Jacqueline Zummo
About Jacqueline Zummo
Jacqueline Zummo, Ph.D., age 44, is Chief Scientific Operations Officer at Protara Therapeutics and has served in this role since January 2021, following prior roles as SVP, Research Operations (from January 2020) and VP roles at Private ArTara beginning in November 2017 . Her education includes a B.A. (Penn State), an M.B.A. in healthcare marketing and an M.P.H. in epidemiology (Benedictine University), and a Ph.D. in global health sciences (Nova Southeastern University) . Protara is pre-commercial and has not historically used net income (loss) as a compensation performance measure; 2024 corporate goals were assessed at 125% achievement and company stock price rose from $1.88 at year-end 2023 to $5.28 at year-end 2024, informing TSR-related pay-versus-performance disclosures .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Senior Manager, Neuroscience Medical Affairs | 2002–2008 | Medical affairs leadership in neuroscience |
| Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Associate Director, Medical Affairs | 2008–2012 | Medical affairs leadership |
| Alkermes, Inc. | Medical Director | 2012–Nov 2015 | Medical leadership |
| Vyera Pharmaceuticals, LLC | Assistant Vice President, Medical Affairs | Nov 2015–Sep 2017 | Medical affairs leadership (private biopharma) |
| Private ArTara | VP, Clinical Research Medical Affairs | Nov 2017–Mar 2019 | Clinical research & medical affairs leadership |
| Private ArTara / Protara Therapeutics | VP, Research Operations | Mar 2019–Merger closing | Research operations leadership |
| Protara Therapeutics | SVP, Research Operations | Jan 2020–Jan 2021 | Research operations leadership |
| Protara Therapeutics | Chief Scientific Operations Officer | Jan 2021–present | Scientific operations leadership |
Fixed Compensation
| Item | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $432,446 | $475,755 |
| Annual Base Salary set for year ($) | $474,980 (effective Jan 1, 2024) | — |
| Target Bonus (%) | 45% (in effect beginning 2022) | 45% |
| One-time Retention Bonus ($) | — | $150,000 (paid Jan 25, 2024; repayable if voluntary termination or termination for cause on/before Apr 30, 2025) |
| Perquisites & Benefits ($) | $61,087 | $70,159 (includes life insurance $713, health insurance $54,774, STD $404, LTD $468, 401(k) match $13,800) |
Note: 2025 base salary was most recently increased to $494,000 per employment agreement terms .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual Achievement | Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate goals (clinical milestones, FDA alignment, IV Choline Phase 2 initiation, capital raises) | 90% of bonus target for Zummo | 45% of base salary overall target | 125% overall achievement approved Jan 2025 | Non-Equity Incentive Compensation (2024): $266,119 | Paid in 2025 after Board approval |
| Individual performance | 10% of bonus target | Included in 45% target | 120% individual goal achievement for Zummo | Included in above payout (Board determined payout reflecting both corporate and individual achievements) | Paid in 2025 |
| Stock Awards (RSUs) grant-date fair value | — | — | — | 2024: $43,930; 2023: $60,098 | RSUs vest 33.3% annually over 3 years |
| Option Awards grant-date fair value | — | — | — | 2024: $208,226; 2023: $285,592 | Options vest 25% at 1-year, then monthly over next 36 months |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 353,234; less than 1% of shares outstanding |
| Common shares owned | 52,395 |
| Options currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days | 300,839 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company policy prohibits hedging, short sales, options, and pledging/margining of company stock by officers, directors, employees, and consultants |
| Clawback | Awards under the 2024 Plan subject to Company Clawback Policy |
Outstanding Equity Awards as of December 31, 2024
| Grant Date | Options Exercisable (#) | Options Unexercisable (#) | Exercise Price ($) | Expiration | RSUs Unvested (#) | Market Value of RSUs ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/11/2018 | 19,075 | — | 9.18 | 07/11/2028 | — | — |
| 12/03/2018 | 9,537 | — | 9.18 | 12/03/2028 | — | — |
| 09/16/2019 | 9,537 | — | 9.18 | 09/16/2029 | — | — |
| 01/19/2021 | 73,437 | 1,563 | 19.82 | 01/18/2031 | — | — |
| 01/03/2022 | 61,833 | 22,967 | 6.90 | 01/02/2032 | 4,699 | $24,811 |
| 01/19/2023 | 57,164 | 62,136 | 3.02 | 01/18/2033 | 13,266 | $70,044 |
| 01/19/2024 | — | 137,000 | 1.91 | 01/18/2034 | 23,000 | $121,440 |
Vesting schedules: Options generally vest 25% at the first anniversary and 1/48th monthly thereafter; RSUs vest one-third annually over three years, subject to continuous service . January 2024 grants: 137,000 options at $1.91 (25% vest on 01/19/2025; remaining monthly over next 36 months) and 23,000 RSUs vest in equal annual installments on 01/19/2025, 01/19/2026, and 01/19/2027 .
