Andrew Maleki
About Andrew Maleki
Andrew Maleki, age 36, was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Surrozen, Inc. effective November 12, 2025, serving as principal financial and accounting officer. He holds a B.A. in Biology and Economics with distinction from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Prior to Surrozen, he led corporate development and program leadership at Lassen Therapeutics (May 2021–Oct 2025) and held corporate development roles at Jazz Pharmaceuticals (Oct 2018–Apr 2021), with earlier experience at PureTech Health and ClearView Healthcare Partners. Surrozen disclosed no executive-specific TSR, revenue or EBITDA performance metrics tied to Mr. Maleki’s tenure, given his recent appointment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lassen Therapeutics, Inc. | Led Corporate Development and Program Leadership | May 2021 – Oct 2025 | Shaped portfolio strategy and BD; played key role in raising over $500 million in capital . |
| Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc | Corporate Development roles (increasing responsibility) | Oct 2018 – Apr 2021 | Led collaborations, licensing deals, and acquisitions across therapeutic areas . |
| PureTech Health | Strategy/operating roles (earlier career) | Not disclosed | Guided growth-stage biotech initiatives (overview noted) . |
| ClearView Healthcare Partners | Consulting (earlier career) | Not disclosed | Strategy advisory experience for growth-stage biotech companies (overview noted) . |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed for Mr. Maleki .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Value | Effective Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $385,000 | Nov 12, 2025 | As per offer letter . |
| Target Bonus % | 40% of base salary | Eligible starting in 2026 | Under the annual bonus plan . |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate performance goals | 50% of bonus determination for non-CEO executives | 40% of base salary target bonus | Not yet applicable (appointment in late 2025) | Not yet applicable | Bonuses paid within a few months after year-end per plan . |
| Individual performance goals | 50% of bonus determination for non-CEO executives | 40% of base salary target bonus | Not yet applicable | Not yet applicable | Bonuses paid within a few months after year-end per plan . |
Equity Awards (RSUs/Options)
| Grant Date | Award Type | Shares | Exercise Price | Vesting | Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2025 | Non-statutory stock option | 50,000 | $12.94 per share | 25% on first anniversary of hire-based vesting commencement; remaining 75% vest monthly thereafter over 36 months | 2025 Equity Inducement Plan (Nasdaq 5635(c)(4)) | Approved by Board Nov 6, 2025; exercise price set at Nov 12, 2025 closing price . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Anti‑hedging/pledging: Surrozen’s policy prohibits short sales, options, hedging, margin accounts, and pledging of company stock by directors/officers/employees .
- Insider trading controls: Preclearance of trades required; Rule 10b5‑1 plans permitted subject to policy; executives may trade when not in possession of MNPI .
- Clawback: Dodd‑Frank–compliant recoupment policy to recover incentive compensation based on financial reporting measures in the event of an accounting restatement .
- Beneficial ownership: Mr. Maleki’s holdings were not reported in the 2025 proxy (record date March 19, 2025) due to his later appointment; no related‑party transactions disclosed in connection with his appointment .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details | Trigger/Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment start | CFO effective Nov 12, 2025 | — | Appointed to serve as principal financial and accounting officer . |
| Severance (no cause) | 9 months base salary + 9 months continued benefits; no equity acceleration | Termination without cause | Adopted executive severance terms . |
| Change‑of‑control severance | 12 months base salary + 100% of target bonus + 12 months benefits + full acceleration of equity | Termination in connection with a change‑in‑control, within the 12‑month period beginning 3 months prior to the CoC | Structure reflects termination plus CoC window (not single‑trigger) . |
| Indemnification | Standard Surrozen indemnification agreement | — | Form previously filed; company maintains director/officer indemnification and insurance . |
| Non‑compete / Non‑solicit | Not disclosed | — | No specific covenant disclosed in filings . |
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Target bonus at 40% of base with 50/50 weighting on corporate vs. individual goals, plus a formal clawback policy, aligns incentives with execution while maintaining governance safeguards .
- Retention and CoC economics: Four-year option vesting with a one‑year cliff promotes retention; CoC severance features double‑trigger mechanics (termination in a defined CoC window) and full equity acceleration, balancing retention with potential transaction outcomes .
- Trading and pledging risk: Strict anti‑hedging/pledging prohibitions and trade preclearance mitigate hedging or collateralization risks that could misalign executive/shareholder interests; monitor any future Rule 10b5‑1 adoption and Form 4 filings for signal of planned sales cadence .
- Execution track record: Prior leadership in BD/capital formation (key role in >$500M raises) suggests capability to support Surrozen’s ophthalmology pipeline financing and partnering needs as CFO .