RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Liquidia Technologies, Inc., a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company, announced on Thursday the resignation of its chief financial officer Dr. Richard D. Katz, M.D, and named an interim successor, according to an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Katz resigned from his post on Wednesday “to pursue other opportunities,” the company said in an 8-K regulatory filing. The company added that Katz “has agreed to provide advice and assistance to the Company for a short period of time in order to support a smooth transition.”
The company’s board appointed Steven Bariahtaris as interim CFO, effective immediately.
Bariahtaris, 56, founded Arktoros, LLC, a life sciences consulting firm, in January 2020. He had been consulting Liquidia Technologies since the inception of his firm.
In the 8-K filing, Liquidia Technologies said it entered into a consulting agreement with Arktoros entitling Bariahtaris to a monthly fee of $65,000 from the time of his CFO appointment until Dec. 31, 2020, unless the contract is terminated earlier by either party.
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“Steve is a talented and proven leader who is known for his strategic insights, financial expertise and unwavering commitment to value creation. Steve’s vast experience in scaling and implementing financial capabilities and commercial readiness strategies will be instrumental during this truly transformative period for our company,” CEO Neal Fowler said in a press release.
According to the release, Bariahtaris spent 24 years at Johnson & Johnson, serving in leadership roles at the pharmaceutical giant and its subsidiaries.
Elsewhere, Liquidia said it’s finalizing a severance agreement and general release with Katz.
“We are very appreciative of Rich’s contributions to the company during his tenure and we wish him every success in his future endeavors,” Fowler said in the press release.
Liquidia Technologies Inc. (LQDA) closed at $5.97 per share Thursday, up 36 cents.
The press release can be found here. The 8-K filing is available here.
This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism
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