Kathleen Scott
About Kathleen Scott
Kathleen D. Scott is Chief Financial Officer of ARS Pharmaceuticals (SPRY) since February 2022 and is 56 years old. She holds a B.A. in economics/business from UCLA and is both a CPA and CFA charterholder; her prior career includes >15 years as a partner at RA Capital Advisors and audit work at Arthur Andersen. As CFO, she serves as principal financial and accounting officer and signed SOX 906 certifications on the company’s Q2 2025 Form 10‑Q .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurana Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2017–Mar 2022 | Led finance through late-stage biotech operations |
| Recros Medica, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2014–Apr 2021 | Built finance infrastructure for med‑tech commercialization |
| Adigica Health, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2016–Mar 2021 | Oversaw finance for consumer health growth |
| Clarify Medical, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2014–2016 | Established controls for device startup scaling |
| Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2016 | Short‑term CFO assignment supporting public company finance |
| MDRejuvena, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2014–2016 | Managed finance for dermatology product portfolio |
| BioSurplus, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2010–2014 | Ran finance for life sciences equipment reseller |
| RA Capital Advisors LLC | Partner | ~15+ years | Led M&A, divestitures, restructurings for corporate clients |
| Arthur Andersen (San Diego) | Auditor | Early career | Audited public/private clients; foundational finance training |
External Roles
| Organization | Position | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Dermata Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRMA) | Director | Since Aug 2021 |
| NKGen Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKGN) | Director | Since Sep 2023 |
| YMCA of San Diego County | Director/Trustee | Current |
| Corporate Directors Forum | Director | Current (2024 proxy) |
| Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Director | Nov 2019–May 2020 |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base salary (start) | $195,000 during part‑time transition; $390,000 upon full‑time commencement (Feb–Mar 2022) |
| Annual bonus eligibility | Eligible at Board’s discretion (no target % publicly disclosed for CFO) |
| Primary work location | San Diego, CA (Company HQ) |
Performance Compensation
- Executive annual bonuses at SPRY are tied to achieving corporate research, clinical, and regulatory milestones; the Board/Comp Committee assesses achievement holistically. CFO is eligible for annual bonuses under this framework, but individual CFO weightings, targets, and payouts are not disclosed in proxy filings .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial option grant | 700,000 stock options at hire; vest 25% at first anniversary, remainder monthly over 36 months (4-year schedule). Strike price and expiration not disclosed in the excerpted agreement . |
| Insider policy | Hedging (short sales, options, derivatives) and pledging/margining of company stock are prohibited for directors, officers, employees, and consultants . |
| Beneficial ownership (aggregation for “other executive officers,” includes CFO) | 252,332 shares directly held in aggregate and 2,541,870 options exercisable within 60 days as of March 31, 2025 (308,035 unvested but exercisable); individual CFO breakdown not separately reported . |
Employment Terms
- Start date and role: Executive Employment Agreement effective Feb 7, 2022; part‑time through Mar 15, 2022, then full‑time CFO; reports to CEO; San Diego primary location .
- Severance and change‑in‑control: Under SPRY’s Change in Control and Severance Benefit Plan, “other executive officers” (includes CFO) receive upon a CIC termination (3 months pre‑CIC through 12 months post‑CIC): lump sum 18 months’ base salary, 150% of annual target bonus, prorated target bonus, up to 18 months of continued health benefits, and accelerated vesting of all outstanding stock awards. Outside CIC period: 9 months’ base salary and up to 9 months of health benefits (Dr. Tanimoto has 12 months under her EEA; CFO’s participation follows the “other executive officers” standard) .
- Clawback: Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy adopted Oct 2023 per SEC/Nasdaq rules; applies to cash and equity incentive compensation received on or after Oct 2, 2023 in event of accounting restatement .
- Equity grant timing: Company grants are generally structured to avoid timing around MNPI; annual refresh grants typically effective first trading day of each fiscal year; non‑officer grants follow written guidelines .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Large initial option grant (700k) with standard 4‑year vesting aligns CFO incentives to equity value creation; company‑wide prohibitions on hedging/pledging strengthen alignment and reduce governance risk .
- Retention: CIC protections (18 months’ salary + 150% target bonus + full equity acceleration) materially reduce turnover risk around strategic events; outside CIC, 9 months’ salary indicates balanced baseline severance. This can support continuity during commercialization and financing cycles but may modestly increase transaction costs in change‑of‑control scenarios .
- Pay for performance visibility: Company discloses bonus metrics (R&D/regulatory) and board/committee governance but does not provide CFO‑specific target weights/payouts—limiting granular pay‑for‑performance assessment. Note SPRY’s EGC status exempts it from say‑on‑pay requirements, further reducing shareholder feedback signals on executive compensation .
- Data gaps: Individual CFO beneficial ownership and current compensation details (target bonus %, actual payouts, additional equity grants post‑hire) are not separately disclosed in proxies, constraining precise modeling of near‑term insider selling pressure. Aggregate “other executives” ownership offers limited insight for trading signals .