Company: RNAC
Filing Date: 2025-04-28
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001453687-25-000075
Chunk: 62

Company: Cartesian Therapeutics, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-28
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 62
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 leave their current employer for the uncertainty of a demanding position in a new and unfamiliar organization.

In filling these executive positions, our Board or the Compensation Committee, as applicable, was aware that it would be necessary to recruit candidates with the requisite experience and skills to manage a growing business in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Accordingly, it recognized that it would need to develop competitive compensation packages to attract qualified candidates in a highly competitive labor market. At the same time, our Board or the Compensation Committee, as applicable, was sensitive to the need to integrate new executive officers into the executive compensation structure that it was seeking to develop, balancing both competitive and internal equity considerations.

Each of these employment agreements provides for “at will” employment and sets forth the initial compensation arrangements for the Named Executive Officer, including an initial base salary, a target annual cash bonus opportunity, and, in some instances, a recommendation for an equity award in the form of a stock option to purchase shares of our Common Stock.

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#### Post-Employment Compensation
All of our Named Executive Officers entered into employment agreements that provide for post-employment compensation in the event of a change-in-control or if the Named Executive Officer is fired without Good Reason, as defined in each employment agreement.

These agreements require us to provide certain payments and benefits upon a qualifying termination of employment, which includes a termination of employment without cause or where the Named Executive Officer resigns with good reason, within three months preceding or 12 months following a change in control of the Company. The receipt of these payments and benefits are contingent upon the Named Executive Officer’s execution, delivery, and non-revocation of a release and waiver of claims satisfactory to us following the separation from service. In addition, for six months following termination of employment, and as a condition to the payments and benefits, the Named Executive Officer must cooperate with any transition efforts that we request and must not disparage us, or our directors, officers, or employees.

Our Named Executive Officers are eligible to receive severance payments and benefits upon a qualifying termination of employment in connection with a change in control of our Company. In addition, the outstanding RSU awards held by our Named Executive Officers provide for vesting and acceleration pursuant to a provision that supersedes any acceleration that would have been provided under their employment agreements.

We believe that the severance policy serves several objectives. First, it eliminates the need to negotiate separation payments and benefits on a case-by-case basis. It also helps assure an executive officer that his or her