true 0000898437 0000898437 2023-01-01 2023-12-31 0000898437 2023-06-30 0000898437 2024-04-22 iso4217:USD xbrli:shares

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

Commission File Number 001-14027

 

 

 

 

(781) 457-9000

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

 

The aggregate market value of voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2023, the last day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $370,427,535 computed by reference to the closing price of common stock on such date. The registrant does not have any non-voting stock outstanding.

 

At April 22, 2024, there were 14,828,456 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table sets forth certain information about the current directors of our Company. Directors are elected for three-year terms, to hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders or special meeting in lieu of such annual meeting at the end of their term, or until their successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier deaths, resignations, or removal.

 

Our Board of Directors, or Board, is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive membership with varying experience, characteristics, and expertise that complement our business strategy. On an annual basis, the Board of Directors reviews the cumulative skill set of our Board members to insure we have the skills and experience we believe are required for Board oversight and governance of the Company and we undergo periodic Board refreshment accordingly. 6 of our 8 directors have a tenure of less than 5 years, including 2 of 8 directors being appointed in the last three years. Our directors, individually and as a group, possess a wide range of skills and experiences that are highly relevant as we transform our company, expand our business into new treatment areas and develop, manufacture, and launch new products. Our directors are strategic thinkers with high expectations for our performance. Our directors are attuned to the value and importance of diversity in all of its forms and the demands of proper Board oversight and good governance practices.

 

The following provides information regarding our directors as of April 22, 2024:

 

The following biographical descriptions set forth certain information with respect to the directors of our Board, based on information furnished to us by each director.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our executive officers as of April 22, 2024:

 

Our executive officers are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, our Board. The business experience for the past five years, and in some instances, for prior years, of each of our executive officers is as follows. Dr. Blanchard’s biography is included above in the section titled ‘Directors’.

 

Michael L. Levitz was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in August 2020. Mr. Levitz served as the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Insulet Corporation, a publicly traded, global medical device and drug delivery company, from 2015 to May 2019. From 2009 to 2015, Mr. Levitz was the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Analogic Corporation, a global provider of medical guidance, diagnostic imaging, and threat detection equipment. Previously, during his seven years with Hologic, Inc. and Cytyc Corporation (which merged with Hologic), Mr. Levitz served in various capacities including Vice President and Corporate Controller. Mr. Levitz began his career in the high technology audit practice at Arthur Andersen LLP. Mr. Levitz earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics, with emphasis in Accounting, from the University of California Santa Barbara and is a certified public accountant.

 

David B. Colleran was appointed Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in March 2020. Most recently, Mr. Colleran served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer at Insulet Corporation, a publicly traded, global medical device and drug delivery company, from July 2015 through March 2019. Prior to that, from 2010 to 2015, he held the role of Vice President and General Counsel of the Medical Supplies segment, and from 2006 to 2010, he held the role of Associate General Counsel, both at Covidien, a global manufacturer of medical devices and supplies acquired by Medtronic in 2015. Prior to that, he was Corporate Counsel at Ocean Spray Cranberries. Mr. Colleran began his career as a corporate attorney at the law firm Choate, Hall & Stewart. Mr. Colleran holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.

 

Anne M. Nunes was appointed Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer in June 2023. Prior to her appointment as Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, Ms. Nunes was our Vice President of Operations since September 2021. Prior to joining the Company, from 2019 to 2021, Ms. Nunes served as Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Smith & Nephew, a global portfolio medical technology company focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. From 2012 to 2019, Ms. Nunes held roles of increasing responsibility with Smith & Nephew, including Senior Vice President of Process Optimization, Vice President of Supply Chain for the Advance Surgical Devices division, and Chief Information Officer of the Sports Medicine business. Prior to 2012, Ms. Nunes held positions at Biogen Idec, a global biotechnology company that pioneers science and drives innovations for complex and devastating diseases, and Eli Lilly & Co., a pharmaceutical company. Ms. Nunes holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Illinois and a Masters of Business Administration from Boston University.

 

 

There are no family relationships among any of our directors and executive officers.

 

 

 

The Board of Directors annually reviews the independence of all non-employee directors. In 2020, the Board established categorical standards consistent with the corporate governance standards of NASDAQ to assist the Board in making determinations of the independence of Board members. A copy of our Standards for Director Independence, which was adopted by the Board in April 2020, is available on the investor relations portion of our website at https://ir.anika.com/governance-documents. These categorical standards require that, to be independent, a director may not have a material relationship with our Company. Even if a director meets all categorical standards for independence, the Board reviews other relationships with Anika in order to conclude that each independent director has no material relationship with Anika either directly or indirectly.

 

The Board has determined that each of the continuing directors and director nominees, other than our President and Chief Executive Officer, Cheryl R. Blanchard, Ph.D., is “independent” within the meaning of the director independence standards of NASDAQ and the SEC. The Board based these determinations primarily on a review of the responses of each director and director nominee to questions regarding employment and compensation history, affiliations, and family and other relationships, and on other relevant discussions with the directors and director nominees.

 

Independent directors meet regularly in executive sessions without management participation. The executive sessions generally occur in connection with regularly scheduled meetings of the Board and committees of the Board, and at other times the independent directors deem appropriate. The executive sessions are chaired either by the Chair of the Board or by the Chair of the Board committee, as applicable.

 

The Board and its committees review matters related to our corporate governance periodically at regularly scheduled meetings. The Board’s review process includes an evaluation of our bylaws, committee charters, diversity programs, corporate social and environmental responsibility initiatives, and other matters related to our governance. During this review, the Board assesses input from management and outside consultants as appropriate to discern whether any actions should be taken on any of these topics. Furthermore, the Board conducts periodic evaluations that focus on the effectiveness of the Board as a whole and of its committees. Board members complete a detailed questionnaire that provides for quantitative rankings in key areas and seeks subjective comments in each of those areas. In addition, members of each Board committee complete a detailed questionnaire to evaluate how well their committee is operating and to make suggestions for improvement. The evaluation process is managed by the Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee, with advice and assistance from outside counsel. Outside counsel may conduct separate, confidential interviews with some or all of the directors to follow-up on responses and comments reflected in the questionnaires to the extent it is determined helpful or necessary. An anonymized summary of the principal findings from the evaluation process is prepared by outside counsel and is used as the basis for self-assessment discussions by the Board and its committees.

 

The Board met 13 times during 2023. Each of the directors attended at least 75% of the of the Board meetings in 2023 during the director’s term.

 

Our annual meetings of stockholders are generally held to coincide with one of the Board’s regularly scheduled meetings.

