Company: ACHV
Filing Date: 2025-04-28
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000950170-25-059297
Chunk: 42

Company: ACHIEVE LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-04-28
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 42
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 2024 Base Salary ($) |         |
| Richard Stewart(1) |     |                      | 450,000 |     |                      | 615,000 |
| Cindy Jacobs       |     |                      | 473,000 |     |                      | 487,000 |
| Mark Oki(2)        |     |                      |       — |     |                      | 450,000 |
| John Bencich       |     |                      | 530,000 |     |                      | 570,000 |

(1) Mr. Stewart’s salary was increased from $400,000 to $450,000 as of July 1, 2023 and increased to $615,000 as of August 21, 2024 in connection with his appointment as Chief Executive Officer. (2) Mr. Oki became an employee effective December 5, 2024 with an annual salary of $450,000. 2024 Equity Awards Equity awards are granted to executive officers at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. Our Compensation Committee reviews competitive market data prepared by Aon in connection with its grant of long-term equity incentive awards to the named executive officers at the market 50 th to 75 th percentile which is a higher target than our cash compensation to provide economic value as we are a clinical development-stage specialty pharmaceutical company and have not generated revenue to date. A blended approach of options and Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit, or PSUs, were awarded to attract and retain highly skilled employees and provide long term incentive and performance-based goals which we believe are aligned with motivating our NEOs to enhance stockholder value. Our Compensation Committee believes that this mix of stock options and PSUs is appropriate given the Company's stage of development and the Company's pay for performance philosophy. In January 2024, the Compensation Committee granted options to purchase 75,000 shares of common stock to John Bencich, options to purchase 60,000 shares of common stock to Richard Stewart, and options to purchase 36,000 shares of common stock to Cindy Jacobs. The stock options have an exercise price of $4.55 per share, which was the closing price of our stock on the date of grant, and vested as to one-third of the total on January 22, 2025, and thereafter vest in

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equal monthly installments over 24 months. Mr. Bencich’s stock options expired on March 31, 2025. At the same time, the Compensation Committee also granted 175,