June Seymour
About June Seymour
June Seymour, age 48, was appointed Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) of Cartesian Therapeutics, Inc. (RNAC), effective October 27, 2025. She is a CPA with a B.S. in Business Administration and Accountancy from Methodist University. Seymour brings over two decades of life sciences finance leadership, including roles at DNAnexus (SVP Finance & Accounting), Neogene Therapeutics (VP Finance, where she led the sale to AstraZeneca and post-acquisition integration), Autolus (finance leadership), and Ernst & Young (Senior Manager focused on U.S. transactions for European life sciences). Company-level TSR/revenue/EBITDA metrics specific to her tenure have not yet been disclosed.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNAnexus, Inc. | Senior Vice President, Finance & Accounting | May 2024–Oct 2025 | Senior finance leadership in life sciences sector |
| Neogene Therapeutics Inc. | Vice President, Finance | Jan 2022–May 2024 | Led finance through company sale to AstraZeneca and post-acquisition integration |
| Autolus Ltd. | Executive Director, Finance; Senior Director, Financial Reporting | 2019–2022 | Roles of increasing responsibility in finance/reporting |
| Ernst & Young LLP (London) | Senior Manager | 2003–2019 | Specialized in U.S. transactions involving European life sciences companies |
External Roles
- No public company directorships or committee roles were disclosed in the appointment filing.
Fixed Compensation
| Element | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $385,000 | Annual base salary per Employment Agreement; effective 10/27/2025 |
| Target Bonus | 35% of base | Annual performance bonus targeted at 35%; FY2025 bonus prorated from Effective Date |
| Sign-on Bonus | $80,000 | One-time sign-on bonus |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Metric(s) | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cash Bonus | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 35% of base salary | FY2025 prorated; future payouts based on performance | N/A |
- Clawback: Executive compensation recovery policy (effective Oct 2, 2023) allows recovery of incentive-based compensation (cash or equity) in the event of an accounting restatement, applicable to executive officers.
Option Awards
| Grant Date | Shares | Exercise Price | Expiration | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2025 (Effective Date) | 50,000 | Equal to closing price on grant date | Per plan, options expire no longer than 10 years | 25% on 12-month anniversary; remaining 75% in three equal annual installments thereafter, subject to continued employment |
Option Vesting Schedule
| Vest Date | Shares Vesting |
|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2026 | 12,500 |
| Oct 27, 2027 | 12,500 |
| Oct 27, 2028 | 12,500 |
| Oct 27, 2029 | 12,500 |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership at Appointment | Form 3 filed Oct 28, 2025 indicates no securities beneficially owned as of Oct 27, 2025 |
| Initial Equity | Option to purchase 50,000 shares granted on Oct 27, 2025 with four-year vesting (25% at year one; 75% over next three years) |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging and pledging; any pledge requires prior approval (none approved for execs during 2024) |
| Indemnification | Entered into company’s standard indemnification agreement for executives |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed in the reviewed filings for executive officers |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Economics / Terms |
|---|---|
| Severance (no cause / good reason) | Base salary continuation for 6 months; pro-rata annual bonus (based on actual performance, or target if termination in Q1); COBRA premiums paid/reimbursed for up to 6 months; 30 days’ notice or pay in lieu |
| Non-Compete | 12 months post-termination (excludes layoff or termination without cause) |
| Non-Solicit (customers/partners) | 12 months post-termination |
| Non-Solicit (employees) | 12 months post-termination |
| Change-of-Control Terms | Not specified for CAO in appointment filing |
| Clawback | Executive compensation recovery policy applies to incentive-based compensation upon restatement |
Investment Implications
- Near-term selling pressure is low: Form 3 shows no initial holdings; first vesting date is one-year cliff (Oct 27, 2026), creating a future potential liquidity event cadence annually thereafter.
- Alignment is primarily option-based: 50,000 options with standard four-year vesting align compensation to equity appreciation; plan requires fair-market strike and ≤10-year term, limiting repricing without shareholder approval per company practices.
- Retention risk moderated: Six-month severance and 12-month non-compete/non-solicit obligations support stability; bonus is prorated in 2025, reducing near-term cash comp while vesting builds retention value.
- Governance safeguards: Prohibitions on hedging/pledging and an SEC-compliant clawback policy reduce misalignment and mitigate risk from restatements or improper trading.
Overall, Seymour’s package emphasizes option-based, multi-year alignment with standard restrictive covenants and clawback protection, suggesting retention through the one-year cliff and subsequent annual vesting milestones, with limited immediate insider selling pressure.