 

The Board’s Leadership Structure

 

In connection with Jeffery Thompson’s announcement in February 2024 of his planned retirement from the Board effective as of the end of his current term at the 2024 Annual Meeting, John B. Henneman, III was appointed as the Chair of the Board effective February 24, 2024. Separating the roles of Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer allows our Chief Executive Officer to focus on the strategic management of our day-to-day business, while allowing the Chair of the Board to focus on leading the Board of Directors in its fundamental role of providing advice to, and independently overseeing, management. The Board recognizes the time, effort, and energy that the Chief Executive Officer is required to devote to the position in the current business environment, as well as the commitment required to serve as Chair of the Board, particularly as the Board’s oversight responsibilities continue to grow. The Board believes that having separate positions, with an independent, non-executive director serving as Chair of the Board, is the appropriate leadership structure for our Company at this time and allows the Board to fulfill its role in maintaining independence from management.

 

 

The Board’s Role in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Oversight

 

The Board of Directors believes that our Company has a broad responsibility that takes into account the positive effect we seek to have on the people we employ, serve and support, and the environment and the communities where we live and work. The full Board has oversight of our environmental, social and governance, or ESG, initiatives, which are the direct responsibility of a cross-functional group comprised of members of our senior management team under the leadership of our Vice President, Investor Relations, ESG and Corporate Communications.

 

The Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

 

The role of the Board of Directors in our risk oversight process includes receiving reports from management and the Chairs of Board committees on areas of material risk to our Company, including operational, financial, commercial, legal, regulatory, strategic, cybersecurity and reputational risks. The Board has delegated primary responsibility to the Audit Committee to review these matters and discuss with management the process by which management assesses and manages our risk exposure, risk management, and risk mitigation strategies. The Audit Committee also works with other committees to assess areas of risk under the particular purview of those committees. When the Audit Committee receives a report from management or another committee, the Chair of the Audit Committee reviews the matter and then summarizes the review in a presentation to the full Board. This enables the Board and its committees to coordinate the risk oversight role to ensure that all directors receive all significant risk-related information. The Board also administers its risk oversight function through the required approval by the Board (or a committee of the Board) of significant transactions and other material decisions and through regular periodic reports from our independent registered public accounting firm and other outside consultants regarding various areas of potential risk, including, among others, those relating to our internal controls and financial reporting. In addition, as part of its charter, the Audit Committee discusses with management significant financial and operational risks and exposures, as well as the steps management has taken to minimize those risks. This includes the oversight and management of cybersecurity risks through the review of data management and security initiatives and significant existing and emerging cybersecurity risks, including material cybersecurity incidents and their impact on the Company.

 

 

The Board of Directors currently has four standing committees:

 

•         Audit Committee;

•         Compensation Committee;

•         Governance and Nominating Committee; and

•         Capital Allocation Committee.

 

The membership of each standing committee was as follows as of April 22, 2024:

 

 

 

The Board has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee, Capital Allocation Committee, Compensation Committee, and Governance and Nominating Committee, each of which is reviewed yearly by that committee. You can find these charters on the investor relations portion of our website at https://ir.anika.com/board-committees.

 

 

 

 

The Audit Committee held 8 meetings in 2023. Each of the members attended all of the Audit Committee meetings held in 2023 while the member served on the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee holds separate sessions of its meetings, outside the presence of management, with our independent auditor in conjunction with each regularly scheduled Audit Committee meeting in which the independent auditor participates. During 2023, the Audit Committee regularly met privately with our management and held executive sessions with only non-employee directors in attendance as appropriate. No director is eligible to serve on the Audit Committee if that director simultaneously serves on the audit committees of three or more other public companies.

 

The current members of the Audit Committee are Stephen O. Richard, who serves as Chair, Sheryl L. Conley, and Susan L. N. Vogt. The Board has determined that each member is independent, as defined for purposes of the SEC and NASDAQ, is financially literate, and has the requisite financial sophistication to serve on the Audit Committee. The Board has also determined that each of Mr. Richard and Ms. Vogt qualifies under SEC rules as an “audit committee financial expert,” which designation is an SEC disclosure requirement related to their experience and understanding of certain accounting and auditing matters. The designation does not impose upon either of the members any duties, obligations, or liabilities that are greater than those otherwise imposed on them as members of the Audit Committee and the Board.

 

 

 

 

 

The Capital Allocation Committee held 2 meetings in 2023. Each of the members attended all of the Capital Allocation Committee meetings held in 2023 while the member served on the Capital Allocation Committee.

 

In 2023, the members of the Capital Allocation Committee were Jeffery S. Thompson, who served as Chair, Gary P. Fischetti, and John B. Henneman, III. The current members of the Capital Allocation Committee are Stephen O. Richard, who serves as Chair, Gary P. Fischetti, and John B. Henneman, III.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Compensation Committee held 7 meetings in 2023. Each of the members attended at least 75% of the Compensation Committee meetings held in 2023 while the member served on the Compensation Committee. During 2023, the Compensation Committee regularly held executive sessions with only non-employee directors in attendance as appropriate, including when evaluating the performance of Dr. Cheryl R. Blanchard.

 

The current members of the Compensation Committee are John B. Henneman, III, who serves as Chair, Sheryl L. Conley, Gary P. Fischetti and Glenn R. Larsen, Ph.D. The Board has determined that each current member of the Compensation Committee is independent, as defined in the listing standards of NASDAQ.

 

 

 

 

The Governance and Nominating Committee held 2 meetings in 2023. Each of the members attended all of the of the Governance and Nominating Committee meetings held in 2023 while the member served on the Governance and Nominating Committee. During 2023, the Governance and Nominating Committee regularly held executive sessions with only non-employee directors in attendance as appropriate. In 2023, the Governance and Nominating Committee focused on reviewing the skill set of the Board members as a whole to ensure that the Board represents a balanced skill set enabling appropriate Board oversight of our Company in relation to our industry, strategic plan and stockholder alignment.

 

The current members of the Governance and Nominating Committee are Susan L. N. Vogt, who serves as Chair, John B. Henneman, III, and Glenn R. Larsen, Ph.D. The Board has determined that each current member of the Governance and Nominating Committee is independent, as defined in the listing standards of NASDAQ.

 

 

When considering candidates for director, the Governance and Nominating Committee takes into account a number of factors, including the following minimum qualifications: the nominee (a) shall have the highest personal and professional integrity, (b) shall have demonstrated exceptional ability and judgment, and (c) shall be most effective, in conjunction with the other members of the Board of Directors, in collectively serving the long-term interests of the stockholders. In addition, the Governance and Nominating Committee takes into consideration such other factors as it deems appropriate, including any direct and applicable experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and/or life sciences industries, or in the markets in which we operate. The Governance and Nominating Committee may also consider, among other things, the skills of the candidate, his or her availability based on other commitments, including those related to other boards or committees that the candidate is involved with, the candidate’s depth and breadth of experience or other background characteristics, and his or her independence.

