Robert Weinstein
About Robert Weinstein
Robert Weinstein serves as Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary of Synaptogenix, Inc. (renamed TAO Synergies; formerly Neurotrope Bioscience), and has held finance leadership roles at the company since 2013. He is 65, holds an MBA in finance and international business from the University of Chicago, is an inactive CPA, and has a B.S. in accounting from SUNY Albany . The company announced a name change to TAO Synergies and a new ticker in June 2025, with Weinstein continuing as CFO through the transition . The proxy discloses discretionary annual bonuses without formal performance metric targets (e.g., revenue growth, EBITDA, TSR) for Weinstein, and no PSU/RSU grants in 2024, limiting explicit pay-for-performance linkages .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xcorporeal, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Aug 2007–Feb 2010 | Development-stage medical device company sold in March 2010 to Fresenius Medical USA |
| Green Energy Management Services Holdings, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | Mar 2010–Aug 2011 | Public energy consulting company CFO |
| Healthcare companies (several) | Independent Consultant | Sep 2011–Sep 2013 | Pharmaceutical/biotech consulting engagements |
| Neurotrope (pre-spin) | Acting CFO | Jun 2013 | Assumed by Synaptogenix post spin-off |
| Synaptogenix (TAO Synergies) | Chief Financial Officer | Oct 2013–present | Long-tenured CFO through spin-off and rebrand |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Committee/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| XWELL, Inc. (Nasdaq: XWEL) | Director | Since Feb 2020 | Audit committee chair; deep finance and healthcare expertise |
| PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: PMCB) | Director | Current | Board service; cellular therapies focus |
| Petros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Consultant | Current | Ongoing consulting engagement |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 339,548 | 348,408 |
| Target Bonus (%) | Up to 50% of base | Up to 50% of base |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | 150,000 (paid Mar 2024 for FY23) | 100,000 (paid 2025 for FY24) |
| Stock Awards ($) | — | — |
| Option Awards ($) | — | — |
| All Other Compensation ($) | 79,370 (incl. healthcare/insurance) | 117,468 (incl. healthcare/insurance) |
| Total Compensation ($) | 568,918 | 565,876 |
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout Timing | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Annual Bonus (FY 2023) | N/A | Up to 50% of base salary | $150,000 | Paid March 2024 | N/A |
| Discretionary Annual Bonus (FY 2024) | N/A | Up to 50% of base salary | $100,000 | Paid 2025 | N/A |
The company did not disclose formulaic performance metrics (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR) tied to Weinstein’s annual incentive for 2023–2024, indicating discretionary determinations by the board/committee .
Outstanding Equity Awards (as of FY 2024 year-end)
| Grant/Option | Number Exercisable | Number Unexercisable | Strike Price ($) | Vesting Details | Expiration Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option (grant vests 1/13/2021) | 445 | — | 246.00 | Vested in full Jan 13, 2021 | Jan 13, 2031 |
| Option (grant vests 5/15/2023) | 3,000 | — | 151.75 | Vested in full May 15, 2023 | Nov 15, 2032 |
Company policy: no executive equity grants (stock options or similar awards) in FY 2024; annual non-employee director options only .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Common Stock Beneficially Owned (as of Oct 31, 2025) | 20,014 shares (16,566 common + 3,445 options exercisable within 60 days); less than 1% of outstanding |
| Hedging/Puts/Calls/Shorts | Prohibited by Insider Trading Policy; no hedging or derivatives allowed |
| Pledging | Not specifically disclosed; no pledging language identified in proxy |
| Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed in proxy for executives |
| Vested vs. Unvested | Options noted above are fully vested; no unvested RSUs/PSUs disclosed for 2024 |
Equity plan CoC: All outstanding options become fully vested upon a Change of Control that is also a Corporate Transaction; board may adjust awards post-CoC .
Employment Terms
| Term | Provision |
|---|---|
| Agreement | Employment agreement dated October 1, 2013; assumed by Synaptogenix upon spin-off |
| Role | CFO, Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary |
| Term Length & Renewal | Four-year term; automatically extends for successive one-year periods unless 90-day prior written notice |
| Severance (Without Cause / For Good Reason) | Lump-sum equal to annual base salary; Company-paid COBRA for 18 months at employee rate (employee pays employee portion) |
| Non-Renewal / Death / Disability | Entitled to any unpaid prorated annual bonus for the year of termination |
| Change-of-Control (Equity) | 2020 Plan provides automatic full vesting of options upon CoC that is also a Corporate Transaction |
| Retirement/Deferred Comp/Pension | Company has no retirement or deferred compensation plans for executives (as a general policy) |
Investment Implications
- Pay mix skews toward salary and discretionary cash bonuses with no disclosed formulaic performance metrics or equity grants in 2024, weakening explicit pay-for-performance alignment; equity incentives are legacy options with long-dated expirations (2031/2032), implying limited near-term vesting-related selling pressure .
- Severance is modest (1x base salary plus 18 months COBRA), suggesting manageable retention risk costs; however, automatic option vesting upon CoC is a single-trigger feature under the 2020 Plan that could accelerate equity in a transaction scenario .
- Beneficial ownership is below 1%, and company policy prohibits hedging/derivative positions, supporting alignment but with limited personal financial exposure to equity; no pledging disclosures identified .
- Extensive finance background and concurrent external board roles (e.g., XWEL audit chair, PMCB director) strengthen governance/finance oversight but introduce potential time-allocation conflicts to monitor during strategic pivots (e.g., 2025 rebrand to TAO Synergies) .