Ovid Therapeutics names Charles Carter CFO as Jeffrey Rona departs

Ovid Therapeutics Inc. disclosed in a July 8, 2026 filing that on July 5, 2026, the company and Jeffrey Rona, who held the roles of Chief Business and Financial Officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and secretary, mutually agreed that he would step down from those positions, effective July 6, 2026.¹ The board appointed Charles Carter, previously the company's Senior Vice President of Finance and Financial Planning, to take over as Chief Financial Officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and secretary, effective the same date.¹ The filing said Rona's exit did not stem from any dispute with Ovid over its accounting, financial statements, internal controls, operations, policies or practices.¹

Carter, 59, joins the CFO role after a background spanning biotech and medical device finance. He served as CFO and corporate secretary of CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. from February to September 2024, where he helped prepare the cellular immunotherapy company for a de-SPAC transaction.¹ Earlier, he was a Senior Director at Danforth Advisors from June 2022 to February 2024, and held CFO posts at iCAD, Inc. from May 2021 to May 2022 and GI Dynamics, Inc. from December 2018 to May 2021.¹

Under his new compensation package, Carter will earn an annual base salary of $460,000 with a target bonus of 35% of that salary¹, plus a restricted stock unit grant of 50,000 shares vesting in two equal installments starting July 6, 2027¹ and an additional discretionary cash bonus opportunity of $75,000 tied to corporate and individual goals.¹

Rona's separation includes 12 months of base salary paid monthly, a prorated 2026 bonus, and up to 12 months of COBRA coverage¹. He will also stay on under a consulting agreement running through December 31, 2027, during which his outstanding equity awards will continue to vest.¹