 

 

In addition to the considerations above, the Board strongly believes that diversity is an important component of a successful and effective board of directors and good corporate governance, including diversity of background, skills, experience, gender, race, and ethnicity. The Governance and Nominating Committee, guided by its charter, assesses and considers the diversity of the Board prior to nominating candidates and seeks to identify director candidates who will enhance the Board’s overall diversity. The Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board select candidates on the basis of qualifications and experience without discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sex, sexual preference, or religion. Accordingly, it is the practice of the Governance and Nominating Committee to include, and we request that any search firms we engage include, candidates with diversity in gender and demographic backgrounds in any pool from which the Governance and Nominating Committee selects director candidates. We believe that our current Board members collectively reflect a broad range of knowledge, expertise, and experience in the disciplines that impact our business.

 

Our bylaws include a procedure that stockholders must follow to nominate a person for election as a director at an annual meeting of stockholders. The bylaws require that timely notice of the nomination in proper written form, including all required information as specified in the bylaws, be mailed to the Governance and Nominating Committee in care of our Chief Executive Officer, Anika Therapeutics, Inc., 32 Wiggins Avenue, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730. A copy of our bylaws can be viewed on the investor relations portion of our website at https://ir.anika.com/governance-documents. The Governance and Nominating Committee will consider director nominees recommended by stockholders in accordance with the Anika Therapeutics, Inc. Policy and Procedures for Stockholder Nominations to the Board, a copy of which is available on the investor relations portion of our website at https://ir.anika.com/governance-documents. Recommendations should be submitted to our Secretary in writing at Anika Therapeutics, Inc., 32 Wiggins Avenue, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, along with additional required information about the nominee and the stockholder making the recommendation. The Governance and Nominating Committee may solicit recommendations for candidates for directors from non-management directors, the Chief Executive Officer, other executive officers, third-party search firms, and such other sources as it deems appropriate, including stockholders. The Governance and Nominating Committee will review and evaluate the qualifications of all such proposed candidates in the same manner and without regard to the source of the recommendation.

 

 

The Board of Directors seeks input from a wide variety of sources to inform their work, including from stockholders. The Board welcomes stockholder input via voting, via participating in our annual meetings of stockholders, via our stockholder engagement program, and, more formally, via mail. If you wish to communicate with any of our directors, or the Board as a group, you may do so by writing to the individual director or to the Board, in care of our Chief Executive Officer, Anika Therapeutics, Inc., 32 Wiggins Avenue, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730. We recommend that all correspondence be sent via certified U.S. mail, return receipt requested. All correspondence received by the Chief Executive Officer will be forwarded to the appropriate addressee. Communications involving substantive accounting or auditing matters will be forwarded to the Chair of the Audit Committee. Communications that pertain to non-financial matters will be forwarded to the relevant director.

 

 

The Board of Directors has adopted the Anika Therapeutics, Inc. Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to clarify, disseminate, and enforce the requirement and expectation that all of our officers, directors, and employees worldwide conduct our business in an honest and ethical manner and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applies to all of our officers, directors, and employees worldwide, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. It is our goal to aid our employees and Board members in making ethical and legal decisions when conducting Company business and performing daily duties. We cannot anticipate every situation an employee or Board member may face when conducting business on behalf of our Company, and we therefore encourage our employees and Board members to speak with any one of several Company representatives when he or she encounters situations giving rise to a question or concern regarding compliance with our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics can be viewed on the investor relations portion of our website at https://ir.anika.com/governance-documents.

 

 

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s Directors, executive officers and holders of more than 10% of the Company’s common stock (the Reporting Persons) to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock of the Company. Such persons are required by regulations of the SEC to furnish the Company with copies of all such filings. Based on its review of the copies of such filings received by it from January 1, 2023 to the present, the Company believes that no Reporting Person filed a late report during the referenced timeframe. While we are not aware of any late filings, the Form 3 filing for Anne M. Nunes made on June 26, 2023 incorrectly reported the Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned under Table I, Column 2 as 3,293 shares. That amount was corrected to 4,777 shares in a Form 3/A filed on January 12, 2024.

 

 

 

This section describes and analyzes the material elements of the 2023 compensation for our named executive officers, or NEOs, determined in accordance with SEC rules, as follows:

 

 

 

Founded in 1992, Anika Therapeutics, Inc. is a global joint preservation company that creates and delivers meaningful advancements in early intervention orthopedic care. Based on our collaborations with clinicians to understand what they need most to treat their patients, we develop minimally invasive products that restore active living for people around the world. We are committed to leading in high opportunity spaces within orthopedics, including osteoarthritis, or OA, pain management, regenerative solutions, sports medicine and Arthrosurface joint solutions.

 

We have more than thirty years of global expertise developing, manufacturing and commercializing products based on our hyaluronic acid, or HA, technology platform. In early 2020, we enhanced our overall technology platform, product portfolio, and significantly expanded our commercial infrastructure, especially in the United States, through our strategic acquisitions of Parcus Medical, LLC, or Parcus Medical, a sports medicine and instrumentation solutions provider, and Arthrosurface Incorporated, or Arthrosurface, a company specializing in bone preserving partial and total joint replacement solutions. These acquisitions have been part of the transformation of our company by augmenting our HA-based OA pain management and regenerative products with a broad suite of products and capabilities focused on early intervention joint preservation primarily in upper and lower extremities such as shoulder, foot/ankle, knee and hand/wrist. In addition, these acquisitions expanded our product development expertise in the regenerative solutions space.

 

 

 

 

Our 2023 key accomplishments included:

 

 

 

As described more fully below, we made compensation decisions for our NEOs for 2023 that reflect our ongoing commitment to align our executive compensation program with the interests of our stockholders.

 

 

 

 

* Ms. Nunes was promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer in June 2023 and her compensation data is excluded.

 

     

 

Reported Compensation Value reflects: Base salary, target annual bonus values, and reported grant date fair values of annual equity awards.

Realizable Compensation Value reflects: Base salary earned, actual annual bonus payout values, and the value of equity compensation realized upon vesting based on the closing stock price on the vest date, with those tranches not yet vested valued at the 12/29/2023 closing stock price of $22.66. Premium-priced options, both vested and unvested portions, for all three years were “underwater” as of 12/29/2023.

 

 

At the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, approximately 89% of votes cast were in favor of our executive compensation program. The Board and the Compensation Committee viewed this strong support as an indicator of general approval of our approach to executive compensation.

 

We maintain an annual stockholder engagement program to provide regular updates to our stockholders about our performance and to solicit their feedback, including outreach specifically on our executive compensation program. In May and June 2023, we contacted stockholders collectively representing over 80% of our outstanding common stock and engaged with stockholders representing approximately 40% of our outstanding common stock. During those engagements, we discussed our compensation philosophy, performance, strategy, capital allocation, corporate governance and ESG initiatives, and our stockholders were generally supportive of our approach to our executive compensation program.

