Nikunj Jain
SANGAMO THERAPEUTICSAbout Nikunj Jain
Nikunj Jain, age 46, is Sangamo Therapeutics’ Principal Accounting Officer as of October 1, 2025 and has served as Vice President, Finance & Corporate Controller since September 2021 . He previously held finance leadership roles at Coherus Biosciences (Executive Director, Assistant Controller, Nov 2019–Sep 2021) and earlier at Deloitte & Touche in the U.S. and India; he holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Mahatma Jyotibha Phule Rohilkhand University, is a Chartered Accountant (India), and a California CPA (inactive) . Current corporate performance/TSR metrics tied specifically to his role are not disclosed in filings; company-level bonus determinations reference achievement of corporate and personal objectives under the Incentive Plan .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangamo Therapeutics | Vice President, Finance & Corporate Controller | Sep 2021–Present | Finance leadership for corporate controller function |
| Coherus Biosciences | Executive Director, Assistant Controller | Nov 2019–Sep 2021 | Finance leadership at a commercial-stage oncology company |
| Deloitte & Touche (U.S. and India) | Roles of increasing responsibility | Not disclosed | Progressive audit/finance responsibilities |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No public company directorships disclosed; no related-party arrangements; no family relationships with directors/executives |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Detail | Effective/Period |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $347,548 annual base | Effective Oct 1, 2025 |
| Target Bonus % | 30% of base salary (pro-rated for remainder of 2025) | 2025 performance period onward |
| Bonus Determination | Discretionary; based on corporate and personal objectives; must be employee in good standing at determination date | Annual Incentive Plan |
| Benefits | Eligible for executive officer benefits; unlimited paid time off with manager approval for >2 weeks | Ongoing |
| Clawback | All compensation subject to company clawback policy and applicable listing rules/law | Ongoing |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate objectives under Incentive Plan | Not disclosed | 30% of base (pro-rated for 2025) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | N/A (cash bonus) |
| Personal objectives | Not disclosed | Included within bonus determination | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | N/A |
The company’s broader equity plan allows performance stock awards tied to goals such as TSR, revenue, operating income, cash flow, and others; weighting/targets for Mr. Jain are not disclosed .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Amount/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial Ownership (Common) | 253,003 shares (Direct) | As of Form 3 filed for appointment; initial statement of ownership |
| Ownership % of Outstanding | ~0.1104% (253,003 / 229,192,802) | Outstanding shares at Apr 17, 2025 were 229,192,802 |
| Options | 45,608 shares @ $8.77, exp. 10/07/2031; 11,892 shares @ $8.77, exp. 10/07/2031; 24,750 shares, exp. 02/24/2032 (strike not disclosed in excerpt) | Direct ownership of derivative securities per Form 3 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited for officers/directors/employees | Company insider trading policy bans hedging and pledging; also prohibits holding securities in margin accounts |
| Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed | No executive stock ownership guideline disclosure specific to Mr. Jain found in filings |
Employment Terms
| Provision | Key Terms |
|---|---|
| Employment Status | At-will; either party may terminate at any time, with or without cause or notice |
| Role & Reporting | Principal Accounting Officer; continues as VP, Finance & Corporate Controller; subject to CEO’s direction/supervision |
| Outside Activities | May not render services to others without CEO’s prior written consent; board/charitable/civic service permitted if pre-approved and non-interfering |
| Location | Principal place of business: Richmond, California |
| Severance Plan Eligibility | Deemed Eligible Employee/Executive Officer under Amended & Restated Executive Severance Plan (Oct 28, 2023), subject to plan terms |
| Arbitration | Binding arbitration (JAMS) with pre-mediation; San Francisco venue; company pays JAMS/arbitrator fees |
| Confidentiality | Continues to abide by Employee Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement |
| Clawback | Compensation subject to reduction/recoupment per law, exchange rules, and company policy |
Plan context: Under the Amended Severance Plan, severance and equity acceleration are provided upon involuntary termination during the “Change in Control Period” for certain executives; CEO terms are 18 months salary + partial bonus, COBRA, and full equity acceleration; SVP-level terms are 12 months salary + partial bonus, COBRA, and equity acceleration; specific multiples applicable to Mr. Jain’s level are not disclosed in his agreement .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Base-plus-bonus structure with 30% target bonus tied to corporate/personal objectives aligns compensation to execution milestones; clawback language strengthens governance. Beneficial ownership of 253,003 shares plus legacy options provides modest alignment; hedging/pledging prohibitions reduce misalignment risk .
- Change-in-control economics: Eligibility under the Executive Severance Plan indicates structured protection and potential equity acceleration upon double-trigger events for certain executives; however, Mr. Jain’s specific benefit level is not disclosed, limiting precision in modeling severance cash/equity outflows .
- Trading signals: Initial Form 3 establishes baseline ownership and option profile as of appointment; no Form 4 sale/purchase activity is presented here, so current insider selling pressure cannot be inferred from filings cited .
Overall, compensation terms are standard for a principal accounting officer in a clinical-stage biotech, with governance safeguards (clawbacks, anti-hedging/pledging) and at-will flexibility. Ownership is meaningful for an accounting executive but small relative to float, suggesting alignment primarily via role accountability and annual incentive outcomes rather than large equity stakes .