Michael Edell
About Michael Edell
Michael Edell, age 62, was appointed Interim Chief Operating Officer of SenesTech (SNES) effective November 3, 2025; he holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University and has a background founding and operating consumer-packaged-goods businesses focused on eco-friendly products and commercialization services . His role is interim and at-will with a six-month term and discretionary, cash-only bonus potential; no equity awards were granted and his initial Form 3 shows zero beneficial ownership, so there are no tenure-based TSR, revenue, or EBITDA performance linkages disclosed to date . Company policies include an executive clawback for restatements and strict prohibitions on hedging, short sales, pledging, options trading, and margin accounts, which shape trading behavior and alignment .
Past Roles
No prior roles at SenesTech were disclosed before his Interim COO appointment .
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westlake Serial Company, LLC | Founder; Board member | 2018–present | Private-label CPG in eco-friendly home cleaning; commercialization services into consumer-facing products |
| Rancher’s Pride, LLC | Founder; Board member | 2025–present | Wagyu beef-based pet treats |
| MaddieBrit Products, LLC | Founder; Board member | 2008–Mar 2025 (sold) | Eco-friendly home cleaning CPG; sale completed March 2025 |
| Waterleaf Paper Company | Founder; Board member | 2021–Mar 2024 (sold) | Dissolvable wrapping paper; sale completed March 2024 |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Terms | Period/Date |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $30,000 per month, exempt position | Effective Nov 3, 2025 |
| Company-sponsored benefits | Ineligible given interim nature (except as required by California law) | Effective Nov 3, 2025 |
| Expense Reimbursement | Eligible for reasonable business expenses in ordinary course | 2025 |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout Form | Vesting | Period/Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary cash bonus | Board discretion | Up to $25,000 | Not disclosed | Cash | None disclosed | Q4 2025 |
| Discretionary cash bonus | Board discretion | Up to $30,000 | Not disclosed | Cash | None disclosed | Q1 2026 |
No equity awards (RSUs/PSUs/options) were authorized under the offer; any additional compensation requires written authorization by the company .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership at appointment | Form 3 filed for event date 10/15/2025 shows 0 non-derivative securities beneficially owned; no derivative securities listed |
| Insider authority for filings | Limited Power of Attorney executed Oct 15, 2025 authorizes company officers to file Forms 3/4/5 on his behalf |
| Pledging/Hedging policy | Covered persons prohibited from pledging as collateral, hedging/monetization, short sales, options trading, margin accounts |
| Clawback policy | Executive Officer Clawback adopted Nov 27, 2023; applies to erroneously awarded incentive comp during 3-year lookback in restatement scenarios |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed in proxy/10-K; Insider Trading Policy filed as Exhibit 19.1 |
Employment Terms
| Term | Provision |
|---|---|
| Role & Reporting | Interim COO reporting to CEO Joel Fruendt |
| Commencement & Term | Start Nov 3, 2025; six-month term unless earlier termination |
| At-will status | At-will; either party may terminate subject to notice provisions |
| Termination without Cause | Company must provide 60 days’ advance written notice; may relieve duties immediately but pay salary during notice period |
| Employee-initiated termination | 60 days’ advance written notice required |
| Severance & post-termination pay | None; not entitled to severance/separation compensation |
| Cause definition | Includes refusal to perform duties, gross negligence/willful misconduct causing harm, felony conviction/plea, breach of agreement, fraud/embezzlement, intoxication, material violation of anti-discrimination/harassment/retaliation policies |
| Non-compete | Restricted from competing during the term of employment |
| Indemnification | Will enter into form of indemnification agreement for directors/officers; D&O insurance maintained |
| Benefits | Ineligible for company-sponsored benefits due to interim nature (except as required by California law) |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Cash-heavy, interim compensation with no equity grants or vesting schedules reduces equity alignment and near-term insider selling pressure; Form 3 shows zero ownership at appointment .
- Retention/Transition Risk: Six-month term, at-will status, and 60-day notice (effectively “paid garden leave”) indicate transitional capacity; absence of severance suggests low exit costs for the company .
- Trading Signals: Strict prohibitions on hedging/pledging lower risk of adverse alignment practices; monitor any Form 4 activity and future compensation authorization for equity grants or revised bonus frameworks that could change incentives .
- Governance & Recovery: The clawback policy is robust and will apply to any incentive compensation tied to financial reporting measures in the event of restatements; current disclosed bonuses are discretionary cash, with no specified financial metrics .
- External Commitments: Multiple founder/board roles in private entities may provide operating know-how but warrant monitoring for bandwidth and potential related-party considerations; company reports no related-party transactions in 2023–2024 .