 

We welcome, appreciate and will continue to solicit feedback from our stockholders, and will continue to consider this feedback as we seek to enhance our compensation program and related narrative disclosure, including the information provided in the following discussion.

 

 

The Compensation Committee oversees our overall compensation program and approves our compensation policies. The overriding goal of our compensation program is to drive long-term high performance and increase stockholder value through our pay programs and corporate culture. As a result, the Compensation Committee incorporates performance into many aspects of our compensation program, including pay levels, incentive payouts, and pay opportunities. Corporate and individual goals are set through our yearly budgeting and strategic planning processes and these goals are ultimately reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors prior to, or at the beginning of, each year.

 

The Compensation Committee, utilizing the structure of our compensation program and, as appropriate, its discretion, implements our executive compensation program to reward our NEOs when their performance meets or exceeds established goals. A significant portion of each NEO’s incentive compensation is weighted towards the management team’s achievement against targeted goals (rather than individual performance), so that if we meet or exceed our goals, the team earns compensation at or above target levels. Conversely, if the team fails to meet the minimum thresholds, they will not be awarded the targeted components of the performance-based compensation.

 

 

As a general matter, the Compensation Committee uses compensation data from the annual compensation study of competitive peer companies to inform its decisions about overall compensation opportunities and specific compensation elements. Additionally, the Compensation Committee uses multiple reference points when establishing targeted compensation levels, and it does not benchmark specific elements or total compensation to a specific level or percentile relative to peer companies or the broader market.

 

Rather than rely on a specific formula-based model, the Compensation Committee applies judgment and discretion in establishing targeted pay levels, considering not only competitive market data, but also factors such as company, business, and individual performance, scope of responsibility, critical needs and skill sets, leadership potential, and succession planning. The Compensation Committee believes that retaining this discretion gives the Compensation Committee the ability to more accurately reflect factors and individual contributions that cannot be absolutely quantified. The Compensation Committee also considers our primary physical location near Boston, Massachusetts, the high level of competition for highly qualified life sciences employees in that geographic area, and the need to remain competitive with the compensation offered by other life sciences companies to ensure the successful recruitment and retention of top performing executives and employees, all of which have become more challenging in recent years.

 

We have designed our compensation program to:

 

  

 

 

We believe that our executive compensation program includes key features that align the performance and objectives of the NEOs and our Company with the interests of our stockholders and does not include features that misalign NEO and corporate objectives with stockholder interests. During 2023, we arranged our compensation program in accordance with the practices set forth below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In setting the compensation for our NEOs, the Compensation Committee relies primarily on our overall financial performance and an assessment of each individual’s performance and contribution to the achievement of our goals. The Compensation Committee seeks to align the metrics it uses in evaluating our executive compensation with the metrics that we use to evaluate our performance more generally, including those metrics that we publicly disclose.

 

In 2021, to reflect best market practice and preferences of our stockholders, the Compensation Committee began to use premium-priced stock options as a performance-based equity award to further align individual performance with our goals for growth and stockholder value appreciation. This practice was continued in 2023.

 

 

The Compensation Committee balances corporate goals and objectives, including certain financial metrics, product development, share price performance and individual performance, including, but not limited to, completion of strategic projects/transactions and new product releases, in making decisions on annual cash bonus payments. Additionally, the Compensation Committee considers the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer in its review with regard to other NEO performance (other than the Chief Executive Officer) and resulting compensation decisions. In 2023, following the determination of the corporate bonus payout at 94.5% of target, to foster alignment with our stockholders, the Compensation Committee determined to apply certain individual performance adjustments to the bonus payouts for the NEOs, resulting in a total bonus payout of 94.5% of target for Dr. Blanchard, 95.6% of target for each of Messrs. Colleran and Levitz, and 93.1% of target for Ms. Nunes. The Committee recognized the commitment and leadership that the NEOs demonstrated throughout the year maintaining a healthy balance sheet with a focus on revenue and adjusted EBITDA, managing our strategic investments in the development and rollout of a growing product portfolio, driving process and system improvements, and delivering on our commitment to improve employee engagement and culture throughout the organization.

 

 

In addition to corporate and individual performance metrics, the Compensation Committee weighs other quantitative factors, such as general compensation trends, in making compensation decisions. In this regard, the Compensation Committee periodically reviews surveys of executive compensation and information concerning compensation in general and at similarly situated companies. For the 2023 compensation cycle, the Compensation Committee elected to engage a new compensation consultant, Willis Towers Watson, or WTW, in 2022 to provide executive compensation consulting services to the Compensation Committee, to assist the Compensation Committee in selecting an appropriate peer group for compensation comparisons, and to perform an executive compensation review. The Compensation Committee assessed the independence of WTW under the applicable SEC and NASDAQ Listing Rules and concluded that the continued engagement of WTW did not raise any conflicts of interest and did not adversely affect WTW’s independence.

 

In completing its analysis for 2023, the Compensation Committee reviewed competitive data compiled by WTW from a peer group comprised of 17 companies in related businesses at similar stages of development and of similar size in terms of market capitalization and employee population (see Determination of the Compensation Peer Group below). The Compensation Committee also reviewed market data from the 2022 Radford Global Life Sciences Survey, or the Radford Survey, covering public biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. The Compensation Committee uses competitive compensation data from these peer company and industry reviews to inform its decisions about overall compensation opportunities and specific compensation elements.

 

Additionally, the Compensation Committee uses multiple reference points when establishing targeted compensation levels. While the Compensation Committee considers benchmarking data and may factor certain benchmarking data elements into its compensation decisions, it does not generally seek to benchmark specific compensation elements or total compensation to a specific level or percentile relative to the peer companies or the broader United States market. Rather than rely on a specific formula-based model, the Compensation Committee applies its judgment in establishing targeted pay levels, considering not only competitive market data, but also factors such as company, business, and individual performance, scope of responsibility, critical needs and skill sets, leadership potential, and succession planning.

 

The Compensation Committee believes this approach gives the committee the ability to more accurately reflect factors and individual contributions that cannot be absolutely quantified. The Compensation Committee also considers our primary locations near Boston, Massachusetts, the high level of competition for highly qualified life sciences employees in that area, and the need to remain competitive with the compensation offered by other life sciences companies to ensure the successful recruitment and retention of top performing executives and employees.

 

 

 

With our compensation consultant’s assistance, the Compensation Committee reviews and adjusts our peer group annually to ensure that the industry data we review is relevant to our current and near-term future activities and goals. We believe that the adjustments we made to our 2023 peer group are appropriate to better reflect changes in our Company over time, based on our history of strong financial performance, growing product pipeline, commercial strategies, and our Global Industrial Classification System, or GICS, Code as a Biotechnology company. Given this dynamic, the Compensation Committee determined it was appropriate to blend biotechnology companies with medical device companies in a ratio of approximately 2/3 to 1/3, as we did for 2022. The Compensation Committee adopted the following peer group in November 2022 for use in 2023 compensation decisions:

 

 

 

Our 2023 NEO compensation was made up of three key components:

 

 

Aside from Cheryl R. Blanchard, Ph.D., each of the current NEOs is an at-will employee with terms of employment documented on our standard form of offer letter. For additional detailed information regarding the compensation of Dr. Blanchard resulting from her employment agreement with us, please see the section captioned “Other Compensation Matters – Dr. Blanchard’s Employment Agreement” below.

