Samira Shaikhly
About Samira Shaikhly
Samira Shaikhly is Chief People Officer at Septerna (SEPN), serving since February 1, 2023. She is 55 years old, holds a B.A. in Communication Arts from the University of San Francisco, and is a certified Executive Coach from New Ventures West. Prior roles include Chief People Officer at Ambys Medicines (Apr 2022–Nov 2022) and numerous HR leadership positions at Gilead Sciences (Sept 2006–Sept 2021). The company does not disclose individual TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA performance metrics for her role; as an emerging growth company, SEPN provides scaled executive compensation disclosure and has not conducted say‑on‑pay votes to date .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambys Medicines (cell & gene therapy) | Chief People Officer | Apr 2022–Nov 2022 | Led People & Culture during transition from research to development |
| Gilead Sciences | Global Head HR, Corporate Functions Business Partners | Sept 2006–Sept 2021 | Oversaw all G&A HR functions across corporate groups |
| Tech & Retail sectors | HR roles | Earlier career | HR leadership experience prior to biopharma roles |
External Roles
None disclosed (no public company board or committee roles reported) .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Base Salary ($) | Target Bonus % | Actual Bonus Paid ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 322,083 | Not disclosed | 182,094 | Includes $132,094 discretionary annual bonus for FY2023 and $50,000 sign‑on bonus |
Program context: SEPN uses scaled EGC disclosure; target bonus percentages were disclosed for certain 2024 NEOs but not for Ms. Shaikhly .
Performance Compensation
- Company annual bonus framework: Executive bonuses were based on corporate goals (program, platform, finance/business development) and assessed at 133% of target for FY2024; individual weightings and payouts for Ms. Shaikhly were not disclosed .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate objectives (program/platform/BD/finance) | Not disclosed | 100% | 133% | 133% of target | Cash (annual) |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Instrument | Grant Date | Vest Start | Unvested/Outstanding | Exercise Price | Expiration | Vesting Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Option | 3/31/2023 | 2/1/2023 | 69,683 | $1.55 | 3/30/2033 | 25% at 1‑year, remainder in 36 monthly installments; subject to acceleration per plan documents |
| Stock Option | 11/12/2023 | 2/1/2023 | 15,098 | $2.76 | 11/11/2033 | 25% at 1‑year, remainder in 36 monthly installments; subject to acceleration per plan documents |
- Beneficial ownership: Not individually reported for Ms. Shaikhly in the 2025 principal stockholders table (which lists directors and named executive officers only) .
- Hedging/pledging: SEPN prohibits short sales, derivative transactions, and hedging of company stock for executives and directors; pledging or margin accounts are also prohibited under the insider trading policy .
- Rule 10b5‑1: Officers/directors may enter compliant trading plans when not in possession of MNPI .
- Clawback: Company will recover incentive‑based compensation tied to financial measures for any restatement covering the prior three years .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Start date | February 1, 2023 |
| Offer letter (12/22/2022) | At‑will; initial base salary and target bonus; $50,000 sign‑on bonus with full repayment if terminated for cause or resignation for any reason before the second anniversary of payment |
| Severance (Offer Letter) | If terminated without cause outside change‑of‑control period: 6 months’ base salary continuation and company‑portion COBRA premiums up to 6 months or earlier eligibility elsewhere; double‑trigger (termination without cause within change‑of‑control period): same 6‑month salary continuation and COBRA plus accelerated vesting of time‑based equity awards (performance awards per agreement terms) |
| Non‑solicitation/IP/confidentiality | Standard agreements executed; non‑solicit and IP/confidentiality obligations referenced |
| Company‑wide Executive Severance Plan (Oct 2024) | Provides tiered benefits for eligible executives; NEOs and certain executives participate. Change‑of‑control benefits include lump‑sum salary, target bonus multiple, COBRA contributions, and full acceleration of time‑based equity (performance awards per agreement terms). Individual participation/tier for Ms. Shaikhly not explicitly disclosed . |
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Compensation Committee members: Bernard Coulie (Chair), Shalini Sharp, Jake Simson; all independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Consultant: Pearl Meyer engaged by Compensation Committee in 2024; assisted with peer group and program design; committee assessed independence and reported no conflicts .
- Grant practices: Not timed around MNPI; annual grants on the 5th trading day of the month following approval; director awards at annual meeting. No option‑like instruments granted during windows around material filings in 2024 .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Equity-heavy structure with multi-year vesting supports retention and alignment; hedging/pledging prohibitions and clawback policy reduce misalignment risk .
- Insider Selling Pressure: 2023 options vest on a standard 1‑year cliff plus monthly schedule; expirations in 2033 limit near-term forced exercise risk. Actual holdings, exercisable status, and 10b5‑1 plans for Ms. Shaikhly are not disclosed in proxy tables, limiting precision on near-term selling pressure .
- Change‑of‑Control Economics: Offer letter double‑trigger acceleration on time‑based awards and salary/benefit continuations may incentivize continuity through strategic events; broader Executive Severance Plan enhances predictability for eligible executives (individual participation not specified) .
- Performance Linkage: Company‑level bonus metrics and 133% payout in 2024 indicate robust achievement of corporate objectives; lack of disclosed individual weighting for HR/People KPI limits granular pay‑for‑performance assessment for Ms. Shaikhly .
- Execution Risk: Human capital scaling highlighted as a driver of increased G&A and R&D headcount, reinforcing the strategic importance of the CPO function amid pipeline progression; no legal proceedings involving executive officers disclosed that would elevate governance risk .