John Nicols, born in 1966, is known for his strategic leadership in the biotechnology field, especially during his time as CEO of Codexis, Inc. Nicols earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, which paved the way for his impressive career...

John Nicols, born in 1966, is known for his strategic leadership in the biotechnology field, especially during his time as CEO of Codexis, Inc. Nicols earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, which paved the way for his impressive career in the chemical and biotechnology sectors. Before joining Codexis in 2012, he gathered extensive experience at Albemarle Corporation, where he handled significant roles in strategic development and catalysts. His journey with Codexis saw ups and downs, including a remarkable increase in the company's stock value, which peaked at nearly $46.63 million in late 2021. In 2022, following his retirement, he received a total compensation of around $919,795, showing his performance-based incentive structure led to substantial earnings during his tenure. John is also known for his proactive approach in aligning his wealth with the company's success, demonstrating a commitment to shareholder value while effectively guiding Codexis through a complex industry landscape.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other Codexis CEOs

C

John Nicols

Ex-CEO of Codexis

Education

MBA from Harvard Business School.

Field of Expertise

Healthcare & Life Sciences - Biotechnology

Sector of Economy

Healthcare

Born

January 1, 1966 - 59 years ago

CEO of Codexis for

4 years 9 months (Nov 2017 - Sep 2022)

Previous Experience

Various executive roles in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of John Nicols

Holdings

See how much did John Nicols make over time.

John Nicols' holdings exhibited notable fluctuations throughout his era at Codexis. His wealth reached a high of around $46.63 million in late 2021, but observations show a gradual decrease after his retirement, with values dropping to about $3.06 million by...

John Nicols' holdings exhibited notable fluctuations throughout his era at Codexis. His wealth reached a high of around $46.63 million in late 2021, but observations show a gradual decrease after his retirement, with values dropping to about $3.06 million by late 2023. This reflects both the volatile nature of biotechnology stocks and his significant stakes in the company during his leadership. Over the years, his holdings demonstrated his strong alignment with the company's success, with some months even hitting upwards of $33 million. The peak values suggest that during his most impactful periods at Codexis, Nicols enjoyed significant benefits correlated with the company's market performance.

Mar 17, 2025

A

shares

ALB @ $79.34

C

shares

CDXS @ $2.92

Total Stock Sold

$22.34M

CDXS

$16.09M

1,265,858 CDXS shares

ALB

$6.25M

95,443 ALB shares

What if they kept their stock?

If John Nicols didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra CDXS1,265,858 shares worth $15.57M and ALB95,443 shares worth $7.63M.
This is 3.87% and $864.75K more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

CDXS

60,000 shares

CDXS

Recent Charitable Transactions

CDXS

60,000 shares

CDXS

Feb 11, 2020

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of John Nicols.

CDXS

$299.25K

CDXS at $4.19/share

Apr 17, 2023

Sale

CDXS

$292.81K

CDXS at $4.10/share

Mar 15, 2023

Sale

CDXS

$384.80K

CDXS at $5.10/share

Feb 23, 2023

Sale

CDXS

$490.62K

CDXS at $6.50/share

Jan 23, 2023

Sale

CDXS

$427.86K

CDXS at $5.67/share

Dec 9, 2022

Sale

CDXS

$496.68K

CDXS at $6.58/share

Nov 15, 2022

Sale

CDXS

$423.28K

CDXS at $5.61/share

Oct 27, 2022

Sale

CDXS

$454.15K

CDXS at $6.02/share

Oct 5, 2022

Sale

CDXS

$674.31K

CDXS at $8.70/share

Aug 12, 2022

Sale

CDXS

$795.98K

CDXS at $10.34/share

May 11, 2022

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did John Nicols make over time.

In his role at Codexis, John Nicols received a well-structured compensation package that varied greatly year by year, depending on performance and company metrics. In 2022, he netted $919,795, which was notably lower than 2021 when he earned $3.44 million, including a hefty bonus. His total pay was largely based on aligning incentives with company performance, which included salary, bonuses, and other forms of compensation. Nicols' data reveals that he performed well under challenging conditions, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where his bonuses reflected a solid performance adjustment to corporate revenue and product achievements. His compensation model encouraged strong results, highlighting his significant contribution towards Codexis' growth over the years.

Year

2022

Total Compensation

$898.80K

Salary

$603.21K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is designed to attract and retain talented individuals, aligning their interests with those of stockholders through a mix of cash and equity-based compensation.

Bonus

$282.55K

Board Justification

Bonus payment based on corporate and individual achievement as part of the Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, capped at 85% of target due to modified performance goals.

Other

$13.04K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes a cell phone stipend and 401(k) matching contributions.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 N/A)

Board Justification

No stock was reported as vested in 2022 for John J. Nicols as he retired in August 2022.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics included corporate revenue, product revenue, and individual performance factors.

Other Codexis CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Codexis

Alan Shaw

Ex-CEO of Codexis

March 2011 - November 2017

Kevin Norrett

CEO of Codexis

September 2022 - Present