 

 

The first principal component of compensation for our executive officers is base salary, which is paid to our NEOs in recognition of the talents and the unique skills each NEO possesses and which are required to drive our Company toward achievement of its goals and objectives. Base salaries for our NEOs are subject to annual review by the Compensation Committee. For this purpose, the Compensation Committee considers a number of factors, including the individual’s level of responsibility, experience, and performance. The Compensation Committee also considers market practices as described above, taking into account any contractual obligations. Salaries are reviewed and determined at the discretion of the Compensation Committee on an annual basis, and there is no guaranteed year-over-year increase to any of the NEOs’ salaries.

 

For 2023, annualized base salaries and compensation increases, as applicable, for the NEOs are set forth below. All NEOs, except Ms. Nunes, received a limited 4.5% merit-based salary increase, which was consistent with our annual merit budget and largely in line with the rest of our employees. Ms. Nunes received a 6% merit-based salary increase in her role as Vice President, Operations, and a subsequent base salary increase in connection with her promotion to Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer in June 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

The second principal component of our compensation policy for executive officers consists of cash bonuses, which are generally paid to our NEOs to motivate attainment of our near-term goals that are consistent with our long-term strategic plan.

 

Each NEO has a target annual bonus amount established by the Compensation Committee at the beginning of each year that is expressed as a percentage of the NEO’s base salary. In 2023, with the exception of the target for Anne M. Nunes, which changed from 35% to 45% in connection with her June 2023 promotion, these targets were unchanged from the prior year’s targets for individuals in similar positions. The Compensation Committee establishes the target bonus amounts consistent with the compensation philosophy described above, including consideration of market practices, and to provide, in its view, an appropriate balance between fixed (salary) and variable (bonus) cash compensation. The 2023 target bonus amounts for the NEOs were as follows:

 

 

 

Actual bonus amounts awarded are not formulaic and depend on the Compensation Committee’s assessment of both our business and individual NEO performance after the completion of each year. The Compensation Committee considers factors such as our financial performance, our overall operational performance, and our contribution to increasing stockholder value to determine an appropriate level of baseline cash bonus compensation for our NEOs. Once the Compensation Committee has established this baseline, it considers the applicable individual performance with respect to individual goals and contribution to overall Company performance to adjust each individual NEO’s cash bonus award.

 

 

After the completion of the 2023 fiscal year, the Compensation Committee, with the assistance of our Chief Executive Officer, reviewed the performance of the Company, as well as the individual performance of each executive officer (other than the CEO’s own performance). The accomplishments set forth in the Executive Summary section titled “Our Fiscal Year 2023 Business Performance” and below were considered in this review.

 

 

In 2023, we delivered strong financial results and achieved significant strategic and operational goals as set forth in the section captioned “Our Fiscal Year 2023 Business Performance” above, including among other achievements, the following:

 

 

We entered 2024 with a healthy balance sheet having launched meaningful new products, achieved record annual revenue in OA pain management, made considerable progress in addressing the new MDR regulatory requirements in Europe and continued to dedicate our efforts toward driving value creation.

 

On balance, the Compensation Committee determined that while we outperformed on our financial goals and we continued to make strong overall business progress transforming our organization, especially in light of the ongoing impact of macroeconomic volatility and inflationary pressures, and continued disruption of our distributor and supply chain networks during 2023, we did not achieve expected performance levels on certain smaller components of our Customer and Product goals and People and Culture goals. As such, the Compensation Committee determined an initial corporate bonus payout of 94.5% of target appropriately reflected results achieved by the management team in 2023.

 

Final bonus payouts for our NEOs were subject to adjustment based on individual performance achievement against individual goals, which included a range of financial, commercial, regulatory, and employee engagement objectives tailored to each executive’s responsibilities, as well as contributions to overall Company performance. Overall, our NEOs had strong performance during the year and significantly contributed to our business and financial performance results with demonstrated commitment and leadership navigating the macroeconomic uncertainties and accelerating our progress, and the Compensation Committee determined to apply certain incremental additional positive adjustments for the payout for certain individual performances. The bonus targets based on annualized salary and final actual bonus amounts paid are presented in the table below.

 

 

 

 

The third principal component of our compensation policy for executive officers consists of grants under our equity incentive plan, which are generally provided to our NEOs to align their goals and objectives with the interests of our stockholders, to motivate attainment of our long-term strategic vision, and for retention purposes. Under our equity incentive plan, NEOs may be granted stock options or other forms of equity awards, including restricted stock awards and units, performance-based equity awards, and stock appreciation rights. Equity awards typically are approved at regularly scheduled Compensation Committee meetings, generally during the first quarter of each year given the meeting’s proximity to the beginning of the performance period for performance-based awards, and generally granted effective on the third full business day following our announcement of financial and business results for the completed prior fiscal year.

 

 

The amount and form of equity-based grants each year are determined by the Compensation Committee using the compensation philosophy described above, including the Compensation Committee’s informed judgment, and taking into account our performance, competitive market practices, past and expected individual performance achievements, past and expected contributions to overall Company performance, and the need to attract and retain talented executives in an extremely competitive environment who can drive and implement our transformation, growth and operational excellence strategies. For the last several years, the Compensation Committee has increasingly used performance-based equity awards to align the interests of our NEOs with those of our stockholders.

 

In 2023, our Chief Executive Officer was granted equity awards, the value of which was split approximately evenly between performance-based stock options in the form of premium priced stock options priced at 110% of fair market value on the grant date and time-vesting restricted stock units. Other NEOs, with the exception of Ms. Nunes who was not an executive officer at the time of grant, received a similar split in value as the CEO between time-vesting restricted stock units and performance based time-vesting stock options in the form of the same premium-priced stock options. The value of equity awards granted to Ms. Nunes in 2023 was split approximately 2/3 in time-based vesting restricted stock units and 1/3 in performance based time-vesting stock options in the form of the same premium-priced stock options. The restricted stock units and the premium-priced stock options vest in three equal annual installments beginning one year from the grant date. We believe premium-priced stock options granted with an exercise price of 110% of the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date inherently drive individual and Company performance, while strongly aligning executive interests with stockholder interests by generating stockholder value through increased stock performance over time.

