Achieve Life Sciences Appoints New CFO; Former CFO Steps Down

What Happened
Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. announced on October 1, 2026 that the Board appointed Benjamin Halladay as Chief Financial Officer and principal financial officer, effective October 5, 2026. Halladay, age 40, most recently served as CFO of Esperion Therapeutics (Nov 2022–Sep 2026) and has prior finance roles at Esperion and NOV Inc.; he holds an MBA and is a Certified Public Accountant. The Company also announced that Mark Oki will step down as CFO effective October 5, 2026; his departure is not due to any disagreement about the Company’s financial statements or disclosures and he will receive severance per his existing employment agreement.

Key Details

• Appointment effective date: October 5, 2026.
• Cash compensation: initial base salary of $525,000 and an annual discretionary bonus opportunity up to 40% of base salary.
• Equity awards: option to purchase up to 200,000 shares (1/4 vests at 1st anniversary, then 1/48th per month) and 200,000 restricted stock units (1/4 vests at 1st anniversary, then 1/4 per year).
• Severance: if terminated without cause (or resigns for good reason), Halladay is eligible for nine months’ base salary (12 months’ base + prorated bonus if tied to a change in control), a cash payment to cover monthly health premiums for the severance period, and accelerated vesting of unvested equity if termination is in connection with a change in control.
• Employment Agreements will be filed as exhibits to the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ending September 30, 2026.

Why It Matters
A new CFO is a material executive change that can affect financial strategy, reporting and investor communications. The compensation package combines cash and significant equity incentives, aligning the new CFO’s interests with shareholders while also including substantial severance protections (including change-in-control acceleration). The filing also reassures investors that the outgoing CFO’s departure was not due to disputes over financial reporting. Investors should watch the forthcoming 10-Q exhibit for full employment agreement details.