Employment Terms
| Provision | Terms |
|---|---|
| Employment Agreement baseline and updates | Original agreement dated Dec 17, 2019; base increased to $494,000 for 2025; bonus target increased to 45% beginning 2022; initial options award equal to ≥45,500 shares or 1.0% of fully diluted pro forma at Merger, vesting over four years |
| Retention Bonus | $150,000 cash retention award effective Jan 25, 2024; repayable if voluntary termination or termination for cause on/before Apr 30, 2025 (net of taxes, within 30 days) |
| Severance (without cause or resignation for good reason) | Lump sum of 9 months base salary and 9 months of target bonus; reimbursement of eligible business expenses; reimbursement of healthcare premium costs for 9 months; pro-rata vesting of outstanding equity awards to the extent not employed through the one-year anniversary of the applicable grant date; payment of any unpaid base salary and accrued vacation; subject to release and continuing obligations |
| Change-in-Control | If terminated other than for cause, death, or disability during the 18 months following a change in control, 100% acceleration of unvested outstanding equity awards (double-trigger) |
| Clawback; Repricing; Tax gross-ups | Awards subject to Clawback Policy; repricing/exchanges not permitted without shareholder approval; Company does not provide excise tax gross-ups |
| Insider Trading Policy | Prohibits hedging and pledging/margining of company stock; Rule 10b5-1 plans permitted, subject to policy and law |
Multi-Year Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Salary ($) | $432,446 | $475,755 |
| Bonus ($) | — | $150,000 (retention) |
| Stock Awards ($) | $60,098 | $43,930 |
| Option Awards ($) | $285,592 | $208,226 |
| Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) | $200,625 | $266,119 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $61,087 | $70,159 |
| Total ($) | $1,039,848 | $1,214,189 |
Additional Disclosures and Signals
- Executive Officers list confirms Dr. Zummo as a named executive officer for 2024 .
- Proxy plan benefits summary shows cumulative grants under the 2024 Plan through April 16, 2025: Zummo received awards covering 170,500 shares (options and RSUs combined) with grant-date fair value $637,928 .
- Beneficial ownership table confirms Zummo’s holding details and that her ownership is less than 1% of outstanding shares .
- Compensation committee retained Aon as independent consultant in 2024 for market benchmarking, peer group review, dilution, utilization, and incentive design; no conflicts identified .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Zummo’s annual cash bonus is heavily driven by clinical and financing milestones (90% corporate; 10% individual), with 2024 achievement at 125% corporate and 120% individual—indicating strong execution against clinical and capital-raising objectives and supporting cash bonus payouts . Equity awards are time-based with standard vesting schedules, reinforcing retention .
- Retention risk and incentives: The January 2024 $150,000 retention bonus (repayable if she departed by April 30, 2025) and pro-rata vesting provisions tied to one-year post-grant employment indicate deliberate retention structuring, lowering near-term departure risk during key clinical milestones .
- Insider selling pressure: As of year-end 2024, Zummo held substantial option grants with long-dated expirations and unvested RSUs; insider trading policy bans hedging and pledging, reducing misalignment risks. Watch for future Form 4s around annual grant/vesting cycles and liquidity events, especially if options become in-the-money with accelerating share price .
- Change-in-control economics: Double-trigger acceleration of all unvested equity upon qualifying termination within 18 months of a change-in-control creates economic protections without single-trigger risk; severance equals 9 months base plus 9 months of target bonus, plus COBRA reimbursement—moderate multiples for a non-PEO, consistent with governance norms and without excise tax gross-ups .
- Ownership alignment: Direct stock ownership plus a large pool of exercisable options within 60 days supports “skin in the game,” though overall stake remains <1% of outstanding shares; combined with clawback policy and strict anti-hedging/pledging rules, governance framework supports shareholder alignment .