 

For 2023, the Compensation Committee awarded the following balanced mix of time-vesting restricted stock units and premium-priced stock options:

 

 

 

 

Employment and Executive Retention Agreements Effective at December 31, 2023

 

Prior to 2023, we had entered into an employment agreement with Cheryl R. Blanchard (as described below under “Dr. Blanchard’s Employment Agreement”) and executive retention agreements with each of the other NEOs. While the NEOs remain employed at-will, these agreements are intended to provide market-level severance compensation to be competitive with our peer group of comparable companies and to promote retention. We believe that these agreements are fair to the executives and to our stockholders because they provide relatively modest severance in exchange for the restrictive covenants that help protect our Company. These restrictive covenants include standard non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement, and confidentiality restrictions. The agreements are discussed in connection with the “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” table below.

 

Each agreement provides for severance benefits that may be triggered by an involuntary termination of employment by us without “cause” or by the executive for “good reason” (as defined in each agreement), or a qualifying termination. The level of severance benefits depends on whether the involuntary termination occurs during or outside of a change in control protected period that runs from three months before until 12 months after a change in control (as defined in each agreement). In addition, the agreements provide for full vesting of outstanding equity awards upon a qualifying termination occurring during the period from three months before until 12 months after a change in control for awards granted after January 29, 2019. Equity awards granted prior to January 29, 2019 will continue to vest in full upon the occurrence of a change in control in accordance with the award terms. Except as described in this paragraph and for certain equity grants made to Dr. Blanchard upon her appointment as our President and Chief Executive Officer, none of the equity grants made to our NEOs provide for accelerated vesting upon termination of their employment by us without “cause” or by the executive for “good reason.” If “golden parachute” excise taxes would be triggered by payments due in connection with termination during a change in control protected period, the agreements provide for a cut-back in the payments to avoid the excise tax, if the cut-back would result in a greater after-tax benefit to the executive.

 

The following summarizes the cash and health benefits (i.e., Company payment of premiums under our health plans) severance provided to the NEOs as of December 31, 2023:

 

 

 

Dr. Blanchard’s Employment Agreement

 

Dr. Blanchard was appointed our President and Chief Executive Officer effective April 26, 2020. In connection with her appointment, we and Dr. Blanchard entered into an employment agreement effective as of April 23, 2020, or the Agreement. The Agreement has an initial term of April 26, 2020 through December 31, 2021, which automatically renews for successive 1-year periods unless either party elects nonrenewal in accordance with the Agreement. The Agreement provided for an initial annual base salary of $625,000 and a target annual bonus opportunity equal to 85% percent of annual base salary. In addition, the Agreement provided for the following initial equity awards: (i) a time-based restricted stock unit grant covering 73,726 shares, eligible to vest in equal annual installments over three years; (ii) a performance-based restricted stock unit grant covering 80,620 shares at target, eligible to vest up to 150% of the target shares on February 25, 2023; (iii) a time-based stock option grant covering 104,638 shares, eligible to vest in equal annual installments over three years; and (iv) a performance-based stock option grant covering 104,638 shares at target, eligible to vest up to 150% of the target shares based on our total stockholder return relative to a comparison group of companies set forth in the Agreement through December 31, 2022. In each case, vesting generally required Dr. Blanchard’s continued employment through the relevant vesting date. The Agreement provides for (i) reimbursement of reasonable business expenses, (ii) the payment of up to $10,000 in legal fees incurred by Dr. Blanchard in connection with the Agreement, (iii) participation in our benefit plans, and (iv) 30 paid vacation days per year. Under the Agreement, if Dr. Blanchard’s employment is terminated due to death, disability (as defined in the Agreement), by us without “cause” (as defined in the Agreement and including our nonrenewal of the term of the Agreement), or by Dr. Blanchard for “good reason” (as defined in the Agreement), Dr. Blanchard would become entitled to (i) 18 months of base salary, (ii) continued payment of Company premiums under our benefit plans for 18 months and (iii) if such termination is not due to disability and occurs prior to December 31, 2021, pro rata vesting of the time-based restricted stock unit grant and the time-based option grant described above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such a termination without cause or for good reason occurs within 3 months prior to or 12 months after a change in control (as defined in the Agreement), Dr. Blanchard would become entitled to (i) 2 times the sum of her base salary and her target annual bonus, (ii) continued payment of Company premiums under our benefit plans for 18 months and (iii) vesting of her equity awards. The performance-based restricted stock unit grant and each other award with a performance metric-based vesting condition (other than a total stockholder return-based vesting condition) would vest based on the greater of assumed target performance or actual performance measured through the date of termination. For the total stockholder return-based option grant (and any other award with a total stockholder return-based vesting condition), the applicable performance period would be shortened to end as of immediately prior to the change in control and performance would be measured at such time. Any such severance benefits under the Agreement are contingent on Dr. Blanchard entering into and not revoking a general release of claims in favor of our Company, our affiliates, and our service providers. Finally, the Agreement contains customary covenants related to non-competition and non-solicitation for 12 months following termination of employment, as well as customary covenants related to confidentiality, inventions and intellectual property rights.

 

 

The NEOs are eligible to participate in our health and welfare programs, 401(k) plan with Company matching, and other benefit programs on the same basis as other employees. This includes our Deferred Compensation Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or ESPP, which stockholders approved at our 2021 Annual Meeting. Our ESPP provides the opportunity for all eligible U.S. based employees, including our NEOs, to purchase Company stock, further aligning management and stockholder interests.

 

 

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally limits our annual corporate tax deduction for compensation paid to each of our “covered employees” to $1 million. “Covered employees” include anyone who served as chief executive officer or chief financial officer during any part of a year and the next three most highly compensated named executive officers for that year. In addition, once a person is considered a “covered employee,” that person remains a covered employee in all subsequent years (including after the person leaves our service or changes roles). The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 updated Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective in 2026, to expand the number of “covered employees” subject to the $1 million deduction limit to include the next five highest compensated employees; however this new group of employees will not retain the perpetual “covered employee” status and will be determined annually. Consequently, we generally will not be entitled to a U.S. tax deduction for compensation paid in any year to our named executive officers and our other “covered employees” in excess of $1 million. While considering tax deductibility as only one of several considerations in determining compensation, we believe that the tax deduction limitation should not compromise our ability to structure compensation programs that provide benefits to us that outweigh the potential benefit of a tax deduction and, therefore, may approve compensation that is not deductible for tax purposes.

 

We follow the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 for our stock-based compensation awards, which requires us to measure the compensation expense for all share-based awards based on the grant date “fair value” of these awards. This calculation is performed for accounting purposes and reported in the executive compensation tables required by the federal securities laws, even though the recipient of the awards may realize no value from their awards.

