Kim Davis
About Kim Davis
Kim Davis is 57 and serves as Interim Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Zura Bio. She became COO on February 27, 2025 after serving as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary since March 2023; on October 10, 2025 she was appointed Interim CEO due to the CEO’s medical leave . Her background includes senior legal and compliance roles at Arena Pharmaceuticals (Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer), Kaleo, Inc. (Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer), Impax Laboratories (Vice President and Health Care Law & Compliance Officer), and Amgen (Associate General Counsel; Executive Director) . Education: Juris Doctor, Pepperdine University School of Law; BA in Business Management, Sweet Briar College .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arena Pharmaceuticals | Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer | 2020–2022 | Not disclosed |
| Kaleo, Inc. | Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | 2014–2020 | Not disclosed |
| Impax Laboratories (now Amneal) | Vice President and Health Care Law & Compliance Officer | 2011–2014 | Not disclosed |
| Amgen | Associate General Counsel; Executive Director | 2000–2011 | Not disclosed |
External Roles
No external public-company directorships or committee roles are disclosed in Ms. Davis’s executive bio .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (current rates) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $425,000 | $439,875 | $493,000 (effective 1/1/2025) |
| Target Bonus (%) | 40% | 40% | 40% |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | $274,250 | $195,744 | — |
| Sign-on Bonus ($) | $121,250 (paid Jan 2023) | — | — |
Performance Compensation
- Annual cash bonuses are discretionary and determined by the Compensation Committee; specific performance metrics and weighting are not disclosed .
Equity awards and vesting details:
| Award Type | Grant Date | Shares/Units | Exercise Price ($) | Vesting Schedule | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Options | 3/15/2023 | 206,547 (94,666 exercisable; 111,881 unexercisable at 12/31/2024) | 1.20 | 25% on first anniversary, then monthly 2.083% thereafter (service-based) | 3/15/2033 |
| RSUs | 5/18/2023 | 369,286 | — | 25% vested on 5/18/2024; 25% on each of the next three anniversaries (service-based) | — |
| Stock Options | 6/18/2024 | 420,000 | 3.38 | 25% on first anniversary, then quarterly vesting thereafter (service-based) | 6/18/2034 |
| 2024 Equity Grant Values | — | Stock Awards: $0; Option Awards: $1,141,812 (grant-date fair value) | — | — | — |
| 2023 Equity Grant Values | — | Stock Awards: $2,580,076; Option Awards: $1,580,520 (grant-date fair values) | — | — | — |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership Metric (as of 4/1/2025) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 358,069 | Less than 1% of shares outstanding |
| Directly Owned Shares | 123,095 | — |
| Options Exercisable within 60 days | 111,879 shares | — |
| RSUs Vesting within 60 days | 123,095 shares | — |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited by Insider Trading Policy (no derivatives, no shorting, no margin/pledging) | Alignment positive |
Outstanding awards detail at year-end:
| As of 12/31/2024 | Exercisable Options (#) | Unexercisable Options (#) | RSUs Unvested (#) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Davis | 94,666 | 111,881 | 369,286 |
Employment Terms
- Employment: At-will per Offer Letter (effective 11/28/2022); title updated to COO on 2/27/2025; base salary increased to $493,000 with 40% target bonus as of 1/1/2025 .
- Executive Severance Benefit Plan adopted 9/24/2025 (applies to named executive officers): release required; supersedes prior severance arrangements (equity remains governed by equity plan) .
- Termination without Cause or for Good Reason (regular, ≥91 days tenure):
- CEO: 12 months base salary lump sum .
- Other named executives (incl. COO/Chief Legal Officer): 9 months base salary lump sum .
- Change-in-Control termination (double trigger within 12 months post-closing, ≥91 days tenure):
- CEO: 18 months base salary; 150% of target annual bonus; prorated actual-year bonus; up to 18 months COBRA reimbursement .
- Other named executives: 12 months base salary; 100% of target annual bonus; prorated actual-year bonus; up to 12 months COBRA reimbursement .
- Clawback: Company-wide Clawback Policy adopted in 2023 for restatement-related recovery; Plan benefits subject to clawback and recovery provisions .
- Interim CEO: Ms. Davis was appointed Interim CEO on 10/10/2025; her Severance Plan classification (CEO vs other NEO) would determine applicable multiples if triggered during her interim service .
Governance and Compliance Signals
- Compensation Committee engaged Aon as independent consultant; peer benchmarking and equity design guidance provided .
- Section 16 filings: one late Form 4 for Ms. Davis (filed December 31, 2024) due to administrative error; subsequently addressed via Form 5 reporting .
- Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging, short selling, derivatives, margin purchases, and pledging, supporting ownership alignment .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: Equity-heavy mix with multi-year vesting schedules (RSUs and options at market strike) incentivizes long-term value creation; absence of disclosed short-term financial metrics suggests discretion-based cash bonuses .
- Vesting and potential selling pressure: Annual RSU tranches vest on each May 18 through 2027 and options begin quarterly vesting from June 18, 2025, which could create episodic liquidity events; hedging/pledging prohibitions mitigate misalignment risks .
- Retention and change-in-control economics: Nine-month regular severance and 12-month CIC severance plus 100% target bonus for other NEOs provide competitive protection; interim CEO status could elevate severance multiples if classified as CEO at termination .
- Ownership alignment: Direct and near-term beneficial ownership (options/RSUs within 60 days) underscore skin-in-the-game while remaining below 1% of outstanding shares; strong clawback policy and insider trading controls support governance quality .