior quality leadership pre-merger . |
| Old Cartesian | Senior Director, Quality | Dec 2021–Dec 2022 | Advanced quality systems in preparation for growth . |
| Old Cartesian | Director, Quality | Apr 2021–Dec 2021 | Built foundational quality processes . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Venture Partners | Venture Partner | Aug 2020–Apr 2021 | Early-stage biopharma investing perspective . |
| Gemstone Biotherapeutics | Chief Executive Officer | Jun 2018–Jun 2020 | Led private biotech; operational scaling . |
| Gemstone Biotherapeutics | Chief Operating Officer | Jun 2017–May 2018 | Built ops and execution capabilities . |
| BioTechnical Institute of Maryland, Inc. | Director (Board) | Dec 2018–Jun 2021 | Workforce development/industry network . |
| Univ. of Maryland, Dept. of Bioengineering | Advisory Board Member | Jul 2019–Jun 2021 | Academic-industry interface; talent pipeline . |
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Emily English Disclosure | Company Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | Not disclosed in proxy/filings for 2024/2025; Emily was not a Named Executive Officer (NEO) in the 2024 Summary Compensation Table . | Executives compensated via base salary aligned to role/experience; reviewed annually . |
| Target Bonus % | Not disclosed for Emily . | 2024 NEO targets: CEO 55% of base; CFO/CTO/CSO 40% of base . |
| Actual Annual Bonus | Not disclosed for Emily . | Payouts based entirely on Company performance against clinical, BD, manufacturing, culture/engagement, and financial goals, with committee discretion and no individual weighting in 2024 . |
Notes: The proxy provides detailed compensation for NEOs but does not include Emily English’s base, bonus target, or bonus payout for 2024/2025 .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout Determination | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company Performance Goals (clinical, BD, manufacturing, culture/engagement, financial) | Not individually weighted in 2024; assessed as a group . | Not disclosed . | Not disclosed per executive (Emily not NEO) . | Compensation Committee discretion based on overall achievement and CEO recommendations . | Annual cash bonus; RSUs and options vest over multi-year schedules (time-based) . |
Long-term incentives are primarily time-based RSUs and stock options; the committee uses equity awards to align executives with long-term stockholder value and retention, with grants typically approved in December and granted on the first business day of the following fiscal year .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Common Stock (direct/RSUs) | 18,273 RSUs reported on Form 3; 25% vests on Jan 2, 2025; the remainder vests in three equal annual installments so awards are fully vested by Jan 2, 2028 . |
| Stock Options (Right to Buy) | • 57,019 options at $3.30, expiring 4/25/2031; currently exercisable for 42,764 shares; becomes exercisable for an additional 14,255 shares on Mar 22, 2025 .<br>• 14,254 options at $3.30, expiring 1/25/2032; fully exercisable .<br>• 23,433 options at $19.656, expiring 1/01/2034; vest 25% on Jan 2, 2025, remaining 75% in three equal annual installments thereafter (to Jan 2, 2028) . |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company prohibits hedging and pledging; executive officers must obtain approval for any pledge, and no executive officer pledges were approved in 2024 . |
| Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed; no published multiple-of-salary guideline found in proxy sections reviewed . |
| In/Out-of-the-Money Illustration | As of 12/31/2024, closing price was $17.91; options at $19.656 were out-of-the-money while $3.30 tranches were in-the-money at that date . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Emily English Disclosure | Company Framework |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Agreement | Not disclosed for Emily . | NEOs have employment agreements with base, bonus, and equity; grants typically at start of fiscal year . |
| Severance | Not disclosed for Emily . | NEO severance/change-in-control arrangements use double-trigger (requires change-in-control and qualifying termination) with amounts/multiples described as within market norms (specific multiples not enumerated in the 2025 proxy) . |
| Change-of-Control Vesting | Not disclosed for Emily . | NEO awards: accelerated vesting for termination without cause or resignation for good reason within 12 months following a change in control (double-trigger) . |
| Non-Compete/Non-Solicit | Not disclosed for Emily . | Company has non-disclosure, non-compete, and IP assignment agreements with NEOs; non-compete generally 12 months post-termination; CEO is entitled to garden leave pay under MA law during non-compete period (policy detail for CEO) . |
| Clawback Policy | Not specifically disclosed for Emily . | SEC-compliant clawback policy adopted Oct 2, 2023 for executive incentive compensation upon restatement; SOX 304 applies to CEO/CFO as well . |
| Insider Trading Policy | Not specifically disclosed for Emily . | Company-wide policy prohibits hedging and pledging; trades governed by insider trading rules . |
Additional Context and Signals
- Executive appointment and tenure: English was promoted to COO in Jan 2025, after serving as SVP, Head of Manufacturing Operations, indicating elevated responsibility for scaling manufacturing to support pipeline milestones .
- Manufacturing footprint: RNAC operates a ~30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art, wholly-owned cGMP facility in Frederick, MD, with flexibility and scale for clinical/commercial manufacturing—strategic alignment for an operations-focused executive .
- Bonus mechanics and alignment: 2024 bonuses were determined solely on company performance (no individual weighting), covering clinical, BD, manufacturing, culture/engagement, and financial goals, with committee discretion—suggesting group alignment rather than narrowly individualized KPIs .
- Grant timing: Equity awards typically approved in December and granted on the first business day of the next year; grants are time-based, vesting over four years, supporting retention .
Investment Implications
- Retention and selling pressure: English’s RSUs and options vest on a predictable schedule (starting Jan 2, 2025 and annually thereafter to 2028), creating potential calendar-based share delivery and associated selling pressure windows common to time-based vesting programs .
- Alignment: Prohibition on pledging and hedging enhances alignment; long-dated, time-based equity awards support retention and long-term focus, though lack of disclosed performance-conditioned equity for English suggests less direct pay-for-performance linkage at the individual level (company-wide bonus metrics are group-based) .
- Information gaps: Base salary, target bonus %, bonus payout, and individual severance/change-in-control economics for English were not disclosed, limiting precision of pay-for-performance and parachute modeling; monitoring future 8-Ks and proxies for COO-specific terms is warranted .
- Execution risk: Her manufacturing leadership is strategically tied to RNAC’s pipeline scale-up; sustaining cGMP execution is critical as the company targets Phase 3 and broader indications, making operational reliability a key driver of value creation during her tenure .