 

 

We have not provided or committed to provide any NEO with a gross-up or other reimbursement for tax amounts the executive might pay pursuant to Section 280G or Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 280G and related sections of the Internal Revenue Code provide that an executive officer and certain persons who hold significant stockholder interests and certain other service providers could be subject to significant additional taxes if they receive payments or benefits in connection with a change in control that exceeds certain limits, and that we or our successor could lose a deduction on the amounts subject to the additional tax. Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code also imposes additional significant taxes on the individual in the event that an executive officer, director or service provider of certain types receives “deferred compensation” that does not meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

 

The Compensation Committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors, is responsible for establishing and implementing our executive compensation philosophy and for ensuring that the total compensation paid to our NEOs and other executives is fair, competitive and motivates high performance. The Compensation Committee is solely responsible for compensation decisions regarding our Chief Executive Officer. When making compensation recommendations for NEOs other than the Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation Committee requests and considers the advice and counsel of the Chief Executive Officer, given her direct day-to-day working relationship with those executives. Taking this feedback into consideration, the Compensation Committee will engage in discussions and make final determinations related to compensation paid to the NEOs.

 

 

The Compensation Committee believes that risks arising from our policies and practices for compensating employees are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our Company.

 

 

We provide our U.S. based NEOs, as well as other key employees, with an opportunity to defer settlement of restricted stock unit awards granted to them in 2020 and thereafter. Participants may elect to defer up to 100% of their restricted stock unit awards. We implemented this program, and continue to maintain it, to remain competitive with market practices. No deferral elections have been made by NEOs.

 

 

Historically, all awards, amounts or benefits received or outstanding under the equity incentive plan by the NEOs have been subject to clawback, cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback, reduction or other similar action in accordance with the terms of any clawback or similar policy or any applicable law related to such actions, as may be in effect from time to time. In accordance with the SEC’s adoption of the final “clawback rule,” effective January 27, 2023, requiring public companies to develop and implement a policy to recover excess incentive-based compensation from executive officers if amounts were based on material misstatements in financial reports, the Board adopted a Compensation Recovery Policy, effective November 27, 2023. The Compensation Recovery Policy covers our current and former executive officers, including all of our NEOs. Under the Compensation Recovery Policy, in the event that we are required to prepare a restatement of our previously issued financial statements due to our material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under securities laws, we are required to recover (subject to certain limited exceptions described in the Compensation Recovery Policy and permitted under the final clawback rules) any cash and/or equity incentive-based compensation received by any current or former executive officer after the effective date of the Compensation Recovery Policy and in the three years prior to the date we are required to restate our financial statements that is in excess of the amount that would have been received based on the restated financial statements.

 

 

 

Our Insider Trading Policy prohibits the NEOs from hedging or pledging our stock.

 

 

Our stock retention guidelines generally require each NEO to beneficially own certain amounts of our common stock. Generally, these guidelines require the Chief Executive Officer to beneficially own, at a minimum, the number of shares (or vested share equivalents) of common stock having a market value equal to three times the amount of his or her base salary. They require any other NEO to beneficially own, at a minimum, the number of shares (or vested share equivalents) of common stock having a market value equal to the amount of his or her base salary. Any individual initially designated as an executive officer has five years to achieve compliance. Each NEO is currently in compliance or within the five-year grace period. See the section captioned “Director and Executive Officer Stock Retention Guidelines” below for additional information.

 

 

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Anika Therapeutics, Inc., or Anika, has reviewed and discussed with the management of Anika Therapeutics, Inc. the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” contained in this Amendment. Based on its review and discussions with management, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” be included in this Amendment. This report is submitted by the following independent directors who comprised the Compensation Committee as of December 31, 2023:

 

 

 

 

 

The following table summarizes the compensation information with respect to our NEOs for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

 

 

 

 

The following table sets forth each grant of equity awards under the equity incentive plan made to the NEOs during the year ended December 31, 2023. All such equity awards vest over a three-year period commencing on the first anniversary of the grant date.

 

 

 

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2023

 

The following table provides information on the holdings of outstanding stock options and unvested stock awards held by the current NEOs as of December 31, 2023.

 

 

 

The following table provides information regarding options exercised and stock awards vested for the NEOs during the year ended December 31, 2023.

 

 

 

 

Our President and Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, and our other NEOs have certain termination or change in control benefits described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis sections captioned “Other Compensation Matters – Employment and Executive Retention Agreements Effective at December 31, 2023” and “Other Compensation Matters – Dr. Blanchard’s Employment Agreement.” The following table provides estimates of the potential payments and other post-termination benefits these individuals would receive assuming a change in control occurred and/or their employment was terminated as of December 31, 2023:

 

 

 

As required by applicable SEC rules, we are providing the following information about the relationship of the annual total compensation of our employees and the annual total compensation of Dr. Blanchard, our year-end Chief Executive Officer, or CEO.

 

For 2023, our last completed fiscal year:

 

   

 

Based on this information, for 2023 the ratio of the annual total compensation of Dr. Blanchard, our year-end Chief Executive Officer, to the median of the annual total compensation of all our employees was 41 to 1.

 

We took the following steps to identify the median of the annual total compensation of all our employees, as well as to determine the annual total compensation of our median employee and our CEO.

 

         

The pay ratio reported above is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with SEC rules based on our internal records and the methodology described above. The SEC rules for identifying the median-compensated employee and calculating the pay ratio based on that employee’s annual total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their employee populations and compensation practices. Therefore, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies have different employee populations and compensation practices and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

 

 

The Board previously adopted a Director Compensation Policy and the Compensation Committee undertakes an annual review of the Director Compensation Policy with input from the Company’s compensation consultant with regard to general compensation trends for director compensation. Each non-employee director receives cash retainers and is eligible for an initial or annual equity award grant, as applicable, with a value and vesting provisions as stated in the Director Compensation Policy. In 2023, the Board revised the Director Compensation Policy with respect to grants beginning in 2024 to (1) reduce the annual equity grant made to each non-employee director from $175,000 to $150,000, and (2) eliminate a standalone initial grant of equity of $350,000 that the Company had historically granted when a new non-employee director joined the Board in favor of a pro-rated portion of the standard annual equity award in the event that the non-employee director joined the Board at a time other than at the Company’s Annual Meeting.

 

 

For 2023, each of our non-employee directors was entitled to annual retainers per the following schedule, with such amounts to be prorated based on the actual number of days served if a director’s service to us commenced after January 1, 2023 or ended prior to the end of 2023:

 

 

 

 

For 2023, the Board of Directors approved a grant of 6,500 restricted stock units to each non-employee director, valued at $174,980 under the Plan, based on the fair market value of our common stock on June 14, 2023, the date of grant for our then-current directors. These restricted stock units granted to each then-current non-employee director in 2023 vest in one installment on the earlier of the date that is immediately prior to the 2024 Annual Meeting or one year from the date of grant.

 

 

The following table summarizes the compensation earned by non-employee directors in 2023.

