Research Reports

Key takeaways

Kristin Stafford, age 44, appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer effective April 1, 2026, assuming principal financial and accounting officer roles.

Prior experience: Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer at Royalty Pharma plc since December 2018; VP Finance at Royalty Pharma and CFO of BioPharma Credit plc (2016-2018).

Annual base salary $520,000; signing bonus $52,000; options for 178,000 shares; RSUs totaling 169,000.

Termination without cause: 12 months base salary/notice (up to 18 months after 4 years); post-Change of Control: 18 months severance plus full equity vesting.

Kenneth Galbraith ceased interim CFO role but remains Chair, CEO, and President with unchanged compensation.

Full analysis

Zymeworks Inc. appointed Kristin Stafford as permanent CFO effective April 1, 2026, bringing extensive finance and accounting expertise from Royalty Pharma, Ernst & Young, and Deloitte to support the company's biopharmaceutical operations and capital allocation needs. Her compensation package includes a competitive $520,000 base salary, significant equity grants (178,000 options and 169,000 RSUs with standard 4-year vesting), and robust severance protections, including enhanced terms post-Change of Control. This replaces Kenneth Galbraith's interim role, allowing him to focus fully on CEO responsibilities amid the company's pipeline advancement and asset management strategy.

ZYME · Zymeworks Inc.

Summary

Key takeaways

Full analysis