Moderna CFO Quits After Only One Day on the Job -- And Cashes Out With His Entire First-Year Salary The biotech company announced that Jorge Gomez was leaving his position, effective immediately.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Talk about a quick dash after securing the cash!
On Wednesday, pharmaceutical company Moderna announced that its CFO Jorge Gomez left after only one day on the job — but he'll still be collecting his full 12-month salary.
Prior to accepting his position at Moderna, Gomez served as the Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Dentsply Sirona Inc. since August 2019.
"The announcement follows the May 10 public disclosure by Mr. Gomez's former employer, Dentsply Sirona Inc., of an ongoing internal investigation into certain matters, including financial reporting," Moderna said in a company statement.
The internal probe in question will determine whether or not incentives that were used to help sell the dental supplier's products to widespread distributors were "properly accounted for," per CNBC.
Gomez' departure is effective immediately, with recently retired former CFO of the company, David Meline, filling in the position during the interim hiring process of a new candidate.
Related: Moderna Shares Spike After Company Says Its Covid Booster Increases Antibody Levels Against Omicron
Gomez was announced as Moderna's new CFO on April 11, with the position going into effect on May 9.
"It is a privilege for me to join an organization that is focused on developing transformative medicines to address major public healthcare challenges worldwide," Gomez said at the time. "I look forward to working with the team on this great mission."
Gomez' will still receive his $700,000 salary though he will no longer be eligible for his signing bonus or future bonuses within the one-year period.
Denstsply Board member and former Hillrom CEO John Groetelaars is currently serving as interim CEO.
The news comes after the April 19 announcement from Dentsply CEO Don Casey had been terminated from his position with the company after four years, three weeks before the company announced its less-than-stellar Q1 2022 earnings.
"The first quarter was a challenging quarter, and our financial performance and revised outlook reflect the impact of larger-than-expected macroeconomic headwinds and lower-than-expected performance in the United States," interim CEO Groetelaars told shareholders.
Moderna, on the other hand, had an exceptional first quarter, tripling Covid vaccine sales to an estimated $5.9 billion in revenue which sent shares skyrocketing over 7% in Wednesday's premarket trading.