 

 

 

Effective December 12, 2022, the Board of Directors adopted stock retention guidelines that generally require each of our directors and executive officers to beneficially own certain amounts of our common stock. We believe that ownership of shares of common stock by directors and executive officers helps align the financial interests of these individuals with the interests of stockholders, promotes sound corporate governance, and evidences a commitment to our Company. These stock retention guidelines supersede the director stock retention guidelines previously adopted by the Board on October 6, 2015.

 

 

Generally, these guidelines require each director to beneficially own, at a minimum, a number of shares (or vested share equivalents) of common stock having a market value equal to three times the amount of our annual Board retainer for the non-lead or non-chairman directors. The minimum shareholding requirement became effective immediately, except that any director has three years from the date of their initial election to achieve compliance. Compliance by each director will be reviewed annually by the Board’s Governance and Nominating Committee, which is authorized to approve exceptions upon a showing of serious hardship. A non-complying director must retain at least 75% of the shares (net of shares sold or offset to pay the exercise price and taxes) the director subsequently acquires through exercise of equity grants, until the director complies with the guidelines. As of December 31, 2023, each of our directors had met their minimum shareholding requirement.

 

 

Generally, the stock retention guidelines require the Chief Executive Officer to beneficially own, at a minimum, a number of shares (or vested share equivalents) of common stock having a market value equal to three times the amount of his or her base salary. The guidelines require any other executive officer to beneficially own, at a minimum, the number of shares (or vested share equivalents) of common stock having a market value equal to the amount of his or her base salary. The minimum shareholding requirement became effective immediately upon adoption of the stock retention guidelines, except that any individual has five years after initial delegation to achieve compliance. Compliance by each executive officer is reviewed annually by the Governance and Nominating Committee, which is authorized to approve exceptions upon a showing of serious hardship. A non-complying executive officer must retain at least 75% of the shares (net of shares sold or offset to pay the exercise price and taxes) he or she subsequently acquires through exercise of equity grants, until he or she complies with the guidelines. As of December 31, 2023, each of our executive officers has met his or her required shareholding requirement.

 

 

As of December 31, 2023, the Compensation Committee consisted of John B. Henneman, III, Sheryl L. Conley, Gary P. Fischetti, and Glenn R. Larsen, Ph.D. None of these individuals is or formerly was an officer or employee of our Company, nor have they engaged in any transactions involving our Company that would require disclosure as a transaction with a related person. There are no Compensation Committee interlocks between our Company and any other entity involving our or such entity’s executive officers or directors.

 

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, none of our executive officers served as: (1) a member of the compensation committee (or other committee of the board of directors performing equivalent functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board) of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on the Compensation Committee; (2) a director of another entity, one of whose executive officers served on the Compensation Committee; or (3) a member of the compensation committee (or other committee of the board of directors performing equivalent functions or, in the absence of any such committee, the entire board) of another entity, one of whose executive officers served as one of our directors.

 

 

 

The following table sets forth information concerning our equity incentive plan as of December 31, 2023.

 

 

 

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of common stock as of April 22, 2024, by:

 

 

The number of shares of common stock owned by each person is determined under the rules of the SEC. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual has sole or shared voting power or investment power and any shares that the individual has the right to acquire by June 21, 2024 (sixty days after April 22, 2024) through the conversion of a security or other right. Unless otherwise indicated, each person has sole investment and voting power, or shares such power with a family member, with respect to the shares set forth in the following table. The inclusion in this table of any shares deemed beneficially owned does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership of those shares for any other purpose. As of April 22, 2024, there were 14,828,456 shares of common stock outstanding. Shares not outstanding, but deemed beneficially owned by virtue of the right of a person to acquire those shares, are treated as outstanding only for purposes of determining the number and percent of shares of common stock owned by such person or group. Unless otherwise noted below, the address of each person listed on the table is in care of Anika Therapeutics, Inc., 32 Wiggins Avenue, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is our policy that all employees and directors, as well as their family members, must avoid any activity that is, or has the appearance of, conflicting with our business interests. This policy is included in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and it is supplemented by our Conflict of Interest Policy, which was implemented by the Board of Directors in October 2015 and updated in December 2022, and can be viewed on the investor relations portion of our website at https://ir.anika.com/governance-documents. Both the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the Conflict of Interest Policy are reviewed at least every three years, or more often as necessary or advisable. Among other things, this policy requires each director and officer to provide to the Chair of the Audit Committee (or to the Chief Executive Officer, if such transaction involves the Chair of the Audit Committee) written notice of any potential related party transaction, defined by our policy to mirror the definition of Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act. Any such notice must include all information requested by the Chair of the Audit Committee (or the Chief Executive Officer). Upon receiving all relevant information, the disinterested members of the Audit Committee may approve the transaction if they determine that the transaction is in the best interests of, and fair to, Anika, may require modifications to the transaction to make it acceptable for approval or may reject it. The Audit Committee may also establish guidelines for ongoing management of a specific related party transaction. The policy requires continuing related party transactions to be reviewed on at least an annual basis. Additionally, the policy requires all of our executives and directors to complete a director and officer questionnaire in connection with each of our annual proxy statements, which asks them to disclose family relationships and other related party transactions.

 

From January 1, 2023 through April 22, 2024, we had no reportable related party transactions.

 

 

 

The following table summarizes the fees that we paid or accrued for audit and other services provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP, or Deloitte, our independent auditor, for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

 

 

 

For purposes of the preceding table:

 

 

In considering the nature of the services provided by a principal independent auditor, the Audit Committee determined that such services are compatible with the provision of independent audit services. The Audit Committee discussed these services with the independent auditor and management to determine that they are permitted under the rules and regulations concerning auditor independence promulgated by the SEC to implement the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In accordance with its charter, the Audit Committee has procedures for pre-approving audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditor. These procedures are designed to ensure the continued independence of the independent auditor. More specifically, the use of the independent auditor to perform either audit or non-audit services is prohibited unless specifically approved in advance by the Audit Committee. As a result of this approval process, the Audit Committee has pre-approved specific categories of services and associated fee budgets. All services outside of the specified categories and all amounts exceeding the approved fee budgets are approved by the Chair of the Audit Committee, who has been delegated the authority to review and approve audit and non-audit related services during the year. A listing of the audit and non-audit services and associated fees approved by the Chair outside the scope of the services and fees initially approved by the full Audit Committee is reported to the full Audit Committee no later than its next meeting. The Audit Committee also regularly receives updates from Deloitte and management about the services actually performed and the associated fees and expenses actually incurred.

 

In addition, the Audit Committee evaluates other known potential engagements of the independent auditor, including the scope of audit-related services, tax services, and other services proposed to be performed and the proposed fees, and approves or rejects each service, taking into account whether the services are permissible under applicable law and the possible impact of each non-audit service on the independent auditor’s independence from management. All such services were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act to the extent that rule was applicable. Since May 2003, each new engagement of a principal independent auditor has been approved in advance by the Audit Committee.

 

 

 

 

†             Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.