Company: STAA
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000950170-25-058174
Chunk: 12

Company: STAAR SURGICAL CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 12
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 our Corporate Governance Guidelines is available on our website at http://staar.com , under “Investors-Investor Resources & FAQs-Governance Documents.” Director Independence Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Board shall be comprised of a majority of directors who qualify as independent directors under the applicable Nasdaq rules as determined by the Board. Our Board has reviewed its composition, the composition of our Board Committees and the independence of each director. Based upon information provided by each director and upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance Committee, our Board has determined that each of directors Arthur C. Butcher, Louis E. Silverman, Aimee S. Weisner, Elizabeth Yeu, M.D., and Lilian Y. Zhou are independent under Nasdaq rules, and none has a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our Board also previously determined that K. Peony Yu, M.D. was independent during the time she served as a director. In making these determinations, our Board considered the current and prior relationships that each non-employee director has or had with the Company and all other facts and circumstances our Board deemed relevant in determining their independence. Stephen C. Farrell, who serves as our Chief Executive Officer, is not independent, and Thomas G. Frinzi, our former Board Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, was not independent during his service on the Board. In April 2025, Mr. Jiang agreed to serve in a short-term role as a special strategic advisor to our Asia Pacific business. As we are compensating Mr. Jiang for his services, he is no longer independent under Nasdaq rules. See “Review of Related Person Transactions.” The Board also determined that each member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee meets the heightened independence standards required for such committee members under the applicable Nasdaq rules and SEC rules.

| 2025 Proxy Statement | – 9 – |

#### ––Corporate Governance––
Board Leadership Structure

The Board annually reviews its leadership structure to evaluate whether the structure remains appropriate for us. We have no policy requiring either that the positions of the Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer be separate or that they be occupied by the same individual. Our Board believes that it is important to retain flexibility to allocate the responsibilities of both offices in a way that is in our best interests and the best interests of our shareholders at the time it elects a new Chief Executive Officer or Board Chair, or at other times when consideration is warranted by circumstances.

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