Chris Celano
About Chris Celano
Chris Celano is Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Stardust Power Inc. (SDST), appointed effective January 1, 2025; he works remotely from Houston, TX and reports to the Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor to the CEO . He is 55 and brings 20+ years of executive leadership spanning EPC, drilling operations, and securities law, with degrees from Vanderbilt (Economics), Boston College (JD), NYU (LLM), and MIT (Engineering) . Company-level TSR, revenue, or EBITDA growth tied to his tenure are not disclosed in filings to date.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| IHI E&C International Corporation | President & CEO | 2017–2024 | Led delivery of complex EPC projects; executed via direct hire and construction management . |
| IHI E&C International Corporation | General Counsel & SVP Business Administration | 2013–2017 | Senior legal and administrative leadership supporting EPC execution . |
| Vantage Drilling Company | Vice President & General Counsel | 2008–2011 | Helped transform post-SPAC into operational contractor; ~50 wells drilled, ~200K bpd capacity, ~$2B backlog, ~30,000 ft drilling program; managed >$1B construction commitments . |
| Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP; Graham & James LLP; Elenoff Grossman & Schole LLP | Attorney | Prior to 2008 | Securities and corporate legal practice foundation . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No public-company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Celano . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | $350,000 initial annual base salary . |
| Pay Status | Exempt salaried; paid per company payroll schedule . |
| Benefits Eligibility | Eligible to participate beginning January 2025 in U.S. employee benefit programs . |
| Work Location | Remote from Houston, Texas; travel as necessary . |
| Reporting Line | Reports to Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor to CEO (Paramita Das) . |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Metric | Target/Weighting | Actual/Payout | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSU Grant (anticipated) | Equity value alignment | Grant date value $1,500,000 (subject to Board approval) | Not disclosed | RSU award under 2024 Equity Incentive Plan; specific Celano vesting schedule not disclosed . |
| Annual Cash/Equity Bonus | KPI-based | Executive bonus plan exists, but Celano’s target % not disclosed; NEO targets shown separately | Not disclosed | Bonus eligibility per executive plan; payout criteria by Compensation Committee . |
| Plan Design Reference | RSUs/PSUs (company plan terms) | RSUs vest quarterly over 3 years; PSUs vest at year 3 if $12.00 VWAP achieved for 20 of 30 trading days | N/A | Unvested RSUs/PSUs accelerate on change in control . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial Ownership: No specific Celano share ownership was listed in the April 25, 2025 beneficial ownership table; he is named as an executive officer but not a reporting holder in that table .
- Stock Ownership Guidelines: Not disclosed .
- Clawback: Company-wide clawback policy adopted in line with SEC/Nasdaq (recovers erroneously awarded incentive comp upon restatement) .
- Hedging/Pledging: Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging and monetization transactions; pledging is not expressly referenced in filings provided .
- Vested vs Unvested/Options: Celano-specific breakdown not disclosed; anticipated RSU award detailed but terms and grant completion not yet disclosed .
Employment Terms
| Term | Key Provisions |
|---|---|
| Employment Type | At-will; no specified term . |
| Start Date | January 1, 2025 . |
| Non-Compete | Not disclosed in agreement; non-solicitation provisions apply . |
| Non-Solicit | 12-month non-solicit of customers, employees, and certain counterparties post-termination . |
| Confidentiality/IP | Broad confidentiality; assignment of inventions; third-party information handling . |
| Arbitration | Mandatory individual arbitration; JAMS Employment Rules; NY law; San Ramon, CA venue per agreement . |
| Indemnification | Company indemnification to fullest extent under Delaware law via standard agreement . |
| Severance | No severance or salary+bonus multiples disclosed; equity acceleration upon change in control applies per plan terms (general, not Celano-specific) . |
| Garden Leave/Consulting | Not disclosed –. |
| Insider Policy | Prohibits hedging/monetization; insider trading policy in place . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and Incentives: The anticipated $1.5M RSU grant would create meaningful equity alignment once granted; company clawback and hedging prohibitions support investor-friendly governance . Vesting schedules for Celano’s RSUs are not disclosed; if aligned with the 2024 Plan’s quarterly vesting, periodic Form 4 activity could appear, potentially creating minor selling pressure around vest dates; monitor grant issuance and vest cadence once filed .
- Retention Risk: At-will employment without disclosed severance or non-compete reduces exit friction and may modestly elevate mobility risk; the 12-month non-solicit mitigates customer/team poaching risk post-departure . Change-in-control equity acceleration (plan-level) is standard but can weaken long-term retention through deals; balance with RSU size and future grants .
- Execution Signal: Celano’s EPC/drilling track record (multi-country operations, ~$2B backlog, ~50 wells, ~200K bpd capacity) is a positive signal for delivering on SDST’s lithium refinery and upstream sourcing milestones; watch operational milestones tied to site construction in Oklahoma and upstream supply agreements for validation .
- Trading Signals: Pending RSU grant and any subsequent vest/settle windows could correlate with insider filings; also watch company-level shareholder votes and corporate actions (e.g., warrant share approvals, reverse split execution) for overall stock mechanics that may indirectly affect executive equity outcomes –.